Constant contact is one of the early techniques taught and it allows your child to detect drop offs as well as ensure the area in front of their travel path is clear as they sweep their cane side to side. We often teach this skill to young children who are doing well with the diagonal technique by having them start by a wall. For the arm and hand grasp, students will often hang their arms down by their sides and use a hand shake grasp or the index finger grasp.
We try to encourage their arm position to be centered at midline several inches in front of their body. This helps prevent belly pokes when the cane finds a crack. The shoulders and arms should be relaxed. The index finger is placed downward along the side of the grip – usually on the flat side of the cane if their cane has one, and their wrist is cocked upward – this does take time and practice.
We have them start sweeping their cane with encouraging phrases such as: “side to side”, “sweep bonk”, “hall to wall”… The wall provides one boundary of the cane arc and on the other side, we can hold a stick or other object so they can feel the opposite boundary. The proper width of the cane arc is approximately 2 inches past each shoulder. This can be practiced between chair legs or a person’s legs that are spread to match the proper arc of the child. The wrist movement has a slight back and forth motion to propel the cane side to side. The index finger is also used to provide some power as it helps push the cane across the body and then relax, as the wrist brings it back. This technique can then be practiced in open space.
Have fun exploring the world with your child!