National Lekotek Center

For Bill & Bud, Inc.

 

Rib-It-Ball Assessment

 

Report on Key Features and Benefits for Children with Special Needs

 

 


Contact:                                   Joyce Lopez, Director, Product Development

                                                Todd Mullins, Director of Sales

 

Items Assessed:                        Jacob’s Rib-It-Ball 14”

                                                Jacob’s Rib-It-Ball 18”

                                                Jacob’s Rib-It-Ball 30”

                                                Jacob’s Rib-It-Ball Mini

 

Report Date:                             1/10/05

 

Prepared by:                             National Lekotek Center

                                                Ellen Metrick

                                                773-276-5164 x118

 

 


General Features:

 

  • Lightweight
  • Easy to Grasp
  • High Contrasting Colors
  • Auditorily Stimulating
  • Tactilely Stimulating
  • Visual Stimulating
  • Durable
  • Inviting due to uniqueness
  • Wide age range

 

Developmental Processes Promoted:

 

  • Fine Motor
  • Crossing Midline
  • Neutral Hand Position
  • Forearm Rotation
  • Grasp and Release Timing
  • Gross Motor
  • Trunk Extension and Flexion
  • Trunk Rotation
  • Core Strengthening
  • Postural Control (the ability to maintain and change the position of the trunk and neck)
  • Body Awareness
  • Joint Stability
  • Deep Proprioceptive Feedback (internal feedback from large joints such as hips and knees)
  • Motor Planning
  • Equilibrium Reactions (shifting weight to either side automatically to prevent falling)
  • Tactile Proprioceptive Input (gaining an awareness of one’s body in space in relation to one’s own individual body parts through the use of textures)
  • Whole Body Strength
  • Bilateral Movement (both symmetrical and asymmetrical)
  • Eye-Hand Coordination
  • Visual Processing
  • Auditory Processing
  • Tactile Stimulation
  • Social Interaction
  • Sequencing
  • Cause and Effect
  • Self Esteem
  • Spatial Concepts (out, in, up, down, over, under, next to…)
  • Prewriting (arm and hand control and strength, hand and finger awareness

 

 

Key Features and Benefits to Highlight for the Children with Disabilities Market by Lekotek disability categories:

 

Cognitive:

  • Children learn best using several senses – with this toy they will use seeing, hearing and touching to assist in learning and retaining information, such as sequencing the steps to complete a task (e.g. throwing).
  • Children with learning disabilities or mental retardation find it beneficial to repeat tasks over and over in order to retain and recall information.  This toy can be used in a repetitive manner to learn and retain the sequence of play.
  • The Rib-It-Balls encourage the discovery of body awareness – where a child’s arms and hands are in relation to the rest of his body as well as to other objects.  This is a prerequisite for handwriting and self help.
  • The balls are large and enable a child to practice eye-hand coordination to throw and catch successfully.  Children who have Down syndrome often have difficulty with refined fine motor play (used when catching and throwing a ball).  The ribs and sizes of the balls increase successful play.
  • Children can practice sequencing the steps to pick up, move and throw the ball and ready their bodies to catch the return.  Sequencing skills to complete a task is often a therapeutic goal.
  • Children with attention deficit disorder may be better able to attend to a play partner when the children not only hear a verbal cue, but also hear the crinkling sounds prior to the caregiver throwing or rolling the ball.  This action will catch and maintain a child’s attention.
  • The colors of the Mini Rib-It-Ball prototype capture a child’s attention, but the vibration then is able to maintain that attention and increase the opportunity for cause and effect action as well as prolonged play.
  • The cord on the Mini Rib-It-Ball prototype is short, enabling a child to repeat play over and over, learning the concept of cause and effect through repetition.

 

Communicative:

  • These balls encourage the discovery of body awareness – where a child’s arms and hands are in relation to the rest of his body as well as to other objects.  This is a prerequisite for handwriting and self help.
  • The balls are easy to grasp, which facilitates success of interactive games.
    • Catch – with two or more people
    • Hot potato
    • Tug of war - two children – one on either side of a ball holding on to two ribs each.
  • Children with autism often perseverate on spinning objects and may self stimulate by spinning these balls.  However, in order to spin a Rib-It-Ball, children are working on useful motor skills, such as neutral hand positioning, grasp, and forearm rotation all of which are used in writing skills.

 

Physical:

  • The ribs enable a child, who is non-ambulatory, to play with the balls without the risk of the balls rolling far out of reach.  The ribs work as stoppers and slow down the rolling.
  • Children with physical limitations often work on core strengthening to increase control and stability.  Children can lie prone (on their stomachs) on the ball, in between two ribs, and straighten their arms and legs, lift up their heads and trunks to “fly”.  This encourages trunk extension.  The ribs act as guardrail sensors for the children’s bodies so they can feel the ribs and adjust their bodies accordingly to prevent falling. 
  • Playing with the various size balls encourages a child to maintain and increase his/her range of motion.  Lifting, grabbing, twisting, spinning the ball moves a child’s body and encourages muscle flexion and extension, control and balance.
  • The 30” ball can be used as a lower level therapy ball.  It helps grade the challenge and make is easier because the ribs work as stoppers.
  • A child can use the 14” or 18” ball to hand walk (lie on the ball in a prone position and walk hands on the floor, allowing the ball to roll down the child’s body to the legs and then walk hands backwards to get to the start point again) increasing shoulder and arm strength.  This should be done with a caregiver spotter and on a gripping surface, such as carpeting.  The material that the balls are made of is slippery and can make the balls slip from under a child when hand walking. (The 30” ball slips out from under a child and is unsafe for this exercise)
  • When a child sits on the balls (14”, 18” and 30”) he is practicing joint and hip stability, balance and head control.  Head control is gained by balancing extensor and flexor muscles in the body.
  • When a child sits on the 14” or 18” ball at a table and plays a tabletop game, he can improve postural control.  Postural control includes head control, trunk flexion and extension, balance, weight shifting and maintaining stability while using arms and hands for another activity.
  • When a child sits on the balls (14”, 18” and 30”) he can practice equilibrium reaction, or balance reaction.  Shifting his weight from one side to the other automatically to avoid falling.
  • The Rib-It-Balls encourage the discovery of body awareness – where a child’s arms and hands are in relation to the rest of his body as well as to other objects.  This is a prerequisite for handwriting and self help.
  • The balls are large and provide a large target area for a child to successfully kick.  Additionally, the balls are lightweight and move farther when kicked, enabling a child with muscle weakness to successfully kick the ball.
  • Using the various sized balls, children can work on moving their hands together at midline (together at the middle of their bodies).  If the various sizes are available to one child, that child can gradually increase the difficulty by first using the 18”, then the 14” and finally the mini.  Depending on the size of the child, the 30” ball may be too large to incorporate midline training.
  • The balls are large and enable a child to use eye-hand coordination to throw and catch successfully.
  • Through “wrestling” with this ball, children can increase strength, cross midline and incorporate trunk rotation by holding on to two ribs and moving the ball from side to side.  Any activity that involves pushing and pulling with the arms against resistance will strengthen arm muscles.  The caregiver can increase the resistance as the child’s ability increases and frustration level decreases.  Additionally, children can stand stationary and swivel their upper body (trunk rotation) to hand the ball off to another and then swivel in the opposite direction to receive the ball back.  This can help to increase trunk rotation and core strengthening.
  • Children who have neuromuscular disorders, such as cerebral palsy, often hold their arms in a pronated position.  Meaning, their hands turn in and down in tight fists.  The ribs on these balls enable a child to hold their hands in a neutral, functional position.
  • Motor planning – the integration of visual stimuli and motor output –the colors of the material, the sound of the fabric, and the size of the ball provide clues to the child that the ball is getting closer and he needs to ready his body to catch it.
  • Children can grasp one of the ribs of the 14” or 18” and spin the ball, enhancing forearm rotation.  The 30” ball can be used as well because of its lightweight feature, but may be more cumbersome for a child to negotiate.
  • Children who use these balls in therapy may find the ends of the rib sleeves interesting for finger poking, encouraging the use of isolated fingers.
  • The balls can be used to incorporate bilateral movement – both symmetrically and asymmetrically.  Meaning, children can hold and throw and grasp the ball with two hands in the same position at the same time, as well as one hand at a time, reciprocally.
  • Through play, children can understand spatial relationships – where their body parts are in space in relation to the rest of their bodies as well as where their body is in relation to the balls.  In doing so, they can begin to gauge the size, shape and distance between their bodies and other objects.
  • When children hold on to a rib with one hand and move the ball around, they are controlling their movement at their shoulder, enabling their arms to be held in different positions, increasing range of motion, flexibility and control.
  • Children can enhance their fine motor pincer grasp as they reach out and pick up the Mini Rib-It-Ball prototype using the ribs.
  • The cord on the Mini-Rib-It-Ball prototype is short, enabling a child who has limited arm movement to be successful in play.
  • Because the 30”, 18” and 14” Rib-It-Balls have balloon bladders, the amount of air in the ball can be altered dependent on the individual child’s needs.

 

Sensory:

  • The crinkle sounds from the ribs as well as the cover material itself amplifies movement and provides intense auditory response to a child who has visual limitations or who are less responsive and need additional stimulation for attention and play.
  • When a child rolls on the ball, perpendicular to the ribs, he can feel the ribs sliding under his body.  Because of this, children gain an increased sense of body awareness.
  • The 14” and 18” balls can be used for a child to sit and bounce, with their feet firmly planted on the floor for stability and balance control.  This provides deep proprioceptive feedback (internal body awareness and feedback from hips and knees) to a child.
  • The high contrast of the colors and the intense crinkle sounds enable a child with visual impairments to successfully play with this ball.  Children with some vision can see the bold colors on the ball approaching as it is rolled to them and can hear the ball to better prepare their body (motor planning) to receive the ball.
  • Children who have Sensory Integration Disorders may find this ball stimulating if they lie on the floor and have the ribs of the ball roll over them with slight pressure, like a steam roller.  This is often used in therapy to prepare a child to center himself and better prepare for attending to the therapist.
  • The ribs on the ball can help a child who has gravitational insecurities.  Meaning, when a child lifts his feet off the ground, he feels an overwhelming sense of fear of falling.  The ribs can provide a child with guardrails to hold to help work through that fear and gain control.
  • The sound of the material may be over-stimulating for some children; however children who are passive or who have low arousal thresholds may find incredible benefits from the sound and feel of these balls.
  • The high contrast and the crinkle sound of the ball can help a child with visual impairments perceive distance and direction between the ball and his own body.  This exercise can lead to assisting in movement through space and identifying potential barriers in a child’s path.
  • The vibration, the high contrasting colors, the textures and the crinkle sound of the Mini Rib-It-Ball is very alerting and provides deep, internal sensory input.
  • The vibration of the Mini Rib-It-Ball provides the extra stimulation a child who has sensory integration issues may need to attend and function.
  • The vibration of the Mini Rib-It-Ball prototype is gentle enabling a therapist to use it on a child who is hypersensitive.  The vibration will be used to help desensitize a child, in a safe manner. 
  • The gentleness of the Mini Rib-It-Ball prototype can be used on a child’s face to assist with oral awareness.

 

 

Description of categories – We have included some examples of the types of disabilities within each category.  These lists are not all encompassing.

 

Cognitive Disabilities:  Affecting the individual’s ability to process information, reason, remember and express emotions. 

  • Down syndrome (trisomy 21)
  • Mental Retardation
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Attention Deficit Disorder/Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Learning Disabilities (LD)

 

Communicative Disabilities:  Affecting the ability to communicate verbally due to limited, or altered comprehension and use of language.

  • Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
  • Speech and Language Delay
  • Stuttering

 

Physical Disabilities: Affecting the motor systems.  These can include skeletal, muscle and joint abnormalities which in turn limit an individual’s ability to move, stand, sit, play, reach, etc.

  • Cerebral Palsy (CP)
  • Muscular Dystrophy (MD)
  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • Spina Bifida
  • Paraplegia
  • Quadriplegia
  • Developmental Delay

 

Sensory Disabilities:  Affecting the individual’s ability to gather and understand information from the environment through any of the five senses.

  • Hearing Impairment
  • Visual Impairment
  • Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)