FM.B.17 TRANSFERS A TOY FROM HAND TO HAND

This is another major developmental milestone which you will find in many assessments.

How to Assess

Materials: A rattle with a straight stem.

Method: Place the rattle in 1 hand.

Score plus if your child transfers the rattle to the other hand. You can also score plus if you observe your child transferring objects during play.

How to Teach

This will often happen spontaneously, without any teaching, as long as the child is given appropriate objects to hold and plenty of practice with earlier Fine Motor skills.

If you see no signs of this, you can help by working through the following steps. Note that we begin with objects that are easy to grasp with both hands, such as large plastic rings and sticks – a 15 cm piece of dowelling is ideal.

  1. Releases one hand from a ring to take a second toy. Place both your child’s hands on the ring, and offer a second object to one hand. Your child only needs to let go one hand to take the new toy, and still retain the ring.
  2. Transfers the ring from one hand to the other to take a second toy. While he is holding the ring with one hand, offer another toy to the same hand. If necessary, guide his free hand to take the ring.
  3. Releases one hand from a stick to take a second toy. As in step 1, using a 15 cm stick.
  4. Transfers the stick from one hand to the other to take a second toy. As in step 2, using a 15 cm stick.
  5. Transfers a rattle from hand to hand, when the second hand is guided. The rattle will be a little harder for him to grasp with both hands at once. While offering a second toy to the hand holding the rattle, guide his second hand into position to take the rattle. Give only as much help as he needs.
  6. Transfers a rattle from hand to hand, as in the main objective.

Note that the method of presenting a second toy is not always successful – some children persist in dropping the first toy when a second is offered. In such a case, work through the ring, stick, rattle sequence, guiding your child’s hands to transfer without offering a second toy.