Rehabilitation
At Home Rehabilitation Exercises
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44- Time Sense
LEVEL 1 - Give the student a digital stopwatch (many wristwatches have a stopwatch mode) and instruct the student to start the watch and then stop it when 10 seconds have passed. This is done with the watch in full view of the student. Repeat this with variations in time up to one minute. Aim for the student being able to stop the watch within two seconds of the target time.
LEVEL 2 - After the student has started the watch announce the time to stop, between 8 and 60 seconds. The student can see the watch at all times. Repeat with variation in the target time.
LEVEL 3 - The student should not be allowed to see the stopwatch. With a command of “Begin!” from the instructor, the student is to estimate when 10 seconds has passed and then say “Stop!”. Counting out loud should be encouraged at first. Repeat with variations in the time span up to two minutes. With increasing length of time, a wider span of error should be expected. For instance, when estimating 30 seconds, a response between 25 and 35 seconds would be acceptable.
LEVEL 4 - Instructions are the same for Level 3 except that the trainer is to fill in the time with conversation, questions, etc. The student must try to keep track of the passing seconds despite these distractions. A larger range of error should expected under these conditions.
Taken from Tasks for Home-Based Cognitive Stimulation Program, the Traumatic Brain Injury Model System at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dept. of P M & R, Birmingham, AL. © 1998-2003 University of Alabama at Birmingham