III. CARE OF THE PERSON

DRESSING

DRESSING FRAMES

Being able to dress and undress oneself is one of the major steps to independence. To help children learn how to dress and undress themselves, we provide frames on which all the different kinds of clothes fasteners can be found. It is very difficult to practice buttoning your coat buttons when you are wearing the coat, but if you have a frame with the buttons on the table, you can see the buttonholes; you can practice on the frame and when you learn to do them on the frame, it is not so difficult to do them on your own coat.

 

 

MATERIAL

Wooden frames on which material is stretched on opposite edges. The material is cut down the middle where various fasteners are attached.
 

1. Button frame with large buttons
2. Button frame with small buttons
3. Snapping frame with snap fasteners
4. Hook and eye frame
5. Buckling frame with buckle and strap (leather)
6. Bow tying frame
7. Shoe lacing frame (leather)
8. Zipper frame
 
Follow a flexible sequence:
a. Invite child.
b. Show location of the frame.
c. Show how to carry frame and how to set it on the table with no sound
d. When presentation is finished and child wants to put frame away, see that (s)he remembers where it is stored.

BUTTON FRAME (large, then small)

PRESENTATION

Unbuttoning
Show the child how to undo the buttons all the way down, holding each button in the right hand and the fabric next to the buttonhole with the left hand. Tilt the button vertically so that it slips through easily. Open fabric. Close fabric. Rebutton. The child practices unbuttoning.
 
Buttoning
Hold the left edge of the button with left thumb and index finger and push into buttonhole. With right thumb and index finger, grasp button; left fingers hold right cloth. Both hands pull, left pulls cloth to the left; right pulls button to right and through buttonhole. Repeat for all remaining buttons.

 

 

 

 

 

SNAPPING FRAME

PRESENTATION

Unsnapping
Demonstrate by placing left index finger and middle fingers under right flap in each side of the snap. With right thumb under and first two fingers over flap, hold and pull up and back. Open snaps this way. Open fabric. Close fabric.
 
Snapping
Place left fingers on each side of button snap, hold right flap with right thumb, index, and middle fingers near snap, and point out the little pin which will fit into the bottom snap. Fit pin into the bottom snap and press with right index finger. Repeat for remaining snaps.

HOOK AND EYE FRAME

PRESENTATION

Unhooking
Bring hook and eye close together. Left index finger pushes towards hook at end of eye. Right thumb, index, and middle fingers hold right flap near hook, and pull toward left. Lift right flap and free hook of eye. Open other fasteners. Open and close flaps.
 
Hooking
Hold eye with left index finger. Right fingers and thumb bring hook over eye and down. Pull back gently to show it is fastened. Repeat with remaining hooks.

BUCKLING FRAME WITH BUCKLE AND STRAP

PRESENTATION

Unbuckling
Hold strap with left index and thumb and gently push toward right to make a loop. Hold loop and pull through the bar with right fingers. Then, still with right, pull end of strap very hard. Take pin out of hole with left index fingers. Right hand pulls strap out of buckle, as left pulls buckle away from strap. Open and close frame.
 
Buckling
With right fingers, push strap through buckle, then pull strap back tightly. Put pin into hole. Push strap under bar with right hand and pull through with left.

BOW TYING FRAME

PRESENTATION

Untying
Untie all bows by pulling both ends slowly. Undo knots and lay ribbons to each respective side.
 
Tying
The following is a right handed presentation. The exercise will be reversed for a left handed child. The teacher must know both techniques.
Begin each step with the tie at the top of the frame. Carry step one through to completion with each tie prior to proceeding to step two, and so forth.
 
Lesson 1: Tying the Knot
Step 1. Cross the ribbons (right at the top) keeping the ribbons straight.
Step 2. Hold the top ribbon with the left hand and the bottom ribbon with the right hand. Loop the bottom ribbon around the top ribbon and poke the loop through with the right index finger. Grasping this loop with the right hand, pull the ribbon through and smooth it out straight on the right.
 
Lesson 2: Tying the Bow
Step 1. When you think the child is ready, give the above presentation or let the child do it, and proceed with the tying of the bow
Step 2. Make a small loop with the left hand ribbon. Wrap the other ribbon around this loop with the right hand and poke it through with the right index finger to form a second loop that can be grasped by the left hand. Transfer the right hand to the other loop .Pull these two loops gently to right and left at the same time to form a flat bow.
 
Note
There is also a two loop method. Lesson one is the same. For lesson two, make small loops with both ribbons. Holding one loop in each hand, tie them in a knot.

SHOE LACING FRAME

PRESENTATION

Unlacing
With frame on table with bow nearest you, untie bow as in bow frame. Unhook left lace with left hand, bringing it over to the right side. Unhook right side with right hand and lay it to left side. alternate left and right, unlace rest of frame as above.
 
Lacing
Put one lace in the first hole from the underside up. The other lace is placed through the first hole on the opposite side. The two ends are put together and pulled to make them even. Cross the laces and put them through the next holes from the underside to the top and pull out. Cross the laces again and continue to the bottom of the frame.

 

 

ZIPPER FRAME

PRESENTATION

Unzipping
Use one hand to hold both edges of the fabric together (at the top) as the other hand draws the zipper down.
 
Zipping
Use one hand to hold both edges of the fabric together (at the bottom) as the other hand draws the zipper up.
 

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