Shaping Tasks

1. Lift items from a tabletop and place in a basket (eg. tennis balls, blocks, plastic silverware, plastic cups). Time yourself by counting the number of items placed in a basket in 5 minutes.

2. Using a washcloth or sponge, wipe the tabletop. Wipe in vertical, horizontal, diagonal and circular directions. Time yourself by counting the number of times you wipe in 5 minutes.

3. Open and close a cabinet door repeatedly. Time yourself by counting the number of times you open and close the door in 5 minutes

4. Turn pages of a book or magazine.

5. Flip domino or checker pieces.

6. Press a number or numbers on a large calculator

7. Pickup marbles off a table and place on a checkerboard or rack

8. Place coffee stirrers into a bottle or mug

9. Pickup cotton balls off a table and place in a basket or bowl

10. Pickup nuts and bolts and place in a container

11. Fifteen pennies are mixed into a small bowl of dried beans or rice. Pick up the pennies one at a time and place in a separate container.

12. Pick up a water bottle and raise it to your mouth repeatedly

13. Pieces of play-doh are placed on a plate. Use a fork to pick up the pieces and move them to a container

14. A lump of play-doh is shaped like a hamburger patty. Using a knife, cut the play-doh into pieces. To ensure safety, use a rocker-knife or L-knife.

15. Place dried beans or rice in a mug or cup with handle. Pour contents into another cup without spilling any.

16. Switch a wall light switch repeatedly

17. Turn the water faucet on and off

This list has been adapted from the University of Alabama Training for CI Therapy.

StrokeOT.org, Carolyn Brown, OTD, OTR/L