Progression of Tactile Input Using Sensory Bins The tactile system provides information to the brain on light touch, pain, temperature, and pressure. Children can experience decreased ability to interpret tactile input or can be oversensitive to tactile input. Many early childhood classrooms and parents provide children with sensory bins to explore various types of tactile […]
Shaving Cream Tracks is a fun activity to set up that encourages fine motor skills, tactile input and crossing midline. You will need plates, toy cars and shaving cream for this activity. This idea is from Therapeutic Play Activities for Children. Place the plates in front of the child or one large tray. Squirt shaving […]
As pediatric therapists, assessment and treatment of children with cerebral palsy frequently focuses on motor impairments although, children with unilateral cerebral palsy (hemiplegia) are also likely to have sensory impairment. Research indicates that tactile registration for children with hemiplegia is consistently worse with their impaired hand than their unimpaired hand. Both hands of children with hemiplegia performed […]
Psychological Science has published research on 9 month old infants reaction to tactile input. The parents sat the infant on their lap while the experimenter stroked the back of the infant’s arm with a paintbrush. The experimenter varied the rate of the brushstrokes among three defined velocities: slow, medium and fast (0.3, 3, or 30 […]
Gait and Posture published some intriguing research on the effects of touch and trunk sway in a seated position. There were 13 healthy, adult subjects who participated in the study. Each participant performed a total of 12 trials of 60-seconds duration in a randomized order, combining the experimental conditions of no-touch, hand-touch (right index finger […]
Here is a video tutorial on how to create a set of tactile alphabet cards. If the children are able, they can help make this beautiful set of letters cards using materials from around the house such as index cards, needle and thread. Create the whole alphabet, a child’s name or a monogram. Download Alphabet, […]
The journal Science published research on how a human’s sense of touch influences thoughts and behavior. Subjects participated in various experiments to see how an objects weight, texture and hardness can influence decision making. In one experiment, the researchers had the subjects sit in hard or soft chairs and negotiate prices of a car. The […]
The Journal of Neuroscience published research indicating that if you have smaller fingers you have better tactile acuity. They found that in general, women had a better sense of touch due to smaller hand size. The authors conclude that smaller fingers have more closely spaced receptors (Merkel cells – associated with light touch). The researchers […]
Here is a new activity idea called Hunt and Find. This inexpensive activity can be created with objects from around the house or the therapy room. To view the directions on how to create and play the activity click on Hunt and Find. For more activities like this check out $ensory Motor Fun on a […]