Dr. Michelle Handley
The post Positive Touch from October 6, 2022, defines the two major ways we process touch, discriminative and social/emotional, and briefly mentions the importance of using hand-under-hand when working with students. This article will expand on that information by describing how to use touch appropriately to engage in communication with a child who is deafblind.
Imagine you are sitting at your desk working intently. You are so engrossed in your work you do not hear the person who just entered your office and become aware of their presence only when they start talking. For me, that gets a big startle every time! Now think about a child who can only see changes in light and dark and can only hear loud noises if she has her hearing aids on. She is sitting at her desk reading a tactile book. Her teacher walks up to her and taps her on the shoulder to let her know it’s time for lunch. Do you think she will startle? Do you think that touch will feel “positive?”
When approaching a person who is deafblind, it is important that they are given an opportunity to know you are there before you begin to communicate (i.e., the tap on the shoulder). Effective strategies are to move into the person’s space, without touching, and wait for them to realize you are there, use light or sound if they have access, or place your hand or body near to them for them to “discover.” Once the person is aware you are there, then the touch for communication can begin. It is important to be patient and not force the communication on the person.
As mentioned in the previous post, hand-over-hand should not be used. “Seeing” or “hearing” something should not be forced on a child. When we take the hands of a child who is deafblind and put their hands somewhere, we are forcing them to see or hear. Communication should be an active process between two people where each person has the right to hear or not, to see or not. Instead, children should be invited into the conversation. By offering your hand under their hand, you are inviting them to see what you are seeing in a cooperative way. It may take more than one invitation for a child to be comfortable enough or curious enough to follow your hands. And that is ok. Again, patience is key.
Whether communicating by touch with tactile sign language, hand-under-hand, or any way in between, it is important to remember that, just as hearing and sighted people are, children who are deafblind should be invited into conversation and special awareness should be given to how they access your presence and communication to ensure it is a positive experience.
For more information, this 30-minute video presented by Barbara Miles provides rich descriptions and video clips of ways to effectively invite a person who is deafblind into a conversation, and ways to include components of good conversation into touch. https://www.perkins.org/resource/conversations-connecting-and-learning-persons-who-are-deafblind/#chapter4
This short article by Perkins provides important information on how children who are deafblind use their hands to access their environment. Here are some ways to make Literacy fun with your child or student: (perkins.org)