Touch is the primary sense of all sensorimotor learners. ~ Millie Smith, 2015
When we think of communication, we tend to think of auditory and visual options first. But how does this affect learners with DeafBlindness? Are visual and auditory methods their first line of communication? Are they the most effective routes if the learner is limited in their vision and hearing? Probably not! So how do you address their communication? You must think out of the box and think of the individual learner.
Do you work with learners with DeafBlindness who use their hands to explore and participate in their environment? If so, how do you adapt your methods and materials to ensure you are reaching them through their preferred mode of communication? It all starts with knowing the learner. You must know their likes and dislikes, their preferences, their background and their experiences. It’s important to know how they have interacted in their environment. Life is subjective. Communication and comprehension are subjective. It all depends on your life experiences and knowing where you are coming from with your understanding of the world around you. At the base of communication with someone who is DeafBlind is touch. We all develop an awareness of activities and events through visions, sounds, smells, and the feel of items related to the event/activity.
It is very important to build a trusting relationship with the learner with DB through a variety of components. You must prepare the learners as you approach them so they can identify who you are in a minimally stressful manner. Sudden movements and physical expectations could cause them to be on alert and not ready for communication. Provide wait time as they process tactile information, and respond to you. Consistency is key! Be available for their interaction and initiation of communicative interaction.
The bottom line is trust! Be available for the learner with DeafBlindness. Be sure to recognize and use the following recommendations:
- Use tactile identifiers. If they cannot hear or see you approach, they need a way to know it’s you and feel comfortable.
- Be ready and aware of student interaction through touch. Trust can be built through knowing you are there and available for interaction and communication.
- Providing tactile feedback for the learner with DeafBlindness can be very helpful in guiding them to learn about and interact within their environment
- Wait time is so important in providing time for them to process what they are feeling through touch and how it fits into their conceptual knowledge.
- Acknowledge their attempts to initiate communication through tactile means, no matter the pace at which they demonstrate the attempts.
Remember the following tips:
- It’s vitally important to ‘walk a mile in their shoes’ to help you determine their needs and communication opportunities.
- Be aware of what the learner is missing in their opportunities for tactile communication.
- Provide access to communication in their environment
- Adapt tactile interactions and make them as natural as possible.
Do you have any tips to share in using tactile communication with a learner with DeafBlindness? We would love to hear from you. Please share in the comment section below!
The information included in this blog is based on material from the Open Hands, Open Access Modules provided by the National Consortium on DeafBlindness.
Open Hands, Open Access: Deaf-Blind Intervener Learning Modules https://www.nationaldb.org/products/modules/ohoa/touch-connection-communication/
Julie Brickhouse, MAEd, NBCT
ECU DB Technical Consultant