Identifying Patterns of Tactile Exploratory Behaviors in Children With Vision Impairment and Multiple Disabilities

Abstract

The research aim of the present study is to identify and describe patterns regarding tactile exploratory behaviors of children with vision impairment and multiple disabilities during active exploration of small 3D objects in terms of their shape. The participants of the study consisted of seventeen children who had vision impairment and multiple disabilities. Their age range was from 5 to 7 years old, and they were all enrolled in a variety of early intervention and special education programs. The authors observed and recorded the children's tactile behaviors while the latter were exploring actively a series of small 3-D objects in order to trace potential patterns of haptic exploration. For this, the authors developed an observation protocol which was consisted of the following three activities: a. explore and describe shape and properties of spherical items by touch, b. explore and describe shape and properties of cubical items by touch, and c. match objects in terms of their shape. All activities were video recorded after teachers' and parents' consent and the analysis of the data was based on two tools: a. VegasPro 13.0 software to analyze the videos in a quantifiable manner, and b. Atlas.ti to elaborate relevant data from a qualitative point of view. Based on the results, it seemed that some of the children's tactile exploratory behaviors could be considered as tactile exploratory patterns since the frequency of their appearance was quite high and repetitive. The practical implications of the findings are of great importance because they have direct link either to education programs or to early intervention programs. Identifying and analyzing tactile exploratory behaviors and patterns of children with vision impairment and multiple disabilities may lead to alternative "channels of communication" something extremely useful for professionals and parents who work in this sector of Special Education.