Objective: To outline strategies to develop the tactile skills of blind children

• Blind children do not develop tactile skills on their own, but require specific instruction and multiple opportunities to explore with their hands. Touch should be exercised and developed in all activities, just as vision is for children who can see.
• Although it is important to recognize practical, everyday objects, touch for its own sake is just as important as vision for its own sake.
• Introduce the child to a wide variety of textures and shapes in various sizes. Starting with a variety of foods that differ in taste, texture, and consistency, also introduce solid objects, starting with the most concrete (3-dimensional) and ending with the most abstract (a tactile line drawing and things outside of the child’s experience, such as an airplane). Objects that serve no function can be interesting and tactually beautiful as well.
• Understanding that some objects move independently, such as animals, is important.
• A stuffed animal toy feels nothing like the real animal. Touch often requires detailed explanation. Models of complex designs, maps of the community, and simplified raised-line drawings that illustrate a concept or even a book can all be provided tactually to aid understanding.
• Understanding basic conservation is an important part of daily living (will the contents of that bottle fit into this glass?).
• There is also a defensive aspect to using touch and some risk, such as learning to avoid moving machinery or dangerous substances. Exploring using touch must therefore be carefully supervised, allowing the child to discover, but balancing discovery with caution.