Tactual Profile, observation instrument for charting tactual functioning..

Is this my cup? Where are my socks, and are they a matching pair? Where is my clothes hook and how do I find my jacket among all the other jackets on the coat rack? How do I read mathematical graphs and understand biology illustrations? These are just some of the questions that will probably be familiar to children with a severe visual impairment, their parents, carers and teachers and others involved in their development. When it comes to these and a whole host of other issues relating to life, learning and everyday situations, severely visually impaired and blind children need compensatory knowledge and skills if they are to function as independently as possible. Hearing, smell and touch are important aspects of this. When referring to touch we talk about ‘tactual skills’. Tactual Profile (Tactiel Profiel) was developed to chart the tactual skills of blind children from birth to 16 years. It was followed by an abbreviated version of Tactual Profile and Feel Free (Dutch: Tast Toe), an activity book full of suggestions for practice and lessons.