TACTUAL SYMBOL DIRECTORY

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TACTUAL SYMBOL DIRECTORY Annette Godfrey
Magee Education Officer Statewide Vision
Resource Centre Victoria Helen Caldow Visiting
Teacher Eastern Metropolitan Region Victoria
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Tactile Symbol Directory TSD
Based on the Texas School for the Blind TSD.
Encouraged as a Statewide initiative within
Victorian Department of
Education and Training schools for multi
impaired students (MI.)
www.tsbvi.edu/Education/vmi/tactile_symbols.htm
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Why use a TSD?
The TSD will be a long term project to address
the lack of continuity between class rooms and
schools.
Tactual form of Compic, Boardmaker, Writing with
Symbols.
May allow MI students to organise and make sense
of their environment.
May allow MI students to communicate choices over
time.
May allow MI students to express their needs over
time.
TSD will be predictable, consistent and allow for
anticipation and practise.
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Tactual Learning Involves
Locating objects
Exploring objects
Manipulating objects
Recognising objects
Comparing objects
Organising objects
Using objects for communication.
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Why are Tactual Skills Important?

• There are two tactual systems
• The Discrimination System
• The Protective System

Tactual skills are important in the development
of body awareness.
May allow students to use their hands to obtain
information.
May allow students to identify symbols from the
TSD.
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Kershmanns Tactual Key Learning Sequence
1. Large, solid geometric figures.
2 Flat figures, smaller than larger, solid
geometric figures.
3. Embossed-dot geometric figures, smaller than
large,flat figures.
4. Embossed-dot lined figures.
5. Braille cells.
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Three Stages of Tactual Information Processing
1. Sensory Register
2. Short-term memory
3. Long-term memory
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Tactile Defensive Students
There is a difference between being tactile
selective and being tactile defensive.
TD students are hypersensitive in the area
responsible for providing protective information.
TD students avoid touching as their system
misinterprets stimuli as aversive and abrasive.
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TD students may resist touching stimulus if
Initial presentation startles them.
They have not received sufficient information
from the stimulus.
They dislike the texture.
The item is placed directly into the palm rather
than against the fingertips.
They are not interested in the item.
The item is messy.
The item is too warm or too cold.
They cannot anticipate the end of the experience.
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TSD Cards
Made from corrugated plastic, cut to shape.
Marked according to their category, eg food.
Designed to be durable.
Designed to use inexpensive materials where
possible.
Designed to be produced easily.
Use a standard font and size ie. Comic Sans,
Bold, N36.
Cards stored in categories so they can be easily
found/returned.
Changes will need to be made over time as
refinements are made. This is a work in progress!
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