TOUCH RESEARCH AND

DEAFBLINDNESSA HANDFUL OF TOOLS AND IDEAS

TOUCH AMONG THE SENSES

TOUCH IS THE MOST BASIC, THE MOST

NONCONCEPTUAL FORM OF COMMUNICATION THAT

WE HAVE. IN TOUCH THERE ARE NO LANGUAGE

BARRIERS; ANYTHING THAT CAN WALK, FLY, CREEP,

CRAWL, OR SWIM ALREADY SPEAKS IT. (INA MAY GASKIN –

SPIRITUAL MIDWIFERY)

FIRST TOUCH FIRST!

• BEFORE BIRTH

• IN UTERO

• A WORLD WITHIN A WORLD - FEELING THE LIMITS – REACHING OUT

• REACTION TO WATER, SWIMMING – MEMORIES?

• FETUS’ REACTION TO ULTRASOUND - BEGIN TO FEEL PAIN OR DISCOMFORT

• BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO SOME OF THIS EVEN BEFORE BEING BORN

• HTTP://WWW.LIFENEWS.COM/2011/09/09/STUDY-UNBORN-BABIES-CAN-DIFFERENTIATE-TOUCH-PAIN-IN-WOMB/

• EXAMINING THEIR OWN BODIES – HEAD – AND THEN MOUTH (ANTICIPATION?)

• HTTPS://VIDEO.SEARCH.YAHOO.COM/SEARCH/VIDEO;_YLT=A86.J3SR49HWPRIAQAMNNILQ;_YLU=X3ODMTEYMWZZY

ZY3BGNVBG8DZ3EXBHBVCWMXBHZ0AWQDQJE3NDDFMQRZZWMDC2M-?

• MOTHER’S TOUCH HELPS: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=VNV2VZBRM5M

• REACTING TO EMOTIONS FROM THE MOTHER

BEING BORN

• DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH

• C-SECTION

• NATURAL BIRTH METHODS

• CLEANING AFTER BIRTH

• THE INCUBATOR OR CRIB VS THE UTERUS

• SKIN-TO-SKIN

SKIN TO SKIN WITH BABY

• PREMATURE BABIES AND KANGAROO CARE:

• HTTP://MY.CLEVELANDCLINIC.ORG/CHILDRENS-HOSPITAL/HEALTH-INFO/AGES-STAGES/BABY/HIC-

KANGAROO-CARE -- LIST OF BENEFITS SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH

• HISTORY

• SKIN-TO-SKIN

• FATHER’S TOO!

• BONDING MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE

• DIFFICULTY OF BONDING WITH A CHILD WHO IS DEAFBLIND

MASSAGE

• CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

• BEGINNING OF INFANT AND CHILD MASSAGE IN THE US

• ENHANCE THE “BOND” BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILD

• THE TOUCH RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MIAMI):

• HTTP://PEDIATRICS.MED.MIAMI.EDU/COMMUNITY-OUTREACH/TOUCH-RESEARCH-INSTITUTE

• HTTP://WWW.IAIM.ORG.UK/

• HTTP://WWW.LOVINGTOUCH.COM/

TOUCH CREATES DIMENSIONS

• WHAT IS “HAPTIC”

• THE “WHOLE” PICTURE -- WITH VISION AND HEARING

• “EDUCATES” DISTANCE SENSES

• COMPLETES THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONCEPTS

• MORE PRIMITIVE, BUT NOT INFERIOR

• SOMETIMES OUTDOES THE DISTANCE SENSES

• CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK -- EVEN WHILE ASLEEP

• THE SOCIAL DIMENSION

TOUCH CREATES DIMENSIONS

• TOUCH – A TWO-SIDED MIRROR

• THE CONTINUUM OF TOUCH

• INTERRUPTION OF THE CONTINUUM

• THE “EMOTIONAL” DIMENSION

EMOTIONS

• MOTIVATORS

• EFFECT ON MEMORY

TOUCH CONVERSATIONS

HTTP://WWW.PERKINSELEARNING.ORG/VIDEOS/WEBCAST/CONVERSATIONS-CONNECTING-AND-

LEARNING-PERSONS-WHO-ARE-DEAFBLIND

• TOUCH, MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM AS COMPONENTS OF EARLY CONVERSATIONS

• “EARLY” COULD INCLUDE CHILDREN WHO ARE DEAFBLIND, BUT NOT NECESSARILY “YOUNG” IN AGE

• THESE TOUCH CONVERSATIONS INCLUDE GOOD CONVERSATIONAL TACTICS:

• JOINT ATTENTION

• TURN TAKING

• RESPECTFULLY BEING HEARD

• WAITING

TOUCH COMES BEFORE SIGHT,

BEFORE SPEECH

IT IS THE FIRST LANGUAGE,

AND THE LAST,

AND IT ALWAYS TELLS THE TRUTH.

(MARGARET ATWOOD)

REMEMBER…..

TOUCH FUNCTIONS EVEN WHEN VISION AND HEARING FADE

RESOURCES

• FROM ACTIVE TOUCH TO TACTILE COMMUNICATION – WHAT’S COGNITION GOT TO DO

WITH IT? JUDE NICHOLAS

• TOUCHING: THE HUMAN SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SKIN. ASHLEY MONTAGU

• THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOUCH. EDS. MORTON A. HELLER, WILLIAM SCHIFF

• TOUCH AND BLINDNESS: PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE. EDS. MORTON A. HELLER &

SOLEDAD BALLESTEROS