Our skin is covered with microscopic receptors that send information to our brains. This is our sense of touch, or tactile sense. We use our sense of touch to experience all kinds of things from itching, to tickling, pressure, hot and cold, pain, vibration, and movement.
The “tactile sense” is necessary for all kinds of activities such as walking up steps, writing on a chalkboard, hugging someone, getting dressed, or testing water temperature. From infancy we require tactile stimulation to meet nearly all of our physical and emotional needs. We even need our tactile sense to develop good social skills. But a child with tactile dysfunction may have some of those signals confused. And this can cause all kinds of behavioral problems.
According to Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A., Here are some symptoms you might observe in a child with Tactile Dysfunction:
The child who is UNDERresponsive to touch….
- doesn’t seem to notice that there’s food on his face, or that his shirt is unbuttoned or his sock has a hole in it.
- gets into other people’s personal space and “annoys” them.
- needs to rub things in her hands or to chew on objects like pencils, rubber bands, or strings.
- doesn’t seem to feel cold enough to want his coat on, or doesn’t notice it’s warm enough to remove his coat.
- doesn’t react strongly to pain or getting hurt, and seems mostly bewildered by it.
- is constantly touching people and objects, grabbing things, rubs his hands along walls, etc.
- doesn’t seem to comprehend that something she has done has caused pain to someone else.
The child who is OVERsensitive to touch …
- doesn’t like the sensation of water…avoids swimming and gets frustrated bathing.
- doesn’t like being hugged or kissed, and gets irritated when someone is “touching her,” even if that means just sitting too close.
- often has difficulty making friends.
- doesn’t like activities that involve getting hands dirty, and may cry or complain if his hands get messy eating food.
- is very bothered by certain types of clothing, and may even cry or complain that they’re “itchy.”
- rejects certain foods with particular textures, or always wants the same temperature of food.
The child who has difficulty with TACTILE DISCRIMINATION (which means he can’t distinguish between different sensations very well)…
- has difficulty grasping pencils, scissors, crayons, and utensils.
- is awkward with fine-motor skills like buttoning, zipping, tying shoes, etc.
- has difficulty telling the difference between the texture and size of similar objects, like recognizing the feel of a quarter in his pocket vs. a dime.
- wrings or twists his hands awkwardly.
Tactile Dysfunction is one aspect of SENSORY INTEGRATION DYSFUNCTION. Occupational therapy can help these children, especially with plenty of sensory-integrating exercises.
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here. Some links on this blog may have been generated by outside sources are not necessarily endorsed by Kristyn Crow.
Related Articles:
Have You Brushed Your Kid Today?
What is Your Child’s Sensitivity Profile?
Get Busy Living! How Occupational Therapy Can Help Your Child