The development of tactual exploration and discrimination skills are necessary for future braille readers. It is also important for students with cognitive disabilities who may not be able to learn formal braille but can learn to discriminate objects by touch to help make sense of their world or to use for communication. You can help the development of tactual discrimination and finger sensitivity by providing many opportunities throughout the day for the student to tactually discriminate materials and compare similarities and differences, classify, and sort.
The following pages provide suggestions and strategies for developing tactual efficiency skills: