Tactile Symbols Research Articles

Non-Speech Based Pastoral Care: A Pastoral Care Program for Aged Care Residents with Little or No Ability to Speak

SUMMARY Pastoral care depends on the ability to communicate, most commonly through the medium of speech. The aged person who has suffered illness or accident that has adversely affected their speech, is in great need of pastoral care. Yet chaplains and pastoral carers can feel helpless in the face of such a significant deficit and may not know what to do. At Tregenza Avenue Aged Care Service, the Chaplaincy service has developed helpful individual programs for non-speech based pastoral care. Using visual and tactile symbols, pictures, touch, and music, we have been able to minister to people with a variety of speech problems, with promising results.

A study of the discriminability of shape symbols by the foot

An experiment to test the discriminability of shape symbols using the shod foot was performed with 38 blind people (aged 23–72 years). Ten shape symbols which were 5 mm thick and fitted into a 30.5cm2 tile were presented to subjects to identify by using only their feet. Each subject had 20 trials in which to discriminate the symbols. In each trial, a symbol was selected randomly and presented to the subject in randomized orientation. The subject was instructed to step on the symbol and to identify it using their own method. Time to discriminate a symbol and the accuracy of identification were recorded. A very high accuracy (93% on average) was obtained, which is comparable to the accuracy of tactile symbol discrimination using the hands. Average time to discriminate a symbol was 16 s with a standard deviation of 12.15 s, which indicated the high variability of the results. Owing to the high accuracy of identification, tactile foot-discriminable symbols have great potential as landmarks for blind people and if applied to a tactile guide path they could provide information for orientation and navigation.

Tactile cartography: another view of tactile cartographic symbols

AbstractBuilding on past research into the efficacy of symbols on tactile maps an attempt is made to synthesise the findings of investigations into tactile mapping. Conclusions regarding the most readable symbols, point, line and area, are given.

Clinically Improving COMMUNICATION Through Touch

1. Touch is an integral, yet under appreciated, aspect of nursing care. The language of touch includes the tactile symbols of duration, location, action, intensity, frequency, and sensation. 2. Touch is used in different ways: affectional, functional, protective, and non-physical (personal space). The need for touch does not lessen with age. In fact, it may increase due to loss of vision and hearing and increased personal and social isolation. 3. Nursing educators need to recognize the importance of nonverbal communication skills (ie, touch and personal space), and incorporate learning techniques into classroom and clinical experiences.

A computer-supported communication approach for a child with severe communication, visual, and cognitive impairments: A case study

This report describes the assessment and instructional procedures used to introduce an augmentative and alternative communication device to a child with severe communication, visual, and cognitive impairments. The device consisted of a computer-supported expanded keyboard that produced synthetic speech output when tactile symbols were activated. A verbal prompt-free strategy was employed to teach the child to use the device. Data related to instruction and generalization in a classroom setting are reported. The advantages and limitations of the instructional strategies employed as well as some potential advantages of synthesized speech output for such learners are discussed. Future clinical and research needs are also included.

The Cheyne Symbol System

The early development of language is briefly outlined and some of the problems caused by visual handicap are identified. A system of tactile communication symbols is described which may be of help to severely handicapped children unable to speak because of physical or sensory impairments in addition to blindness.