Speech Activities Including Tactile Stimulation

Educators, parents and therapists can include tactile stimulation in speech and language learning activities. According to the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE), introducing students to speech-language activities which stimulate their sense of touch is beneficial. Some speech therapists recommend including tactile stimulation in therapies and

some studies suggest that tactile stimulation may make some therapies more effective.

Educational Speech Activities

• The tactile sense is commonly referred to as "the sense of touch."

  Some educators use tactile stimulation activities such as sandpaper letters to help beginning language learners. Sandpaper letters are large letters cut from sandpaper and pasted to boards. Educators might use sandpaper letters by demonstrating how to trace the sandpaper letter while speaking the phoneme. A phoneme is the sound that a letter, or blend of letters represents. For example, the phonetic sound of the letter "a" is the first sound in the word "apple". The blend, "sh" makes the the first sound in the word, "ship" and is a sound often used to tell people to be quiet; "shhhhh!" After the educator demonstrates tracing the letter and speaking the phoneme (sound), he might direct a student to mimic his demonstration by tracing the sandpaper letter with her fingertips and speaking the phoneme.

  In a similar activity, educators trace a letter in a tray filled with about a quarter-inch of sand while speaking the phonetic sound of that letter.

  Some educators use Braille to assist visually impaired people. Braille is a way of helping people to read using the tactile sense. While feeling raised letters, words and images, a person can be coached by a educator to enunciate effectively.

Therapeutic Speech Activities

• Speech and language are important parts of development.

  Speech language therapists use tactile stimulation in speech therapies. Some therapists train patients in "oral-cavity awareness." After instruction using drawings, therapists ask patients to touch their tongue to specific areas inside their mouths. Therapists then use tongue blades to touch certain areas inside the patients' mouths, stimulating tactile senses. These tactile simulations may help therapists coach patients to move their tongues in the specific ways required to produce English phonemes.

  Some therapists use "vibrotactile" feedback stimulation as a speech training activity. Vibrotactile feedback stimulation refers to a vibrating stimulus which tells a person when their action is correct or incorrect. Therapists use tactile feedback to help people learn when their speech is within or outside of specific parameters.

Parental Speech Activities

• Parents can assist children with learning activities which include tactile stimulation.

  Parents wishing to instruct their children in speech activities involving tactile stimulation can find ideas at several websites. Speechtx.com recommends some games which involve helping a child to learn the names of some household items. After the child has learned the names of some items, place those items in a box, and direct the child to feel the items, naming the items without looking. The box should be covered with a blanket to ensure the child is depending only on his or her tactile sense to name the objects. Similarly this speech/language game can be played with the focus on tactile qualities using objects that feel warm, cold, rough or smooth.