Tactile

Our skin is our largest sensory organ. Touch is the most intimate of the senses. However the understanding of what it means to have a poor-performing tactile sense is modern, but blindness and partial sight have their tactile equivalents. Over- and under-sensitive skin can cause very real difficulty for its bearer: A great deal of our appreciati...

Our skin is our largest sensory organ. Touch is the most intimate of the senses. However the understanding of what it means to have a poor-performing tactile sense is modern, but blindness and partial sight have their tactile equivalents. Over- and under-sensitive skin can cause very real difficulty for its bearer: A great deal of our appreciation of food is based on how it feels, itchy lables or fabrics can cause irritation, while kisses and pats can fail to soothe. Exposure to appropriate tactile variation during play can help widen what is acceptable and therefore reduce extreme reactions. Along with vestibular and proprioception, controlled tactile stimulation forms part of Sensory Integration therapy.