The Power of Touch
It is widely known that touch has a beneficial effect on a child's emotional, cognitive, and social development. After birth, in the first period of life, an infant needs primarily direct physical contact with their mother. Her touch calms and provides a sense of security. The sense of touch is the primary tool of communication between a newborn baby and the outside world.
Touch is one of those senses that holds particular significance in the continuous process contributing to the perception of other types of sensations. Touch was one of the dominant senses during evolution, it is the dominant sensation during birth, and its importance for human functioning throughout later life is more decisive than is commonly believed.
Stimuli and receptors
Tactile information reaches us through sensory cells called receptors, located in our skin from head to toe. Sensations of light touch, deep pressure, skin stretching, vibration, movement, temperature, and pain trigger the activation of these receptors. These sensations are external in nature and result from stimuli located outside our body.
This sensory system connects us to the outside world and other people. Touch is a source of essential information for body awareness, motor planning, visual discrimination, language, academic learning, emotional security, and social skills.
The tactile system consists of two components. The first is the protective (or defensive) system. Its main task is to alert us to potentially harmful (or useful) stimuli. The tactile receptors of the protective system are primarily located on the hairy skin of the head, face, and genitals. They are triggered by light touch stimuli. Typically, the modulation of tactile sensations improves along with our interactions with other people and objects. We learn to inhibit sensations that are insignificant and ignore light touch that poses no threat or causes no unpleasant feelings (e.g., pain). The second component of the tactile system teaches us to distinguish what kind of touch we are feeling. Receptors responsible for tactile discrimination are located in the skin, especially on the hands and fingertips, soles of the feet, lips, and tongue. Firm touch or tactile pressure is the stimulus that activates these receptors.
The DIS-organized sense of touch
Tactile dysfunction is the insufficient processing of sensations received through the skin by the central nervous system. All types of SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) can affect how a child organizes and uses tactile sensations. A child may exhibit difficulties related to touching and being touched by objects and people. In daily functioning, problems with modulation, discrimination, or sensory-based motor skills may occur, depending on the type of sensory processing disorder present. Sensory modulation disorders can include:
Tactile defensiveness
A child with hypersensitivity to touch may present a range of negative and emotional reactions to unexpected tactile sensations. They may also react in the same way to expected touch. Most sensations may be perceived as uncomfortable, disturbing, or terrifying.
Deficits in sensory perception affect a child's development and, consequently, can hinder or delay it. A child showing problems with hypersensitivity in surface sensation is characterized by a withdrawn, defensive attitude toward touch. This manifests as: avoidance of physical contact – avoiding crowds, intolerance of certain clothing textures; dislike of tags, tight clothing, avoidance of sounds, especially high-frequency ones, lack of tolerance for foods with specific textures. One can also observe graphomotor problems resulting from the avoidance of activating hand work using easily deformable materials that stimulate fine motor development, and due to an incorrect grip on writing instruments (pens, crayons, etc.).
Tactile under-reactivity – "Boring!"
A child who is under-reactive to touch tends to ignore it, regardless of whether it is pleasant or painful. Unlike a child with tactile defensiveness, an under-reactive child will not react to touch effectively enough to defend themselves. They may not even realize they have been touched unless it is very intense.
Sensory seeking – "More!"
A "sensory seeker" needs intense and strong tactile sensations. They may touch and pick up objects that are not suitable for this (delicate dishware or a hot candle). The child intensely seeks specific types of surfaces and textures that others might find unpleasant. They rub their hands against rough tree bark, walk barefoot on gravel, get too close to other people, bump into people, and love all kinds of "messy play."
Tactile discrimination disorders: "What?"
A child with sensory modulation disorders may have difficulty paying attention to the physical characteristics of objects. In situations where a child avoids sensory sensations, they might, for example, keep their hands in their pockets or clench them into fists to protect sensitive hands. If they are a "seeker," they might manipulate everything they get their hands on without any distinction.
When sensory modulation is out of sync, the child's discrimination system may not fulfill its role, which in turn can lead to difficulties in using the sense of touch for increasingly complex goals, such as school learning. The child may be unable to point with their finger to a book they want to look at or button their coat without looking at what they are doing. Problems with mastering manual skills and using school supplies may occur.
To support the proper development of the sense of touch from the child's first day of life, we can offer the little one support in the form of nervous system stimulation and help in modulating tactile sensations. We can propose a multitude of safe, appropriate, fun, and easy tactile activities using a range of teaching aids, games, or play.
Joanna Rybacka
Master of Physiotherapy, graduate of the University School of Physical Education in Wrocław. I specialize in working with infants and older children. I have over 13 years of experience in neurological rehabilitation.
I am a neurodevelopmental therapist. The goal of my work is early intervention to support child development, using an interdisciplinary approach that allows for holistic care of the child and the family.
Bibliography:
- Carol Stock Kranowitz, The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder. Harmonia Publishing, Gdańsk 2011
- Carol Stock Kranowitz, The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun. Harmonia Publishing, Gdańsk 2011
- Lindsey Biel, Sensory Integration: Effective Strategies for Therapy with Children and Adolescents. Jagiellonian University Press, Kraków 2015
- Martin Grunwald, Homo Hapticus: Why We Can't Live Without the Sense of Touch, Jagiellonian University Press, Kraków 2019
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Tactile system
Touch is one of those senses that is of particular importance in the continuous process contributing to the perception of other types of sensations.