Effect of the stimulation of Two-point discrimination sensation on Brailles’ writing and reading skills in blind children

Abstract

Background: One of the major problems in blind children is low efficiency in Brailles’ writing and reading skills. Intervention program that can be used to enhance these abilities was sensory stimulation. Main purpose of the present study was to investigate effect of Two-point discrimination sensory re-education towards Brailles’ writing and reading skills of this group.

Methods: Participants were recruited from Northern School for the Blind Children under Patronage of the Queen, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Five students, three boys and two girls whose ages range from nine to fourteen years, participated in the study. The instruments used were the Disk criminator and the Test of Braille Alphabets. Data were collected at before and after sensory re-education program. Paired t-test was used for the comparisons of sensation in addition to writing and reading skills prior to and after intervention. Sensory re-education program to these children was conducted in isolation (one by one), twenty minutes for each session, twice a day, and five days a week, for a period of six weeks.

Results: Results of the study demonstrated that scores of Static and Moving two-point discrimination at post intervention were significantly higher than scores at pre-intervention (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, these participants significantly had higher scores of Brailles’ writing and reading skills at after intervention compared to before intervention (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: All results contribute to the notion that sensory re-education improve perception of sensation which useful for Brailles’ writing and reading skills of Blind children. Bull Chiang Mai Assoc Med Sci 2008; 41: 187-195.