FAQ

Is Tactual Profile suitable for children with multiple impairments?

At Visio the term ‘multiply handicapped’ is used when there is a visual and intellectual impairment. When there is an auditory and visual impairment, the term ‘deafblind’ is used. Tactual Profile MDVI is a new observation instrument to study and chart the tactual functioning of multiply handicapped people. The target group are people with a mental impairment (developmental age up to six years) and a severe visual impairment, as well in education, rehabilitaion or special care centres. The age limit is broader than for Tactual Profile; the instrument is also suitable for multiple disabled adults.
With the compexity of the target group in mind, much attention was given to the factors which influence tactual functioning, since they can negatively influence the tactual functioning.
 If you have any questions about this instrument, please refer to the contact details under Contact.

Is Tactual Profile suitable for children who become blind at a later stage?
Is Tactual Profile suitable for adults who become blind? In the highest age group (F: 12 to 16), Tactual Profile may provide tasks that are also suitable for adults – the component ‘Factors that affect tactual observation and functioning’ being one such example. But no research into this has yet been done. Since Tactual Profile is based on the tactual demands that the everyday environment places on observation, the tasks focus on theoretical and practical skills related to secondary education and the daily life of secondary school pupils. There are no tasks relating to work and therefore to adults.

How much does Tactual Profile cost?
For information on price, send an e-mail to tactualprofile@visio.org

Who uses Tactual Profile?
Tactual Profile was developed for early intervention workers and teachers, but is also being used by psychologists, remedial education specialists, occupational therapists and all the other disciplines concerned with the development of severely visually impaired and blind children. Implementing and interpreting the ‘Overview of factors that affect tactual observation and functioning’ component is typically a task for a multidisciplinary team and an excellent starting point for a discussion of care and treatment programmes.

Who was Feel Free (Tast Toe) written for?
Feel Free was written by and for staff working with children with a severe visual impairment in practical training and learning settings.

Are Tactual Profile and Feel Free available in other languages?
Yes. There is an English version of Tactual Profile and a English and German version of Tactual Profile MDVI will be available, but are not yet in production. Feel Free is in English.

What happens after Tactual Profile has been used?
Tactual Profile provides a comprehensive overview of a child’s tactual functioning. The four main categories (tactual-sensory functioning, tactual-motor functioning, tactual-perceptual functioning and practical skills) each give an overview of problems of tactual functioning in their area. When there is a very high ‘not mastered’ score in one or more categories or sub categories, part two of Tactual Profile can be used to investigate further. This is the ‘Overview of factors that affect tactual observation and functioning’, which helps to find a possible explanation or hypothesis for unusually high ‘not mastered’ scores. The conceptual framework that emerges from this can serve as a starting point for special training programmes. The stimulation suggestions and lesson ideas in the Feel Free activity book offer a frame of reference for the content and format of training programmes. Feel Free has the same format as Tactual Profile. For the MDVI version a project group will work on an English and German version in 2017 and 2018.