Many children with cerebral palsy suffer from sensitivity problems. For example, a child with cerebral palsy may have a significantly lower pain threshold and, conversely, be particularly sensitive to non-painful stimuli. This type of sensory disturbance is called tactile sensitivity. This disorder can make everyday life difficult for your child. Fortunately, the disorder is very treatable, especially when treatment begins at an early age.
How does tactile sensitivity develop?
In the brain, the somatosensory cortex is the center for touch, including measuring pressure, temperature, and pain. It’s also responsible for allowing us to tell how an object feels, how big or small it is, and what shape it is. In many cases, taktile Bodenleitsysteme cerebral palsy causes damage to the somatosensory cortex, which can lead to tactile sensitivity.
Signs and symptoms of tactile sensitivity
Although all children may be sensitive to certain stimuli at some point in their lives, sustained extreme responses to touch may indicate tactile sensitivity. There are many different signs to look out for to determine if your child has tactile sensitivity. Does your child get particularly upset when they are dirty? Are you particularly restless when wearing clothes? Do they make every effort to avoid walking without shoes or socks? These and other signs could indicate that your child has tactile sensitivity. If you notice any of these signs, talk to your child’s doctor.
How parents can help
One way you can help your child overcome their sensitivity is to allow them to slowly become accustomed to the stimuli that are bothering them. For example, if your child has an extreme reaction to chalk, let them use your hands to draw with chalk instead of their own. As this practice continues over time, slowly and gently encourage them to try it for themselves. Ideally, the practice of using these materials with your hands will accustom you to working with them.
Other methods may require supervision by an occupational therapist or your child’s doctor. One of these is the Willbarger Protocol, which involves passing special brushes along your child’s arms, legs, back, hands and feet. Another method is to use special weights that your child can wear on their arms or legs. The weights create pressure that can help calm children with increased sensitivity in these areas.
ADA Door Signs – Proper placement of tactile signs on doors
ADA door signs are one of the most common sign types used to identify rooms with doors in office buildings, hospitals, schools and businesses of all sizes.
Buying and displaying ADA signs is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to achieve ADA standards compliance.
In order for your business to meet the standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, you need to know the safe places to post your tactile signs near entrances.
Correct positioning for tactile door signs
For single doors, attach your tactile signs to the latch side of the door leading into the room or office. This is the most convenient area for signage and also conforms to ADA standards.
In the case of double-leaf doors with only one actively swinging door leaf, the sign can be mounted on the fixed leaf. This just means a door that is not used to enter the area and has been immobilized.
If the room has double-leaf doors where both door leaves are actively swinging, the sign should be mounted to the right of the right-hand door.
If there is no wall space to hang signs on the latch side for single doors or on the right side of the door for double doors, the nearest adjacent wall should be used.
It’s easy to find buildings with examples of all of these door types and sign locations. I suggest visiting hospitals and office buildings to see examples of door hanger locations if you need further guidance.
How to determine a safe location for your ADA door signs
To be safe to use, tactile signs must be posted in a secure location near the door of the room they indicate. Visitors to the room must be kept away from swinging doors when searching for the rooms they wish to find.
According to official ADA guidelines, a minimum ground gauge of 18 inches (or 455 millimeters) by 18 inches is used. It is measured from the curve of the edge of the door to the middle of the lettering on the sign that you can feel.
The rules suggest using a 45 degree angle of the open door to determine if there is enough clearance. A minimum of 18 inches from the sign face and to the right of the door stop should provide the necessary clearance for secure mounting.
You can leave more space if you find the area gets heavy traffic. You must hold the sign close enough to the door to clearly indicate that it is intended to identify that room. But as long as you remember to measure at least 18 inches from the center of the tactile text, your doorplate meets ADA standards.
These guidelines apply to the permanent signage of rooms, offices and toilets.
If you have special needs regarding the specific use of the spaces in your building or have other questions, please contact the US Government for more information.
However, these guidelines are acceptable for most ADA tactile door signage on the market today. Whether you use standard signage or custom tactile creations, the correct position of door signs is easy to apply and will ensure your business is compliant with ADA standards.
Disclaimer: The above information is provided as a general guide to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The author assumes no liability for their completeness and correctness. This article is not a legal document and should not be considered a substitute for professional legal advice.