In the last entry, we spoke about the various levels of the Tactile System. We learned where each level or reflex is located in the brain and which fine motor skill each controls. Today, let’s take an even closer look at the Tactile System and how it affects our life.
Do you know someone who is loud in all of their movements? They walk loudly, shut doors loudly, hug too firmly, handle objects too roughly, and often are clumsy? These actions are often seen as behavior issues, leading us to want to respond saying something like “gently, please” or “quiet, please”. The reality is, however, that this kind of loud behavior can be a result of how the tactile system is developed. If an individual has missed the steps that help regulate fine, quiet movement, loudness might be the only thing the individual is physically capable of.
The Neurodevelopmental Approach can help interpret this kind of behavior and identify how an individual takes in tactile information. There are many types of nerve cells that are responsible for taking in and absorbing all types of touch, pressure, temperature, and other tactile input. If these nerve cells do not receive input correctly, the output will be skewed. For example, if the neuro-network that processes temperature is damaged or skewed, you may not be able to dress appropriately for the weather (e.g wearing a sweater in the summer or a t-shirt in the winter).
If an individual walks up stairs too loudly, it is likely due to deficiency in their muscles’ proprioceptors. Proprioceptors help us know where we are in space in relation to other things. The problem may also be with the nerve cells that sense pressure. When an individual walks up stairs too loudly, their nerve cells may not be correctly taking in the information that their foot has touched the step, leading to a harder footstep in order to feel the stair. The same is true for fine motor capabilities. An individual will not be able to grasp a pencil or tie shoes correctly if he or she cannot sufficiently feel the pencil or laces. One could spend months trying to correct an individual’s behavior, but until the issues with the Tactile System are addressed, the loud behavior will continue.
This instance of a gap between tactile sensitivity is known as Hypotactility. Next time, we will look at Hypertactility.
