VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 2
Decreasing Tactile Defensiveness
Strategy 9: Materials that Reduce Tactile Contact with Art Materials
Sometimes SVI may not want to participate in art activities because they do
not like the way different materials feel on their skin or hands. To combat this,
teachers may allow students to use tools that make it unlikely for students to touch
the paint. For example, teachers may allow students to wear gloves or use long
handled paint brushes to avoid contact with paint. Or they may choose to use
alternative paint materials such as tempera Kwik Stix or paint dabbers. If students
do not want to participate in painting using traditional, adapted, or alternative
materials, teachers may make painting more engaging, active, and familiar by
allowing SVI to use toys to create their artwork. Toy cars, like Hot Wheels, are a
readily available toy that can be used for a painting activity. Toy cars can easily
move across a canvas or paper through paint. Toy cars can be pushed with a paint
brush if a student prefers to be further from the sensation of touching paint. They
can also be placed within a tray and tipped to move the car through the paint.
Painting with toys, like cars can be helpful when painting with students with
limited fine motor skills, motor control, or other complex needs. Remote control
cars can also be driven through paint to engage reluctant painters. Figures 14
demonstrates how SVI can use toy cars during painting.
