Multisensory Integration Activities to Improve White Cane Usage for Orientation & Mobility Among Pupils with Congenital Total Blindness (CTB) in Primary School

Abstract

The best practice of Multisensory Integration Activities (MIA) aims to improve white cane usage for Orientation and Mobility (O&M) for pupils with Congenital Total Blindness (CTB). Pupils with CTB face challenges in developing their spatial awareness skills as it is difficult for them to identify the space around them, limiting the possibility of independent interactions with the environment. This action research focuses on the use of compensatory senses which are auditory, haptic, olfactory and kinaesthetic in 10 MIA to develop pupils with CTB’s O&M skills. The aim is to encourage independent white cane travel and exploration that provides direct contact with natural features of the environment through guided experiences utilising all their senses. The findings show a positive relationship between the implementation of MIA and white cane usage of pupils with CTB. The research has important implications for teachers and other stakeholders in the O&M skill acquisition for pupils with CTB. Recommendations advanced in this research remind teachers, who might lack knowledge base about the multisensory approach, to be cognisant of the importance of compensatory senses in O&M skill acquisition for children with CTB.