Table to grade textures presented in play for children with tactile sensitivity
Edible items
| Easy | → | → | Challenging |
| Firm and dry
• Dry textures fall away, and the child can control contact with the texture. • No brushing or wiping is required.
|
Soft and Dry
• Dry textures that mostly fall away, some particles or bits may stick to the hand. • Brushing residue required to break contact. |
Wet
• Wet textures that maintain contact with the hand but the child can easily break contact with the texture. • Requires wiping to break contact with texture. |
Wet and sticky
• Wet textures that stick to the hand and the child has least control when breaking contact with the texture. • Requires repeated wiping to break residue away. |
| • Skips, Wotsits
• Broken pancakes • Cereals -Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Pops etc. • Uncooked noodles (hard) • Raw vegetables (either whole or in chunks |
• Icing sugar
• Cocoa powder • Dry Angel Delight mix • Dry porridge oats • Granulated sugar • Sherbert • Cake decorations -Hundreds and Thousands, strands etc |
• Water
• Cooked noodles • Cooked lentils • Cooked pasta/ spaghetti • Cooked rice • Jelly • Mashed potato • Ice cubes • Yoghurt • Baked beans |
• Melted chocolate
• Mashed banana • Angel Delight • Cooked Porridge • Ice cream • Tinned Spaghetti; chocolate spread • Jam, Lemon Curd etc. Ketchup • Sweet and sour sauce |
Non-edible Items for Play
| Easy | → | → | Challenging |
| Dry, hard textures fall away so the child can control contact with the texture. | Dry textures that mostly fall away, some particles or bits may stick to the hand. | Wet textures that stick to the hand but the child can easily break contact with the textures (e.g., by lightly wiping) | Wet textures that stick to the hand and the child has least control when breaking contact with the texture (e.g by repeatedly wiping) |
| • Feathers
• Shredded paper • Dry Pasta /spaghetti/rice • String • Fur fabric • Dry sand • Coconut husks • Leaves • Cotton Wool |
• Damp Sand
• Touching mixture of corn flour mixed with water. • Cold wet pasta/spaghetti/rice • Silly string • Chalks • Playdough |
• Foam (e.g. light shaving foam)
• Water • Wet sand • Wet noodles • Wet lentils • Baked beans • Jelly • Mashed potato • Ice cubes
|
• Foam (e.g. heavy shaving foam)
• Glue • Melted chocolate; Mud • Angel Delight • Porridge • Custard • Yoghurt • Ice cream • Finger Paint/poster paint • Tinned Spaghetti |