Animals

Tactile symbol for bear is a piece of fur with small matchsticks or toothpicks for claws on the shape.
Tactile symbol for bear is a piece of fur with small matchsticks or toothpicks for claws on the shape.

Tactile symbols representing animals are made with a 2 ¼ inch piece of corrugated bulletin board  boarder. Various backgrounds could be used, although none are used in these examples. The shape is the most important; the backing can vary depending on what materials you have and what the child can tactually discriminate. 

Note: These symbols are the ones utilized at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, so they reflect that social environment. You may need to create symbols or adapt symbols specific to the environment of the student.

If you are starting from scratch with a symbol, try to pick something that will make sense to the student. As you look at the symbols you will see that some are based on visual information and some on possible tactile information.  It is important to consider the individual’s perspective when creating the symbol. These symbols are highly abstract so it is important to note his/her visual and tactile access when designing the symbol. A part or a piece of an object often works. By necessity, however,  some symbols have to be arbitrary, because there is no obvious item to place on the symbol. When that’s the case, the student will learn the meaning through repeated association.

Shape: 2  ¼” piece (roughly a square)

Background: corrugated bulletin board border

A-G

Tactile symbol for bear is a piece of fur with small matchsticks or toothpicks for claws on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for bear is a piece of fur with small matchsticks or toothpicks for claws on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for bird is a feather glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for bird is a feather glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cat is a small square of fur glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cat is a small square of fur glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cow is a square of leather glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cow is a square of leather glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cricket is a z-shaped piece of tinsel glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for cricket is a z-shaped piece of tinsel glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for dog is a long rectangular piece of fur glued vertically to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for dog is a long rectangular piece of fur glued vertically to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for duck is a piece of feather with a duck foot shaped piece of rubber glued on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for duck is a piece of feather with a duck foot shaped piece of rubber glued on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for elephant is an inverted bowl-shaped piece of cork sheet with scalloped bottom  glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for elephant is an inverted bowl-shaped piece of cork sheet with scalloped bottom glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for fish is a fish-shaped piece of rubber glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for fish is a fish-shaped piece of rubber glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for fly is a piece of plastic flyswatter cut in the shape of a bowtie and glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for fly is a piece of plastic flyswatter cut in the shape of a bowtie and glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for frog is three small squares of foam sheet glued horizontally and parallel to each other down the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for frog is three small squares of foam sheet glued horizontally and parallel to each other down the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for goat is a strand of curly fiber glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for goat is a strand of curly fiber glued to the center of the backing shape.

H-Z

Tactile symbol for horse is a loop of shoelace glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for horse is a loop of shoelace glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for lion is a piece of cotton ball on top of a slotted craft stick that is glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for lion is a piece of cotton ball on top of a slotted craft stick that is glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for mouse or rat is a piece of pipe cleaner bent in the shape of a question mark and glued horizontally to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for mouse or rat is a piece of pipe cleaner bent in the shape of a question mark and glued horizontally to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for owl is a feather with a stick-on  eye glued to it on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for owl is a feather with a stick-on eye glued to it on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for pig is a piece of pipe cleaner coiled to resemble the pig's curly tail and glued horizontally to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for pig is a piece of pipe cleaner coiled to resemble the pig’s curly tail and glued horizontally to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for rabbit is a small yarn pompom glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for rabbit is a small yarn pompom glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for rooster is a feather with a piece of foam sheeting cut to resemble the comb on top and glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for rooster is a feather with a piece of foam sheeting cut to resemble the comb on top and glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for sheep is a large rectangle of fur with a  tear-shaped piece of foam sheet glued on top and placed on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for sheep is a large rectangle of fur with a tear-shaped piece of foam sheet glued on top and placed on the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for snake is a thin strip of textured leather glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for snake is a thin strip of textured leather glued to the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for turtle is a shell glued to the center of the backing shape.
Tactile symbol for turtle is a shell glued to the center of the backing shape.