Episode One - Daily Routines

Introduction

Getting dressed is something we all do every day! Identifying items of clothing, as well as the front and back, are important not only when getting dressed but also when putting clothes away, such as hanging up a coat after coming indoors. Learners can use tactile strategies as they go through their daily routine, which may include cues such as fabric texture or added tactile cues such as buttons sewn into a collar.

This episode can be viewed in the player above and is also posted on the PRCVI YouTube channel where you will find links to other resources as well as the comments thread for this video.

Linked here is a PDF version of the Daily Routines recipe. 

Key ingredients

• Sweaters
• T-shirts
• Shoes
• Pipe cleaners
• Buttons of varying shapes and sizes
• Sewing supplies

Mixing It Together

• There are lots of tactile clues that can be used to identify and orient clothing!
• A shirt, sweater, or pants might be identified by the texture of its fabric—rough, smooth, silky, fuzzy, and so on.
• For items of clothing that feel similar, tactile cues can be added. The can include buttons of varying shapes and sizes sewn into tags, or specialty tags that are designed to identify clothing.
• Shoes can be differentiated in the beginning by marking the left or right shoe with a pipecleaner or other tactile indicator. With time, learners will identify the left and right shoe by the shape of the sole.
• Getting dressed can be a great opportunity to work on concepts such as left, right, front, back, top, and bottom as learners identify and orient each item of clothing.
• Clothes have many cues that can help with tactile orientation, such as tags in the back or buttons down the front.

Nutritional Information

Connections to the Expanded Core Curriculum

• Independent Living Skills: Greater independence in getting dressed in the morning, getting dressed to go outside, or hanging up clothes when arriving home.
• Compensatory Skills: Identifying items of clothing based on texture, button shape, or other cues.
• Self-Determination Skills: selecting which items of clothing to wear from an array of options.

For More Information and Inspiration

• Dress Up – Perkins School for the Blind: Playing dress up is a fun activity for young learners and can provide a great opportunity to practice many of the skills discussed in this recipe card.