By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated June 9, 2019

Learning personal hygiene and independence in grooming are important skills for all students to learn. These are equally important for students who are blind or visually impaired. It may take students longer to master these skills but it is essential to encourage independence and avoid the urge to do the task for them in a rush to complete the activity.

General Bathroom Tips

Families can help students by making simple adaptations to the bathroom to help the student discriminate and identify items and promote safety.

  • Use non-skid rugs on the floor and nonskid mats in the tub.
  • If the student has any useable vision, use towels and washcloths in colors that contrast with the tub.
  • Install a grab bar on the edge of the tub or a railing on the wall.
  • Place a rubber band around the student's toothpaste tube and toothbrush so they know which one is theirs. 
  • A talking scale can help a student keep track of their weight.
  • Group frequently used hygiene items together on a shelf or in a basket.
  • Using different shaped containers can be helpful.
  • Purchase items in plastic bottles and containers versus glass containers.
  • Use rubber bands, hair bands, tape, or tactual markers to attach to bottles, containers, and tubes to distinguish them.
  • Purchasing soap in a contrasting color or using liquid soap can help a student with some vision locate it. It is also helpful to keep it in a consistent location.
  • During toileting routines, encourage the student to get his own diaper if not yet potty trained.

Hygiene

Remember to be sensitive and respect the student’s privacy when teaching personal hygiene skills. Many of these skills can be more naturally taught at home by caregivers.  Keeping hygiene products in a consistent location will make locating them easier. For students with low vision, either purchase items that provide high contrast or attach labels to the containers.

Encourage the student to independently turn on and off the water at the sink, soap their own washcloth, blow and wipe their own nose and brush their teeth. Also, have the physically able student flush the toilet and style their own hair. Students should learn to identify if their teeth are clean if their face and hands are clean and if their body is clean and free of body odor.

Grooming

Provide grooming supplies with contrasting colors for students with low vision and organize items in separate containers in a drawer so they can locate them independently. Don't miss opportunities during self-care routines to embed concepts (in/out, up/down, wide/narrow, depth, matching, rough/soft, front/back, etc.) and fine motor and tactual discrimination skills.  Use, touch, and talk about the feel of a hairbrush, toothbrush, wet and dry items (towels, soap, sponges), the lather of soap to promote finger sensitivity. Squeeze toothpaste and wring washcloths to develop hand strength. Pull Kleenex from a tissue box to develop hand strength. Students should learn to identify if their hair is neat and styled and is clean.

Toothbrush Tips

Instruct the student to place their finger alongside the bristles of the toothbrush to monitor how much toothpaste is being applied. 

Shaving Tips

Instruct the student to use points on the face to know where to shave. Advise the student to use overlapping strokes and use tactile skills to determine where to repeat strokes.

Makeup

Instruct the student how to label products for identification and how to apply them using facial features as landmarks. A towel placed in the lap can help protect clothing from spills. Using subtle shades can help ensure makeup looks smooth and even. 

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