Personal grooming for visually impaired children

1. DSE – Orientation and Mobility
Submitted by,
Rajaprabha.K
II B.Ed Special Education (VI) & Mathematics

2. Introduction:
• 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

3. Personal Grooming
• Personal grooming is the term for how people take care of their body
and appearance. Habits that are considered personal grooming
include bathing, dressing, applying make-up, hair removal, and taking
care of one's teeth and skin. A person's personal grooming routine
may determine how he or she feels about themselves, and how other
people perceive him or her.

4. Personal Grooming
• Some of the perceptions people can form solely from your
appearance are:
• Your professionalism
• Your level of sophistication
• Your intelligence
• Your credibility

5. Brushing
• Taking care of their own teeth
• First wash your brush before brushing
• Squeeze toothpaste
• Instruct the student to place their finger
alongside the bristles of the toothbrush to
monitor how much toothpaste is being
applied.
• Brush all your teeth
• Finally, gently brush the roof of your
mouth, the insides of your cheeks, and
your tongue. This makes your entire
mouth feel clean and may also freshen
your breath.

6. Bathing
• 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
• 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.

7. Hair Removal
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.
Use clean water to wash
your hair regularly (at least twice
weekly, preferably once every other day)
with body soap or shampoo, whichever
is available. Massage your scalp well.
This will remove dead skin cells, excess
oil and dirt. Rinse well with clear water.

8. Skin Hygiene
Daily cleansing can take a toll on your skin. To
keep it gentle:
Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or
baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your
bath or shower time, and use warm — rather
than hot — water.
Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents
can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild
cleansers.
Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or
blot your skin dry with a towel so that some
moisture remains on your skin.
Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a
moisturizer that fits your skin type.

9. Hand and Nail Hygiene
• Keep nails short and trim
them often.
• Scrub the underside of nails
with soap and water (or a nail
brush) every time you wash
your hands.
• Clean any nail grooming tools
before use.
• Avoid biting or chewing nails.

10. Nose hygiene
• Your nose is the gatekeeper that
decides what goes in and what
should stay out.
• The hairs that line your nose
filter out very large particles,
acting as a first line of defense.
• In addition, the nose has a
protective coating of mucus to
help wash other particles away.

11. Dressing
• Keep your closet properly arranged
• Students will need to learn methods for
marking their clothes to make it easier to
identify and select them
• Encourage the student to assist in dressing
and undressing if clothes are soiled and
need to be changed.
• Dressing time is a natural time to teach
body image skills and spatial awareness
concepts. It is also a natural time to talk
about types of clothing and different
fasteners.
• Discuss likes and differences in personal
belongings.

12. Make-up
• 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

13. Conclusion
• Good personal hygiene is important for both health and social
reasons.
• It entails keeping your hands, head and body clean so as to stop the
spread of germs and illness.
• Your personal hygiene benefits your own health and impacts the lives
of those around you, too.