Functions of haptic perceptual activity in persons with visual and developmental disabilities

The paper reviews the author's research on the effects of perceptual experience and cognitive-developmental factors on haptic scanning behavior of blind and/or mentally retarded children and adults. The results indicate that haptic information may be gathered more efficiently by one scanning style over another, and differences in efficient style usage may vary positively with haptic perceptual experience. However, accurate processing of haptic information may depend on the availability of cognitive structures that in turn influence scanning style selection and utilization, rather than directly on scanning styles themselves.