New system develops analytic thinking skills in blind kids

To develop analytic thinking in children with vision impairments, a group of students in Mexico City have developed a multi-sensory system that includes stories, jigsaw puzzles and stuffed toy animals.

System designed by students at university in Mexico

Called Mati Mati: Makes Visible the Invisible, the system reduces the difficulties of learning by developing analytic thought in blind children. It focuses on a strategy of sensory instruction which brings down the possibility of the data being altered by mistake due to lack of sight.

The solution offers information based on each of the senses like hearing, touch, haptics (related to touch) and smell.

The system consists of stuffed animals that can be taken apart, two 3D jigsaw puzzles and stories with visual information printed in ink, whose editorial design was developed based on the needs of children who were either blind or have limited vision. There is also a series of watercolour illustrations that complement each story.

Each of the senses is catered to strengthen analytic thinking skills

The stories include haptic images and the Braille system, which correspond to the sense of touch, while each one has its own audiobook so that users can hear the story narrated by the characters.

The stuffed animals, with their textures and materials, mimic the real feeling of the objects being taught. There are also smells related to the story and the puzzles are all designed to strengthen the analytic thought processes of blind youth as they try to take apart and then put each object together without anyone helping them.