Tactile Clip Path for Fine-Motor Development in a Student With Total Visual Impairment: A Qualitative Case Study

Abstract

This study explored the implementation of the Tactile Clip Path technique using raised letter and number paths to support fine-motor development in a student with total visual impairment at SLB PGRI Pasirjambu, Indonesia. A descriptive qualitative case-study design involved one fifth-grade teacher and one fifth-grade student, identified as T. Data were generated through six 60-minute participatory observations, semi-structured teacher interviews, and instructional documentation, then analysed through data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The intervention combined tactile contour tracing with clipping, folding, tearing along a pattern, and transferring small objects. Across the six sessions, the observational record documented progressively steadier clip grasp, more sustained direction while tracing raised paths, better bimanual coordination, greater precision in folding and tearing, and reduced reliance on physical guidance. The student also showed stronger task engagement, initiative, and confidence. The raised boundaries operated as self-guiding tactile cues, while graded tasks and the gradual shift from hand-over-hand support to verbal prompts promoted independent exploration. Because the evidence derives from a single case and does not establish causality, the findings should be interpreted as practice-based evidence rather than an effectiveness claim. The study contributes a low-cost, modular tactile-learning approach that integrates symbol exploration and fine-motor practice for learners with severe visual impairment.