What is the hand under hand technique?

Young girl with low vision wearing a purple top and glasses, reaching for mosaic pegs on the board with an adult hand underneath her hand.
Hand under hand logo with white text and teal and green hands reaching towards each other.
A trainer's hands type on a Perkins brailler. A young learner's right hand is placed over the instructors left hand and the left hand follows the braille on the paper.

The hand under hand technique was developed for people with deafblindness, dementia, or low vision. It is a method of physical prompting and instruction with the instructor’s hand placed beneath the learner’s hand.

The learner is invited to “observe” and safely engage with new materials while retaining full control over their body.

This technique reduces tactile defensiveness and increases autonomy, informing the learner: “I acknowledge your right to consent”. 

This approach is essential for high-risk populations.

Learn more, trust the experts:

National Center on Deafblindness

American Printing House

Sense International

Sunrise Therapies Inc