Living And Learning With Blind Children

Blind and visually impaired children experience the world in unique ways. To help them learn and develop, parents and teachers need to understand how such children relate to their environment. The authors offer practical strategies for encouraging the blind child's development and interaction. Paper edition (7700-5), $17.95. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Packed with important information for today's parents and professionals, this new edition of a groundbreaking work presents the latest research on how visually impaired children learn and develop at different ages and in the various developmental domains: sensory development, communication, movement, manipulation, and comprehension. Clear, practical, and reassuring, and full of suggested activities, this book provides a guide to teaching young visually impaired children the important life skills they need to know--skills that other children may learn simply by observation and imitation--and preparing them to enter school ready to learn with their peers. From early intervention services to the full range of educational placements, Reach Out and Teach is the ultimate guide to helping a visually impaired child learn and grow.

A practical, hands-on guide for parents, teachers, and everyone involved in helping children develop the skills necessary for socialization, orientation and mobility, and leisure and recreational activities. Among the subjects covered are eating, toileting, dressing, motor development, personal hygiene and grooming, clothing selection, self-esteem, socially appropriate behavior, etiquette, management of household tasks, communication, low vision devices, and using landmarks and clues.

Children who are sighted learn concepts and gain experience through incidental learning, the observation of events and interactions in their environment. Students with visual impairment need to be systematically, sequentially, and concretely taught through hands-on-experiences. Historically, students got this learning through channels other than schools. The teaching of recreation, adaptive sports, social life opportunities, and career education require this specific systematic approach. Individuals with vision impairment may also require specific interventions to learn independent living skills, self-advocacy, and community relationships.

Stories of blind people who use creativity and determination to live the life of their dreams. Also includes lists of resources for advocacy, rehabilitation, recreation, and support systems for the blind.

The purpose of this book is to contribute to our understanding of Developmental O and M, independent movement and travel in blind children. Unlike many books and articles on orientation and mobility (O&M) for blind children, this one is not about the effect of blindness on movement. Such an inquiry is self-defeating from the start, as it often begins with misconceptions and deficit-thinking about blindness and the blind child’s early motor development. Instead, this book is about the effect of movement on development and the importance of movement experiences for the development of independent movement and travel in blind children. It has a clear premise: blind children must become "active movers" if they are to become independent "travelers."