Do you know any resources for a parent to help their visually impaired child learn communication skills?

Question

My son is visually impaired. He has partial vision. He is 15 months old and doesn't even say mama and dada when he wants us. I know he knows what those words mean, becuase when I say, let's go get daddy, he perks up and starts looking around for his daddy. He says "uh huh" and shakes his head no. That the closest thing I can get to any kind of verbal response. Have you ever dealt with this before? Do you have any suggestions for me? Do you know of any good online resources that deal with infants and toddlers with visual impairments. I am esspecially looking for something that offers suggestions about how to help my son develop normally. Right now it is mostly his language and communication skills that are effected. Thanks.

Since 85% of a child's learning is visual from the time they are born at least until age 5, being visually impaired effects all things significantly. When dealing with language and communication specifically, a child learns to mimic your gestures and facial expreassions before learning to vocalize. All of the non-verbal communication that we take for granted plays a role in learning to interperet your environment and the meanings of the things people are saying. If the child can't see these things they will not learn to do them, and will be much slower at picking up verbal communication. The inability to communicate leads to frustration and probably acting out. Communication mucho importante.

Answer 1

I'm actually surprised at your question after looking at your profile and seeing you are a special education teacher, however, high school kids with special needs are very different from toddlers with special needs. I don't know where you are located , but someone in you administrative offices can point you in the direction to get started. Has your child been evaluated by the early intervention team in your area? He should be recieving services for language therapy which will improve his vocabulary. I teach pre K special needs to children with a variety of disabilities. One of the first things you can do is instead of presenting material, objects, etc, visually, give the child a concrete object. For example, when giving your child choices on which playground equipment he wants to play on, present him with two objects such a a little tykes playhouse toy of a tricycle to represent a bike, and in the other hand place a little bit of sand to represent the sandbox. Your child will touch and hold onto longer whichever object he prefers and then you can model the word for that object: "You want to play in the sand box... sand! Tell me "sand". Then encourage your child to try to say the word "sand". If your child even approximates the word by just saying the sound /s/, that is progress. Give him lots of verbal praise and take him immediately to that sandbox to reward him and motivate him to verbalize.
It is imperative that your child be referred to a program. His developmental delays and visual impairments need to be addressed with therapy in order to give him the extra support he needs. And you are indeed correct about his visual impairment negatively impacting his speech and language ability. It also impacts his gross motor coordination, sensory integration (balance, vestibular & proprioceptive input), etc. The earlier he is evaluated and receives interventions, the better. By the way, I had a little boy in my Pre K class several years ago (we have 3-5 year olds in public school prek programs here), he only had about 3 words, was visually impaired, language impaired, and fine and gross motor delays. With three years of Pre k services before entering Kindergarten , he is now in a general ed 4th grade class and with some accommodations is meeting grade level curriculum requirements. Good luck

Answer 2

Have you had any contact with any of the agencies that deal with blindness in children??? They may not be local but they can always direct you in the a good way. Also, find out witht he American's with Disabilities act what rights he has.....also, I think early intervention with the school system would be appropriate, I am not sure what age that can start but definately earlier than age three!~ Easter Seals might be a help as well.

Good luck MOM!
http://www.societyfortheblind.org/index.htm
http://www.blindcntr.org/
http://www.blindchildrensfund.org/
http://www.nfb.org/

Answer 3

The concept of 85% of learning is through vision is not necessarily true. You will also hear people say that 85% is through auditory learning. We've been told in school that apparently someone assigned this arbitrary number and it's just been accepted as fact. It differs for different people.
Good luck with your quest and I hope you find good help for your son!

Answer 4

Your state should have some programs already in place. Also schools also have programs that can help you with your baby. In Texas I THINK it is called The Texas Commission For the Blind. There has to be one for the deaf and mute too. Call the health dept in your state, I wish I could give you more info.

Answer 5

what does being visually impaired have to do with his language and communication skills? Visually impaired has to do with the eyes not his voice!