how does learning effect a visually impaired child?

Answer 1

Since I am visually impaired, I think I should be able to answer this one.

First, there is a lot of mythology out there--I could write all night and not cover all the nonsense.

There two broad categories--children who are totally blind (or no useful vision) and those with low vision. I'll take them in reverse order.

Low vision means (skippping th etechnical definition) that the child can usually read with the aid of special equipment that magnifies images (such as the software I'm using right now! It's called "ZoomText"). The main difference is that these children will almost always read slowly--but other wise can do fine and schools make accomodations for the slower reading rates. There are sometimes other problems--not being able to do science experiments, for example, or not being able to see a blackboard--but these are easily dealt with by providing the proper accomodations.

The totally blind child is in a different situation. In this day and age, getting information is easy--just use a computer with a "voice synthesizer program" (My software comes with tis as well). that speaks whatever the cursor is on, or will "say" what a control icon is.
The real problem is learning to read. The totally blind child can't see the print, even with magnification. So they must be taught to read using Braille, which is a system of raised dots on heavy paper; the different dots represent letters and other symbols. The critical thing about this is not using Braille in the everyday world--most don't anymore. But educators found out in the 1980s that Braille is essential to literacy. The reason ihas to do with how the brain organizes information. "Literacy" it turns out, isn't about knowing how to recognize letters, etc. It is a cognitive skill--the learned ability to correlate informal verbal communication of speech with the symbolic system of writing. To develop that cognitive skill, the child must actuallly "do" the process of reading and writing. But the medium can vary. Sighted people use printed pages. But Braille works just as well--the point is learning to correlate speech with the symbols on a page, whether they are printed letters or raised dots.

One other point--blind children rely more on hearing (no surprise there!). And their skill at retaining auditory information is usually better than sighted children (they don't hear better, but they get more out of what they do hear). so teachers are well advised to emphasize spoken/auditory instruction as much as possible.

There are also a variety of ways to compensate for the lack ofvisual images. For example, there are tactile maps and globes made for blind users, and even pictures (outlines) of animals, plants, etc.

If you want more information, try the websites for the American Foundation for the blind, the National Federation of the Blind, and the American Printing House for the Blind. The last, BTW, is in Louisville, Ky. and has an excellant museum open to the public.

Answer 2

Do you mean, "how is learning affected by being a visually impaired child?"

Answer 3

I am assuming that the questioner is British and although the American visually impaired person is correct in most of what he says you need to contact the RNIB in the UK

Answer 4

well latest technologies had found out many morden ways of learning such kids,this type of learning are designed to equipp people with such disabilities to cope up challenges of their own life and the world,for further knowledge plz contact firms which deals in the matter

Answer 5

Something that 'affects' someone has an 'effect' on them, you grammatical disaster area.

Answer 6

Can you elaborate on your question a bit more?