Visual Impairments (VIs) are ranked as the fourth most common disability in the United States and are viewed as the most common restricting condition during childhood. It has been reported that 17% to 25% of school-aged children have some degree of a vision problem, thus interrupting their potential to reach optimal growth and learning in school.…

With more than 100 billion neurons that would stretch more than 60,000 miles, a newborn baby's brain is quite phenomenal! These neurons must generally form connections within the first eight months of a baby's life to foster optimal brain growth and lifelong learning. Mommies, daddies, and caregivers are extremely vital to ensuring babies reach…

This literature review examines the development and early language acquisition of infants with blindness or visual impairments. The paper begins with a history of public perceptions of individuals with visual disabilities, efforts to develop educational programs for them, and legislation supporting these efforts. Review of the literature on early…

Specific and understandable suggestions are offered to parents of severely visually impaired children who have or may have the capacity to learn visually. Parents can assist children with even a small amount of vision to develop that vision from an early age. Vision development begins by ensuring that the child receives appropriate medical and…

Intended for parents, the manual contains suggestions for play and games with visually impaired children. Parents are advised to tell the children what they are doing and using while engaged in activities, to increase their knowledge of the world and of themselves. Ideas span eight areas: body awareness (touching body parts while naming them);…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…

This symposium focused on the special needs of visually handicapped infants and young children. Texts of 48 papers are presented, including keynote addresses by W. Aubrey Webson ("The First Steps") and Heather Hewitt ("First Steps--Parenting, Prevention and Programming"). Regional reports are provided for Japan, Bangladesh, the…