Sound and the visually handicapped baby

The part played by vision in learning to interpret both speech and environmental sounds and to localize the latter is discussed in the light of observations of the development of sighted and of blind babies. Subsequently, some suggestions of guidance strategies based on these observations, are put forward to help visually handicapped babies acquire localization skills. Preliminary experience using these techniques has been promising and they are being further developed and researched at The Wolfson Centre in London.