From motion to interaction: How multisensory information shapes motor behaviors in children with visual impairment

The ability to move independently enables children to develop perceptual, cognitive, and social interaction skills. Concerning this, vision holds a key role. As a result, children with visual impairment (VI) might be more challenged in their ability to move within their surroundings and interact with their caregivers.

This study investigated whether the use of multisensory stimuli could influence the motor exploration of children with VI and shape their interaction with the caregivers. For this, the present work examined the variability of children's motor trajectory and the distance between children and caregivers in a setting with and without multisensory cues.

A Motion Capture System was used within an ecological playroom environment. The Strange Situation paradigm was simplified and adapted by placing three TechARMs in the corners of the playroom to deliver audio-visual stimuli, used instead of the stranger.

Children with VI showed larger variability within their motor trajectory and kept a shorter distance from the caregivers when multisensory cues were introduced in the playroom.

Multisensory signals were considered unusual and influenced the kinematic parameters. Motor control of the environment was achieved by managing attention flexibility. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: This study enriches available evidence about the study of motor and social interaction in children with VI, highlighting how multisensory stimuli could either support or hinder social and motor behaviors. Moreover, enhancing ecological validity could drive progress in the development and application of technological devices to clinical and research setting.