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A descriptive study of blind children in nurseries with sighted children
1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Sweden.
Insights
Blind preschoolers exhibit distinct behaviors in group settings, rarely initiating play or contact with sighted peers. Teachers play a crucial role but often struggle to understand the unique needs of blind children.
Area of Science:
- Early Childhood Education
- Developmental Psychology
- Special Education
Background:
- Understanding the social integration and behavioral patterns of blind children in inclusive preschool settings is crucial for effective support.
- Previous research has highlighted challenges in peer interaction and teacher understanding regarding visually impaired preschoolers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a detailed description of the activities and social interactions of blind children within a group of sighted preschoolers.
- To identify differences in behavior and social engagement between blind and sighted children in natural preschool environments.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal, descriptive, and qualitative study design was employed.
- Observation of nine blind preschool children in their natural nursery settings, focusing on interactions with sighted peers and teachers.
Main Results:
- Blind children demonstrated different behaviors in orientation, exploration, and play compared to sighted children.
- Blind children infrequently participated in or initiated play with sighted peers.
- Sighted children's initial interest waned due to unreciprocated initiatives, and teachers faced difficulties understanding blind children's functioning.
Conclusions:
- Blind children's social integration in inclusive preschools presents unique challenges requiring specific support strategies.
- Teacher training and awareness are vital to bridge understanding gaps and facilitate better interaction for blind children.
- The study suggests a need for exploring alternative preschool settings tailored to the specific needs of visually impaired children.
Abstract:
In a longitudinal descriptive and qualitative study, nine blind pre-school children have been observed in natural interactional settings in their nurseries. The objective was to give a detailed description of the blind child's activities and social situation in a group of sighted children. The results showed that the blind child's overall behaviour in the pre-school setting was different when compared with the sighted children's behaviour, as shown in activities like orientation, exploration and play. The blind children seldom participated in sighted children's play and they seldom initiated contact with the other children. The sighted children initially showed an interest in the blind child but as their initiatives were often neglected, they were not encouraged to proceed. The teachers played an important role for the blind children, both as a visual interpreter and as a play-mate. However, many of the teachers had great difficulties in understanding the blind child's way of functioning. Alternative pre-school settings for blind children are discussed.