A descriptive study of blind children in nurseries with sighted children

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.