Creating Learning Environments in Child Care Centers for Young Children with a Visual Impairment

Abstract

As more children are being cared for in child care centers in the United States, it is imperative that teachers who have a child with a visual impairment in their classroom know how to develop effective teaching strategies and adapt the learning environment. Through employment at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the author of this field report gained over ten years of experience providing early intervention for children ages birth to 5 years who have a visual impairment. This report describes the impact that a visual impairment has on child development in the areas of social emotional development, language and literacy development, motor development, and self-help skills. The aim of this report is to provide specific teaching strategies and environmental adaptations that will help child care teachers enrich the learning environment when working with children with a visual impairment.