VIDBE-Q Volume 64 Issue 4
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Conversely, the learning differences that are outlined in the BVI
Specialty Set and applicable to very young children are specific to the
adaptive needs of children with visual impairments. The adaptive needs for
very young children are slightly different than older children in that the
activities, interests, and developmental needs are different. For example,
while braille instruction spans the ages, very young children are just being
introduced to pre-braille skills which often necessitates a focus on fine
motor development while older children may need instruction that pulls
from strategies pertinent to phonemic awareness or letter identification.
Therefore, while the alignment in this focus area of the DEC
Recommended Practices and the BVI Specialty Set standards are both
important, they address needs that are quite different. Therefore, it
becomes especially important to consider the needs of very young children
as we plan teacher preparation content related to Instruction and Learner
Development and Individual Learning Differences.
The DEC Recommended Practices in the area of Interaction align
most closely to the BVI Specialty Set standards in the Instructional
Planning & Strategies strand. These areas of focus describe professional
needs in teaching related to social-emotional skills, communication,
cognitive development, and problem-solving. While the perspective
