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frame for intervention?
My research is revealing that, for newborns,
what is good for the visually impaired is also good
for typical kids, or kids with other disabilities. According to Glass (2002), "The visual system is the
least mature at birth, so given the hierarchical organization of the sensory systems, direct visual
stimulation would be emphasized the least" (p. 9).
In layman's terms, babies don't rely on their vision when they are first born; they rely on auditory cues (p. 5). In fact, it is recommended to
NOT push any type of visual stimulation prior to
age three months.
This led me to think about the instinctual
behaviors of parents of newborns. We do not expect newborns to understand our words, but we
know they respond well to "motherese" also
known as "baby talk." We also know that babies
respond well to being held and massaged and
bounced gently. Babies and children also seem to
be more comfortable with a daily routine they can
depend upon. These are things that babies find
reassuring. If babies are fussing due to wet diapers or hunger, showing them clean diapers or
full bottles do not soothe them. They only settle
once they start to get some of the milk in their
stomachs, or feel the new dry diapers on their
bottoms.
Parents of typically developing children expect those babies to begin to understand visual
input around three months or younger. This can
cause a disconnect for parents of visually impaired infants. Chen (1996) states that
"communication with infants who are visually impaired or deaf often requires interpretation of
atypical signals and responses, as well as alternative or additional communicative means. Caregivers may misinterpret a blind infant's intent
"listening" attention as disinterest in the interaction" (p. 1-2). This leads me to believe that, while
a honeymoon period may occur with the visually
