TOPIC OUTLINE:

*outdoor environment
*visual motor integration
*imagination
*verbal and social skills
*use of aids and impairment

OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Accessing Outdoor Environments for Visually Impaired Children

The outdoor environment is sensory-rich! Wind blowing across your skin and
through your hair, warm sun on your skin, sounds made by wind blowing the trees
and bushes, sounds of birds, traffic, church bells, dogs barking, sounds of swings
and other playground equipment, the feel of grass on your feet and legs, the rough
texture of bark on trees, the tickle of leaves when you walk under branches, cold
squishy mud, dry sand, and fragrant soil that is ready for planting are all
experiences that provide wonderful sensory input.

All of these help your child;

1) use his or her tactile (TOUCH), olfactory(SMELL), auditory(HEARING) and
visual(SIGHT) channels
2) promote tactile and visual discrimination, (Visual discrimination is the ability
to recognize details in visual images. It allows students to identify and recognize
the likeness and differences of shapes/forms, colors and position of objects,
people, and printed materials)
3) foster concept and language development (process by which children come to
understand and communicate language during early childhood), and;
4) develop gross and fine motor skills in addition to just being a fun opportunity
to spend quality time with your child. (Fine motor skills are small movements —
such as picking up small objects and holding a spoon — that use the small
muscles of the fingers, toes, wrists, lips, and tongue. Gross motor skills are the
bigger movements — such as rolling over and sitting — that use the large
muscles in the arms, legs, torso, and feet.)
 VISUAL MOTOR INTEGRATION
Visual motor integration is the coordination of visual perceptual abilities
and fine motor control allowing us to use our eyes and our hands in a
coordinated manner to perform task such as copying letters or numbers, forming
shapes, copying patterns. It is a skill that allows us to use our eyes and our hands
in a coordinated and efficient way.

SEVERAL AREAS OF VISUAL MOTOR SKILLS:

1. Visual Processing Skills- These skills include how the eyes move and
collect information. These are visual skills that take in and use the
information in order to process that input. This is what our brain uses to
make sense of what we see in the world around us.
 
2. Visual Perceptual Skills- Visual perception is our ability to make sense
of what we see. Making sense of what you see is vital for school skills such
as reading, writing and math, as well as life skills such as reading signs and
maps, finding objects in a busy space, and taking part in hobbies or crafts.
 
3. Eye-Hand Coordination- Hand-eye coordination (also known as eye-hand
coordination) is the coordinated control of eye movement with hand movement
and the processing of visual input to guide reaching and grasping along with the
use of proprioception of the hands to guide the eyes. Examples of eye-hand
coordination include catching a ball, manipulating pegs into a pegboard,
lacing a lacing card, etc. Visual motor skills both require and utilize eye-hand
coordination, however the overarching visual motor skills utilize additional
components and are a higher-level skill.

RED FLAGS FOR VISUAL MOTOR SKILL DIFFICULTIES INCLUDE:

 Letter reversal (symptoms of dyslexia)

 Poor line awareness in handwriting
 Poor margin use in written work
 Difficulty copying written work
 Trouble recognizing patterns and completing hands-on math problems
 Difficulty catching or kicking a ball
 Trouble with movement games like hopscotch. (piko)
 Clumsiness
 Difficulty with sports
 Difficulty drawing and copying pictures or shapes

 Difficulty copying block forms (legos)

 Difficulty with puzzles
 Poor pencil control when writing
   Difficulty keeping place when reading and writing
  Difficulty perceiving and copying shapes

HOW DO BLIND PEOPLE PICTURE REALITY? (IMAGINATION)

Sighted people visualize the surrounding world by detecting borders between

areas rich in different wavelengths of light, which we see as different colors. Many
blind people, builds pictures using his sense of touch, and by listening to the
echoes of clicks of his tongue and taps of his cane as these sounds bounce off
objects in his surroundings, a technique called echolocation.

Human echolocation is the ability of humans to detect objects in their

environment by sensing echoes from those objects, by actively creating sounds:
for example, by tapping their canes, lightly stomping their foot, snapping their
fingers, or making clicking noises with their mouths.

There are a small number of questions that blind people seem to get
asked regularly. here are five lesser-known things about blindness from
those who know.

1. Can blind people hear better than sighted people?

Many blind people feel their hearing is no better than sighted people's - it's
just that they have to listen more intently to sounds around them. They gauge
distance and direction of traffic by ear to avoid being hit by a car, and will tune
into announcements at stations to find out which platform their train is on.

2. Can blind people see in their dreams?

People who were born blind have no understanding of how to see in their
waking lives, so they can't see in their dreams. But most blind people lose their
sight later in life and can dream visually.

Research says that people who are born blind have more nightmares than
sighted people. The theory is that nightmares are mental rehearsals of potentially
distressing events, and they can help develop coping mechanisms. For example,
blind people in the study reported dreaming about getting lost, being hit by a car
or losing their guide dog.3. How do blind people choose their clothes?

A color detector is a talking gadget which, when pressed against a piece of

clothing for a second or two, loudly announces "light olive green" or "dark blue" in
a posh English accent. They aren't totally accurate and tend to be used
occasionally when sorting laundry and checking items which feel similar.
 Blind people have various systems for keeping track of their clothes. Some will
sew different shaped buttons on to labels to denote colors. Others might cut the
labels in various ways. Some favor the Pen Friend, a barcode reader with labels
that can be loaded with information about the clothing, including color and
washing instructions. Others will just try and remember the information or buy
clothes that all match.

3. How do blind people use computers and smartphones?

Blind and visually impaired people use computer technology in three ways.
Some, who can see a bit, can get software that magnifies everything on the
screen to a size they can easily read.

Totally blind people have two options. A Braille display can sit underneath a
keyboard and provide a tactile version of words on the screen, one line at a time.
But less than 1% of the two million people with vision problems in the UK can
read Braille, and anyway, the display can cost thousands of pounds.

VERBAL AND SOCIAL SKILLS

Using Outdoor Play to Build Social Skills

Benefits can include better concentration, and a better ability to handle

stress.  It also increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates
neurotransmitters that are needed for attention, learning and happiness. This
is a big help to children when they’re interacting with their friends. We can all
agree that it’s much easier to socialize when we are in a good mood and can
focus on what others are saying. 

With some simple adaptations, children who are blind or visually impaired can
participate fully in summer activities that most children enjoy! These are also excellent
ways to introduce concepts and encourage hands on exploration.
 TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS FOR WRITING WITH
VISUAL MOTOR SKILL DIFFICULTIES

1. Pen Grip makes it easier to hold a pencil properly.

2. Keyboards and touchscreens can also help people who

struggle with handwriting. Keyboards and touchscreens let you
input letters and words through typing or touching the screen,
rather than by using a pen or pencil.

3.  allows you to write by using your voice.

  

HOW DO BLIND PEOPLE PICTURE REALITY? (IMAGINATION)

Sighted people visualize the surrounding world by detecting borders between areas rich
in different wavelengths of light, which we see as different colors. Many blind people,
builds pictures using his sense of touch, and by listening to the echoes of clicks of his
tongue and taps of his cane as these sounds bounce off objects in his surroundings, a
technique called echolocation.

Human echolocation is the ability of humans to detect objects in their environment

by sensing echoes from those objects, by actively creating sounds: for example, by
tapping their canes, lightly stomping their foot, snapping their fingers, or making clicking
noises with their mouths.

There are a small number of questions that blind people seem to get asked
regularly. here are five lesser-known things about blindness from those who know.

1. Can blind people hear better than sighted people?

Many blind people feel their hearing is no better than sighted people's - it's
just that they have to listen more intently to sounds around them. They gauge
distance and direction of traffic by ear to avoid being hit by a car, and will tune
into announcements at stations to find out which platform their train is on.

2. Can blind people see in their dreams?

People who were born blind have no understanding of how to see in their waking
lives, so they can't see in their dreams. But most blind people lose their sight later
in life and can dream visually.

Research says that people who are born blind have more nightmares than
sighted people. The theory is that nightmares are mental rehearsals of potentially
distressing events, and they can help develop coping mechanisms. For example,
blind people in the study reported dreaming about getting lost, being hit by a car
or losing their guide dog.3. How do blind people choose their clothes?
 A color detector is a talking gadget which, when pressed against a piece of
clothing for a second or two, loudly announces "light olive green" or "dark blue" in
a posh English accent. They aren't totally accurate and tend to be used
occasionally when sorting laundry and checking items which feel similar.

Blind people have various systems for keeping track of their clothes. Some will
sew different shaped buttons on to labels to denote colors. Others might cut the
labels in various ways. Some favor the Pen Friend, a barcode reader with labels
that can be loaded with information about the clothing, including color and
washing instructions. Others will just try and remember the information or buy
clothes that all match.

3. How do blind people use computers and smartphones?

Blind and visually impaired people use computer technology in three

ways. Some, who can see a bit, can get software that magnifies everything
on the screen to a size they can easily read.

Totally blind people have two options. A Braille display can sit underneath
a keyboard and provide a tactile version of words on the screen, one line at
a time. But less than 1% of the two million people with vision problems in
the UK can read Braille, and anyway, the display can cost thousands of
pounds.