Preschool Classroom

Strategies, Adaptations and Considerations for Children with Visual Impairments or Blindness

This section offers practical suggestions for parents and preschool teachers working with young children with visual impairments. Families and early childhood educators will find general guidelines, instructional strategies, and adaptations for the classroom and general environment. These strategies and techniques will help infants and toddlers with visual impairments develop and learn at the same rate as their peers.

• Preschool Instructional Strategies
• Preschool Classroom Adaptations
• Transition to Preschool
• Inclusive Preschool Classrooms and Children with Visual Impairments

Preschool Instructional Strategies

General Considerations in Working with Young Children with Visual Impairments, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Carla Brown offers a list of strategies to encourage the development of skills in all areas.

Hand-Over-Hand Guidance: What Lesson Do We Teach? Future Reflections, National Foundation of the Blind
Andrea Story, a teacher of the visually impaired, examines the technique of hand-over-hand guidance and discusses the debate regarding its use in teaching children who are blind.

Hand under Hand and Hand over Hand, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
This article compares the benefits and drawbacks of these two teaching techniques.

Picking Up Puffs, WonderBaby.org
This article explains how to organize the path to developmental milestones as simple, teachable steps.

Supporting Children Who Have Sight Problems in Therapy Sessions, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
This fact sheet is designed to help therapists and others understand the unique needs of  young children who are visually impaired, and includes numerous practical suggestions.

Preschool Classroom Adaptations

These environmental adaptations are designed to promote independence, while also focusing on safety.

Environmental Adaptations, ADVISOR (Assisting the Development of Visually Impaired Students through Online Resources)
Peg Palmer offers practical strategies for environmental adaptations in preschool settings; includes powerpoint slides and a video.

Environmental Adaptations: Preschool for the Totally Blind Child, ADVISOR (Assisting the Development of Visually Impaired Students through Online Resources)
These pages offer advice for creating a preschool environment that is safe and stimulating for children with blindness.

Environmental Checklist for Developing Independence, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Carla Brown's checklist focuses on elements in the visually impaired child's environment that will lead to more independence.

Transition to Preschool

Considering Preschool for Your Child, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
This article offers advice to parents exploring preschool services for their children with visual impairments.

Effective Practices in Early Intervention: Planning Transitions to Preschool, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Lavada Minor provides an overview of the transition process from home or center-based programs to preschool.  She describes each of the five stages in the process; available in English and Spanish.

Pre-Preschool Anxiety, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
This helpful article provides concrete suggestions to help parents and children prepare for the transition to preschool.

Visiting Preschool Programs, Family Connect for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
This article offers a list of considerations to keep in mind when selecting a preschool program for a child who's blind or visually impaired.

Organizations and Resources to Explore: Transition to Preschool

Transition to Preschool, National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)
This page presents an overview of the transition process, information on inclusion, and  links to information on recommended transition practices.

Preschool Programs and Children with Visual Impairments

The Blind Child in the Regular Preschool Program, Future Reflections, National Foundation of the Blind
Dr. Ruby Ryles shares practical strategies for the successful inclusion of children who are blind into regular preschool programs.

The Preschool Child who is Blind or Visually Impaired, Department of Education, Newfoundland and Labrador
This 13-page document offers advice for preschool teachers for accommodating a child who is blind or visually impaired. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Preschool Children with Visual Impairment, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Aimed at preschool teachers working with a child who's visually impaired, this introductory booklet includes basic information on visual impairment, how it affects early development, and why early intervention is so critical.

Suggestions for Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers of Blind Students, National Federation of the Blind
Jill Weatherd's 7-page booklet is full of suggestions for developing goals and objectives for young children with visual impairment. Learned from working with her own child, these ideas help other parents to collaborate with preschool and kindergarten teachers. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)