Page 72 - DEDU506_SPECIAL_EDUCATION_ENGLISH

Special Education

Notes

What are the preventive measures for visually impaired children?

The following lists of toys was compiled based on the experiences of professionals and parents, or
were found in various publications. This list is by no means complete. Your child's developmental
age and the extent of visual impairment should be considered.
• Musical and Noise Making Toys: Rattles, See ‘n Say, push-pull toys (boats, trucks, cars),
music boxes, toy instruments (drums, tambourine, harmonica, etc.) tape recorder, record player
• Toys With Feeling: Mobiles, busy boxes, squeeze toys with sound and color, floating water
toys, cuddly toys, balls of all kinds, figures like Stretch Armstrong that can be pulled and
twisted but will return to its original shape, Slinky
• Fine Motor Toys: Stacking disks, peg boards, beads to string, puzzles, form boards, shape
sorting boards, busy gyms
• Riding and Outdoor Toys: Wagon, tricycle, rocking horse, slide and swing set, swimming
pool,
• sand box
• Imaginative and Creative Play Toys: Cook sets, telephone, tool sets, dolls and puppets, activity
sets, flannel board with shapes, numbers and letters, magnetic sets
• Books: Many books are now available that feature textures and/or moving parts such as the
classic Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt. Talking story books have strings to pull or buttons
to push so the child can listen to each page.
Adapted from articles by Kelly Marts, LEEP Network News, January 1993 and Libby McAleb,
Children's Specialist with the Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Arkansas.
• Bubble blowing: Pop the bubbles with a pointed finger or by clapping hands. Add a few
drops of glycerin to the mixture to make the bubbles stronger and more colorful.
• Ball games: For the young baby, roll the ball. Drawing faces on balls or balloons with a felt tip
pen adds to the fun. For the older baby, place a ball in the foot of a pair of tights and hang up
for the child to bat.
• Shine a flashlight on a wall in the dark and get someone else to catch your beam in theirs.
• Riding a tricycle: Include horns, bells, or anything that will make the tricycle more exciting
and fun. Make a riding trail with brightly colored tape.
• Clear plastic tubing (found in hardware stores) can be used as a marble course.
• Visit the airport to watch the planes taking off and landing.
• Go to see a fireworks display or make shapes in the air with sparklers.
• Go to the park and feed the ducks. Fly a kite.
• Play with puppets. Play peek-a-boo. Watch a friend swing. Watch fish in a bowl.
• Line up toy cars and race them along the hallway.
• Use bright, bold colors in your child's world.
• Adapt toys and games by enhancing pictures and words with thick markers.

Audio recordings of readings and lectures can also be helpful when studying a
lengthy text.

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