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Orientation and mobility – moving towards independence: the early years
Author(s) -
MATSUBA CA,
GRAHAM M
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03075_5.x
Subject(s) - orientation and mobility , orientation (vector space) , psychology , visual impairment , early childhood , christian ministry , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , computer science , human–computer interaction , visually impaired , political science , geometry , mathematics , psychiatry , law
Vision along with all the other senses, pulls together meaningful information about the environment, providing motivation to experience the world. However, children with visual impairment have limited opportunities to interact in their environment. This potentially leads to delays in concept development. Early orientation and mobility education provides strategies to overcome obstacles in the presence of limited vision. Orientation is being aware of where you are, where you want to go and how you want to get there. Mobility is moving from place to place. With support, children with visual impairment can develop these independent skills. Through this DVD, caregivers are given tools to support their child with visual impairment to explore their environment. The material highlights strategies to encourage early orientation and mobility skills by introducing early motor developmental progression from body positioning to walking, encouraging motor skills. In addition, common orientation and mobility skills such as; positional concepts, landmarks, trailing, body protection, guiding, push toys, and mobility cane, are provided. In response to community needs, this educational material was developed for families, early childhood developmental professionals, and therapists. The material is presented chronologically, focusing on the individual child's ability. By using real life examples, children with varying degrees of visual impairment demonstrate common strategies to explore their environment. After reviewing the material, caregivers will be better able to understand the importance of early orientation and mobility. Acknowledgements: Ministry of Children and Family, British Columbia BC Children's Hospital Foundation.