Play and Communication for Children with Visual Impairment and Additional Support Needs
Presented on Monday & Tuesday 1 & 2 December 2008
Video Observation
Mary Lee
Royal Blind School, Edinburgh
Video observation
- Need structure that does not limit
- Work together in a group - be open-minded
- Adopt an analytical way of thinking, that is not just 'what' is happening but also 'why'
- Know what you are looking for - knowledge of child development
- The child with visual impairment may not be aware of sending signals
What is the child communicating?
- Attention
Drawing attention to self - Request
Requesting an object, person or action - Give
Giving an object to the adult - Rejection
Expressing dislike of object, person or action - Finish
Desire for activity to end - Pleasure
Pleasure or recognition of favourite person or object - Conversational
Maintaining a shared interaction by turn taking - Feelings
Feelings other than like or dislike - Imitation
Attempts to imitate actions or sounds of another - Other
Behaviours different from above
- Whole body movement
A whole body gesture - Gesture
Can be made with any body part - Body posture
Turning away, leaning towards etc - Eye contact
A child with peripheral vision may look with face turned away - Facial expression
Anger, fear, surprise, sadness etc - Proxemics
Use of personal space, eg; sitting near to - Touch
Makind contact to convey a message - Vocalisation
Includes sounds and vocalisations
Video Observation
The Approach and behaviour of the adult partner
Physical approach
- Distance between partners - is this acceptable and suitable?
- Position and orientation - turning towards, aligning head and adapting to position of the young person
- Ability to be still
- How adult partner's movements reflect or tune in with the young person's
Multi-sensory approach
- Does the adult partner take account of the young person's sensory impairment?
- Note how touch, sound, movement and vocalisation are used
- to attract attention
- to maintain contact
- to inform person of what is going to happen
- to back up spoken language - Is the touch acceptable to the person?
Use of spoken language
- Is language used
- simple, clear and directed to the young person?
- relevant to what is happening?
- relevant to the young person's understanding? - Is language used to reflect the young person's feelings?
- Not how questions are used
- Is sign used alongside speech? If so, how?
Interactive skills
- Note the pace and timing of interaction. Is it calm and unhurried - does it flow - are pauses and silences allowed?
- Does the adult partner monitor young person's responses and change interaction to suit?
- Note how adult partner responds to non-verbal signals, eg; through movement, touch, vocalisation, speech or imitation?
- Does adult partner follow young person's lead?
- Is the young person given the opportunity to initiate and make choices?
- Does the adult partner promote the young person's independence?