Using Calendars with a Preschooler who is Blind or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)

One day, your child will need to keep track of important things. Dates, tasks, deadlines, and goals all go in a calendar or planner. This helps them stay organized and reliable.

Start getting them ready for this skill now. Show them a calendar that they can use easily. This early exposure is a big help.

Your child can watch or listen as you record significant dates and appointments, and they can become involved in placing meaningful, tactile stickers, real objects, pictures, or braille labels on important dates. Your child can listen as you read the activities for the day or week ahead.

Benefits

What are the benefits of adding a calendar system?

• Learning concepts of years, months, weeks, and days
• Learning concepts of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
• Recording important events and appointments.
• Reviewing the calendar every day.
• Preparing for what is on the schedule for the day.
• Developing organizational skills.
• Learning methods that will one day increase her independence and dependability.
• Acquiring a skill necessary for maintaining employment.

If your child has additional disabilities, they may appreciate a more thorough calendar. Therefore, you may wish to list nearly all of the routine activities on a daily calendar.

If the representation for each activity is meaningful to your child (a toothbrush indicating it is time to brush your teeth, a spoon for mealtime, a small book for reading time, and a seat belt buckle for a car ride). Your child now has a method for understanding what to expect each day. To learn more about using a calendar system for children with multiple disabilities, read “Using a Schedule with Your Child Who Is Blind or Low Vision and Has Multiple Disabilities.”