Development: An Overview for Babies and Toddlers Who Are Blind or Low Vision

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All babies, sighted, blind or low vision, develop at their own pace within a range of what is considered to be “normal” development. There are ranges for when babies do things such as smiling, sitting, crawling, walking, and saying their first word. These steps in development are often referred to as developmental milestones. Some babies who are blind or has low vision may take longer to reach certain developmental milestones as compared to most sighted babies. This, in part, has to do with how vision affects a baby’s understanding of the world and motivation to move. A teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) can share with you more information on child development and the differences sometimes observed in visually impaired babies.

Supporting Development Beyond Vision

As you talk to other families and to medical, educational, and other professionals, you’ll sometimes find that others are focused on one area of your baby’s development. You may hear reference to the following areas:

• Cognitive Development: The term “cognitive development” refers to your baby’s thinking skills. Do they understand, for example, that you still exist when you leave the room and disappear from view?
• Language Development: There are two areas in language development: “receptive,” what your baby understands; and “expressive,” what your baby says. For babies, receptive language is typically more advanced than expressive language. Your baby may understand when you say, “Bring me your shoe,” long before she can say, “my shoe.”
• Social Development: Social development refers to how your baby interacts with other people. Does your child smile when you talk to them? Begin communicating with them by making a specific noises to indicate they want to continue playing. Similarly, noises and words to indicate they are done playing. These are examples of social behaviors.
• Motor Development: Motor development is generally divided into two areas, gross and fine motor. Gross motor refers to the larger muscle groups a baby uses for walking, crawling, and jumping. Fine motor relies on the smaller muscle groups used for activities such self feeding, using utensils or some play activities.
• Self-Help Development: Self-help skills are the skills a child needs to develop in order to eat, dress, and use the bathroom independently. As your child grows older, you may hear these skills, also called independent living or daily living skills.

Taking a Holistic Development Approach

Often it is hard to separate out a baby’s developmental progress into these tidy categories. Although it is important to know about these areas and terms, it is equally important to not get caught up in focusing on just one area. You, and the early interventionists or other professionals who may sometimes work with your child, need to remember that your baby is a baby first. Focusing on your child rather than a series of gross motor or social skills will help you find balance.

All babies need to learn developmental skills and practice them many times before they master them. Children with blindness or low vision need to be taught how to do certain skills and taught with special attention. You are your baby’s first teacher, and there is much information on this site to show you ways to help your baby in all areas of their development. Discover a community and support to help you raise your child now and in the future.