Development of Your Child with Blindness

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)

Your child is growing in independence as they advocate for themselves, interact socially with friends, learn academic skills, and become more self-aware. You may find yourself stepping back and allowing your child to take the lead at times. There are many times as a family who is raising a child who is blind or has low vision you will encounter many different situations for the first time at school, at home or in your community.

You will find resources and information that covers building self-worth, enhancing self-esteem, fostering friendships, and teaching problem-solving skills. Additional topics include ensuring safety around physical touch, supporting academic development through partnerships with schools, and encouraging listening skills. The section aims to support parents in aiding their children’s overall growth and independence.

Developing a Strong Self-Worth

It is crucial for children to have a sense of self-worth as it lays the foundation for healthy emotional and social development. Self-worth is the belief that one has value and is capable of positively contributing to the world around them. Children with a healthy sense of self-worth are more likely to have confidence in themselves and their abilities and a positive attitude toward challenges and setbacks. This, in turn, develops resilience, improved mental health, and better relationships with others. It is important for parents and caregivers to foster an environment that supports and encourages children to develop their self-worth by providing praise and constructive feedback, setting achievable goals, and celebrating their accomplishments

Young girl facing outside with her reflection of herself in the window.

Building Self-Esteem in Children Who Are Blind or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Self-esteem has a strong impact on all aspects of a person’s life. If your child has self-esteem, in general, feels good about themself and their accomplishments. Self-esteem provides a foundation for personal growth and development. Children with high levels of self-esteem are more likely to have confidence in […]

A group of three students walking into a school.

Helping Your Child Who Is Blind or Has Low Vision Learn How to Make Friends

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Tips for Promoting Friendships Most people and adults are somewhat social by nature and being able to form ongoing relationships contributes in an important way to your child’s overall development. However, your child is blind or has low vision may need help from you and other family members […]

Problem-Solving Skills for Grade Schoolers with Blindness or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Grade school life is a rich environment for learning problem-solving skills. Just think of the typical situations your child or family member who is blind or low vision confronts at this age: Instead of immediately removing or solving problems for your child, consider problems as opportunities to train […]

Young boy crossing his arms in front of his upper body

It’s a Matter of Safety: What Kinds of Touch are Okay?

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)This article helps parents and caregivers teach blind and low-vision children about safe and unsafe touching. Often, people who are blind get used to being touched as part of daily life. For example, to show them something, someone might guide their hand to an object. People also might […]

School and Home Partnership

To support your child who is blind or low vision, establish a strong partnership between home and school. As parents, you are the experts on your child's unique needs and can provide valuable insight into their strengths and challenges. This knowledge can help teachers know how to best work with and support your child. In addition, parents can provide important support at home that can reinforce what is being taught in the classroom. By working together, parents

Preparing for the First Day of Public School as a Student Who is Blind or Has Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)In this excerpt from Reach Out and Teach: Helping Your Child Who Is Visually Impaired Learn and Grow by Kay Alicyn Ferrell, a child’s kindergarten classroom environment is explored with ideas for preparing young children for their very first day of public school has been updated. Preparing for […]

Encouraging Listening in the Kindergarten Classroom for Children Who Are Blind or Low Vision

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)From the book Learning to Listen/Listening to Learn: Teaching Listening Skills to Students with Visual Impairments edited by Lizbeth A. Barclay. By kindergarten, it is important that most of the basic auditory perception and discrimination skills be in place for children with blindness or low vision as academics […]

Hands using scissors to cut paper with tactile materials behind to make a book.

Reading and Making Tactile Books with Your Child

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Reading to your child helps them in many ways. It teaches new ideas, improves talking skills, and prepares them for learning to read. If your child is blind or has low vision, you can make reading more fun by using books with things to touch. This is called […]

An elementary student working with an older student to learn about a trumpet by feeling the buttons.

Everyone Needs a Role Model

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Your child might already have a role model. This is someone they really admire and want to be like. It could be a family member, like an older cousin, or someone at school, like a favorite teacher. Sometimes, a role model is someone famous they know about from […]

Cute happy schoolgirl puts stationery in a backpack.

Helping Students Who Are Blind or Low Vision Manage Classroom Work and Homework

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)Teachers and parents sometimes find it hard to decide or agree on how much classroom work and homework to require of a student with blindness or low vision. Your child’s teachers may shorten assignments or extend deadlines occasionally. If that happens frequently, your child might begin to expect […]

Three students working together on a science project.

Exposing Children Who are Blind or Low Vision to Group Work

This content is also available in: Español (Spanish)John Donne famously wrote, “No man is an island.” Focusing that idea on our topic of your child’s career, we can quote APH ConnectCenter’s positive work habits lesson plan, “A work environment is almost always a team environment. Getting along with others and pulling (one’s) weight on the […]