Concepts Development

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated September 1, 2024
Concept development involves understanding the characteristics of an object and its spatial relationship with other objects. Students with visual impairments miss out on many opportunities to learn concepts incidentally as they may not be able to observe and effectively interact with their world.  Students who are blind or visually impaired need to be provided with meaningful experiences and interaction with real objects that they can touch, hear, smell, and see (if they have any vision). ​As stated in the Impact on Development and Learning section of this website, there are three primary limitations that students with visual impairments face. These include:
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  • A loss in the range and variety of experiences;
  • A loss or the restriction in the ability to get around (which influences opportunities both for gaining access to experiences and for developing social relationships); and
  • Loss of control of the environment and the self in relation to it.

Students may also need guided exploration and explanations of what they are interacting with. Explanations provide the student with vocabulary associated with the experience, help the student make sense of what they are feeling, and make connections to previous experiences. These experiences will help develop the student’s understanding of new concepts, develop their language, and motivate them to explore their environment which will subsequently lead to motor development.

To minimize or eliminate these restrictions, it is important to provide concrete and unifying experiences as well as to encourage the student to be a part of the action by "doing". When provided with concrete experiences, the student will experience many opportunities to develop concepts. Many of these concepts can be developed simply by actively participating in family and school routines. Other opportunities can be created that are fun and relevant for both students with visual impairments and for sighted peers and siblings too. Both the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments and the Orientation and Mobility Specialist will work with the student on building concepts. ​

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