Non-Verbal Communication

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated June 9, 2019

Nonverbal behaviors provide us with a lot of information about conversations and interactions. Students who are blind will not be able to perceive nonverbal communication and students with low vision may not be able to perceive subtle nonverbal communication. 

Not being able to see the effects of their actions and how others respond can impact the students understanding of the effects of their behavior as they may not have enough vision to see people’s body language.  Students may need extra support in understanding what nonverbal behaviors communicate, both of others and of themselves. Some students will need honest, but kind, feedback to understand how others respond to their behaviors.

People who are blind or visually impaired often have visual behaviors (ex. turning their head to locate their null point and slow nystagmus, viewing materials close up, not looking directly at others, etc.) that assist them in seeing people and viewing the information in ways that make them look different. Students who have significantly reduced vision or no vision will need to learn about non-verbal communication.

Almost all social skills used by sighted children and adults have been learned by visually observing the environment and other persons, and conducting themselves in socially appropriate ways based on those observations. Students with visual impairments must be taught when and how to smile, frown, nod, wink, shrug, and many other nonverbal communication skills.

Mannerisms/Behaviors

​​Not being able to see the effects of their actions and how other people respond can impact the students understanding of the effects of their behavior as they may not have enough vision to see people’s body language.  Students may need extra support in understanding what nonverbal behaviors communicate, both of others and of themselves.

Not being able to see the effects of their actions and how others respond can impact the students understanding of the effects of their behavior as they may not have enough vision to see people’s body language.  Students may need extra support in understanding what nonverbal behaviors communicate, both of others and of themselves. Some students will need honest, but kind, feedback to understand how others respond to their behaviors.

​Some students will need honest, but kind, feedback to understand how others respond to their behaviors. Students may seek comfort and stimulation through behaviors (or mannerisms sometimes referred to as "blindisms") that are not socially appropriate. Social behaviors are negatively impacted by the inability to visually observe other social behaviors. Such behaviors can alienate the student from their sited peers. 

• Discourage mannerisms. Nonverbal behaviors such as head rolling, eye poking, hand flapping, and rocking can be common in children with visual impairments. Students need to be redirected from these mannerisms, particularly from eye pressing as it can cause permanent damage and the eyes to become sunken. Some suggestions can be found on the sensory input page.

• Students with visual impairments need to be told when their behavior is appropriate and when it is not.  For example, alert students in a considerate but firm way to not scratch themselves or pick their noses in public. Point out that others are able to see them and it is not appropriate.

• Use the same form of discipline for students with visual impairments as you would for any other student. All students need to learn behaviors and actions that are acceptable in an effort to prepare them to be accepted by society. Accepting inappropriate behaviors and actions not only does not teach the student appropriate social skills, but sighted peers will sense that you are treating them differently. This may cause animosity between students.

Non-Verbal Communication

Help the student develop socially appropriate non-verbal communication by encouraging the student to:

• Make eye contact and/or turn their face toward the speaker. It is appropriate to request that a student looks at you or toward you (face in the direction of the person that is speaking) when you are talking to them. This is a social skill that is important for the student to learn. Keep in mind, however, that some students have an eccentric gaze (they see better when they tilt or turn their heads to the side). If this is the case, you should still encourage them to turn their body and face in the direction of the person they are talking to.

• Use good posture. Some students that are blind or visually impaired tend to keep their head down with their chin resting on their chest, keep their head thrown back, or their shoulders slumped forward. Encourage the student to hold their head up (but not toward the ceiling) and to face the activity they are involved in. 
• Keep an appropriate distance when standing by a person they are talking to. Frequently, students will stand too close to others in order to better see them. This needs to be discouraged as it is not socially acceptable and can cause others to be uncomfortable and avoid interactions with the student. 

Emotional Awareness

• Encourage the student to use a familiar object for comfort when tired or in a stressful situation.
• Encourage the student to communicate with another person when upset, uncomfortable, or in pain.
• Encourage the student to respond appropriately to the tone of voice.

• Encourage the student to express strong emotions safely. Students who are visually impaired or blind may be more fearful of physical injury and leaving familiar areas.

• Encourage the student to identify a range of emotions.
• Encourage the student to use physical activity (e.g. jump on a mini trampoline, bounce on a therapy ball, pull/twist fidget toys, ride a stationary bike, weight lift, walk, run, etc.) to release negative emotions and excess energy in socially acceptable ways.
• Encourage the student to express emotions in a degree appropriate to the cause, setting, and severity of the situation. Explain how it is perfectly normal to feel sadness when things don't go your way, but it's important to control their outbursts.
• Encourage the student to demonstrate affection in socially acceptable ways, considering the person, place, and situation.

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TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.


In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist


For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.


TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details
·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements
The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement
The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement
The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 


Additional Use:
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


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Lotto Cards
The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.


On My Way File Folder Cards
Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

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