Visual impairment (VI) can have a profound effect on the lives of children, young people and adults. Not only does it create barriers in daily life, but it can also affect their development physically, mentally and emotionally. We’ll explain how a child’s or young person’s development could be affected and the obstacles they may face.
What is a visual impairment?
Visually impaired is a term used to describe someone who has sight problems which are severe enough to impact their ability to function independently. This can refer to blindness or partial sight. There are other types of VI which can impact a person’s capacity to see and move.
Most young people have had their sight problem from birth, but vision impairment is much more common in older adults than in young people. Older adults usually acquire vision impairment alongside a medical condition such as macular degeneration in older age. In some cases, a visual impairment may go undetected or undiagnosed.
What are the challenges faced by people with visual impairment?
Sight is one of our most important senses, so it’s not hard to imagine how challenging life can be for someone with VI. Without the ability to see clearly, people may struggle with balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.
Their ability to react to sudden movements or obstacles could be reduced, creating a greater need for safety when interacting and moving in unknown environments.
Children and young people may struggle with simple tasks, like getting dressed, cooking, or even crossing the road, requiring assistance from others. Even the way they learn is affected, having to use aids like braille to read and write, or screen readers to access digital content. They may have difficulty getting to and from classrooms or following instructions.
There are also social barriers, in which children and young people may have difficulties interacting with their peers, or engage in group activities. They may also struggle to make friends, leading them to feel isolated and excluded.
How does VI affect physical development?
Physical development is what allows us to grow, move, and develop skills needed for everyday life. Visual impairment can have an impact on all five of the key areas of physical development during a person’s life. These areas include:
- Cognitive – to think, learn, make decisions, and solve problems
- Social/emotional – to form relationships, control/express emotions, and interact with others
- Speech and language – to communicate effectively and express oneself verbally
- Fine motor skills – Movements in the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes used for tasks such as writing or eating
- Gross motor skills – Movement in the whole body used for tasks such as walking, running, jumping and hopping
Visual impairments can impact these skills, some more so than others. As a result some people may be less independent than others, increasing the need for support.
Cognitive development
Those with visual impairment may have to rely on other senses, such as hearing and touch, to understand information and make decisions. As a result, their process for learning, thinking, and solving problems can differ from those with typical vision. They may develop a learning style that is more auditory or tactile-based, rather than visual.
When crossing a road, we follow the method of stop, look and listen – which for someone with full sight is straightforward. But for someone with a visual impairment, they may use different cues, such as the sound of traffic or feeling for vibrations in the ground, which requires a different pattern of thought.
For example, if they are asked a question, more time may be needed to process the information, or they might struggle to find the right answer without visual cues.
Social and emotional development
Social and emotional development is a crucial aspect of a child’s development, as it helps them learn to form relationships, control their emotions, and interact with others effectively. However, for individuals with visual impairments, this can be much more of a challenge.
In life, we often need to be able to work and engage with others as part of a team, communicate effectively, and understand social cues. VI can make it difficult for a child to read cues such as facial expressions or body language, which are important in the way we interact in social situations.
It could also cause them difficulty forming relationships, as well as limiting the way in which they express themselves both verbally and non-verbally. Each of which can make it harder for them to connect with others on an emotional level.
They may struggle to tell if someone is happy or angry, leading to misunderstandings. For example, if their peers are upset with their behaviour, they may be reluctant to talk. Whereas the child with VI may not realise they have done something wrong.
Speech and language development
Being able to talk and listen are skills we all need to develop and grow. As visual cues play a significant role in speech development, children often learn by watching others speak and mimic their actions. However, for children with visual impairments, this learning process may be affected.
Often children rely on a parent to describe where they are or what’s happening around them, which can limit how they articulate themselves. They may also have difficulty understanding the context of conversations or interpreting non-verbal communication such as gestures or facial expressions.
Some children with vision impairment may also have further learning or physical disabilities, which can influence the way they talk, eat, drink and swallow. In which case, they may require speech and language therapy to support their development.
Motor development
Movement is crucial for a child’s development, it allows them to explore their environment and develop both fine and gross motor skills needed for daily living and learning.
Fine motor skills use small muscles within the brain and nervous system for controlling movements in the hands, fingers, lips, tongue, eyes and wrists to perform and control movements. We require these movements for tasks like writing, drawing, using utensils, eating and dressing.
Gross motor skills involve using the larger muscle groups to perform movements in the legs and arms. Such movements are needed for physical activities such as running and jumping.
Without these crucial skills, children with visual impairments may struggle to develop coordination, balance, and spatial awareness. They may struggle with tasks that require hand-eye coordination or precise movements, such as handling objects or safely walking to and from places independently.
Mobility training is one way in which individuals with visual impairments can improve their motor skills and independence. This type of training focuses on teaching individuals how to walk safely and confidently, using techniques such as using a cane and other mobility aids.
How can InFocus help?
Here at InFocus College, we offer bespoke further education courses and support services for 16-25 year olds with special education needs and disabilities including those with visual impairments. We believe that no one should be held back in life regardless of their disability, striving to provide a safe and supportive environment for our students.
Through our support, we can help students develop the physical and mental skills for a more independent life. Learn more about the support service we provide. We also have a podcast episode sharing expert insight on supporting vision impairment in specialist education settings.
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