Objective: To outline the implications of blindness and low vision in the development of primary school children

• Most blind children were blind at birth or became blind shortly afterwards; for most this is not a trauma but is “normal” for them. Parents are more likely to feel traumatized. A child blinded after the age of two years will have memory of how things look and function and will present with different challenges.
• If blind children behave oddly, this is not caused by blindness but by the inability to observe and imitate their family and peers. They may need to be taught what people without visual impairment take for granted through “incidental learning,” the type of learning that occurs through visual observation and imitation.
• Likewise, it is not blindness itself which puts children behind their peers in motor skills and mobility: They are over-protected for fear of accidents and need encouragement to explore and take risks in a safe but not artificially designed environment. They will, and must, suffer minor accidents that will teach them to protect themselves better.
• It is vital to establish and maintain close, physical contact with blind children, who cannot see the way we transmit affection or encouragement.
• The other senses, such as hearing, do not compensate for blindness.
• Concentration may be lower than their peers, because they cannot fixate.
• Blind children, through verbal imitation, may appear much more knowledgeable than they are, as they may be simply repeating words and phrases without understanding them.
• The lack of joint eye contact and body language means that blind children find it more difficult to interact or initiate contact with sighted peers. They benefit when placed in a group or team of children who are made to understand their challenges and strengths and are willing to protect them from bullying. Avoid focusing too much or too little on a blind child, but implement a zero tolerance policy for bullying, as no child should be victimized.
• The factors above apply to children with low vision, but somewhat less as they have more vision. Just as every child is different, every type of low vision has slightly different implications, which is why functional vision testing is so important. See the low vision chapter on Low Vision Online for more detailed information.