Practices endorsed by 192 teachers of young children with visual impairments who completed an online early literacy survey included facilitating early attachment (70%), providing early literacy support to families (74%), and providing adaptations to increase accessibility (55%). Few teachers reported using assistive technology, providing…

Duplications of chromosome 15 may be one of the most common single genetic causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), aside from fragile X. Most of the cases are associated with maternally derived interstitial duplication involving 15q11-13. This case report describes a female proband with a maternally derived interstitial duplication of proximal…

To determine the attitudes of teachers of students who are visually impaired or blind about the use of contracted or uncontracted Braille for emergent readers, the author posted a questionnaire on three electronic listservs from October through December 2002 and received responses from 40 teachers in India, Canada, the West Indies, and the United…

It is generally acknowledged that a child's primary caregiver acts as a spring board to independence. By encouraging the child to explore their world, parents and guardians are instrumental in developing the child's sense of self-esteem, self-worth and sociability. Less fortunate, however, are the increasing numbers of young children born with a…

This study examined exploratory behaviors used by 12 infants who were congenitally blind and 12 infants who were sighted to note similarities and differences in exploration. By including both groups of infants and matching the infants by age and their mothers' education, direct comparisons could be made between the groups. No differences were…

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of an online professional development course designed to develop an understanding of the foundations, perspectives, and strategies used by key disciplines (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, early childhood special education, visual…

The National Child Count of Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind is the first and longest running registry and knowledge base of children who are deaf-blind in the world. It represents a 25 year collaborative effort between NCDB, its predecessors and each state deaf-blind project throughout the country, as well as those projects funded in the…

CHARGE association/syndrome refers to a group of congenital anomalies occurring together more often than chance. Parents of children with CHARGE were surveyed and asked to indicate whether their child had various features commonly found among individuals with CHARGE (e.g., vision or hearing impairment) and to complete an adaptive behavior scale…

This study of the haptic exploratory strategies used by nine children with visual impairments and additional disabilities when interacting with portable and freely manipulable objects found that a broader approach to assessment and analysis is required than is used with typically developing children. An "adaptive-tasks" approach is proposed as a…

This article compares the development of print and braille reading in children who are blind and sighted in relation to Chall's stage model of reading development. Chall's model includes a prereading period, in which concepts are developed; middle stages, in which skills that are necessary for decoding text are developed; and later stages, which…

Findings from two studies of 42 children with profound developmental delays (26 males and 15 females) using systematic and intense response-contingent learning opportunities interventions are reported. Response-contingent learning games were used to promote the participants' use of behavior that either produced environmental consequences or…

This booklet was inspired by the need of educators and therapists of preschool students who are blind and visually impaired to share their observations of children with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) and the therapies found to be helpful when working with these children. The work done at the Blind Childrens Center is very rewarding, and these…

When assessing the visual function of young children, it is important to use a variety of tests. It is essential to have a structured observation method when it is not possible to use ordinary acuity tests. A structured observation method can be created by using a checklist. An ideal checklist should be handy and reliable and include a minimum of…

This study investigated the ability of color and motion to elicit and maintain visual attention in a sample of children with cortical visual impairment (CVI). It found that colorful and moving objects may be used to engage children with CVI, increase their motivation to use their residual vision, and promote visual learning.

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…