This article investigates the relationships between play and language development in students with multiple disabilities and visual impairments or deaf-blindness. The findings indicate that students with higher levels of communication demonstrate more advanced play skills and that the use of play-based assessment and exposure to symbolic play are…

This study was designed to examine the effects of tracing and fading prompts to improve the handwriting of two preschoolers both diagnosed as Developmentally Delayed (DD) and one of whom had fine motor goals. The study took place in a self-contained special education public preschool classroom located in the Pacific Northwest. The results showed…

An analysis of how mothers direct attention and play with their 18-month-old children found mothers of the four children with blindness were not more directive than mothers of the four sighted children, but they made some use of directives that were particular to the needs of young children with blindness. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Social smiles of 10 visually impaired 4 to 12 month olds were examined longitudinally in play interactions with their mothers. All infants demonstrated both the presence of social smiles and the second Piagetian stage of cognitive development at the start of the study. Social smiling increased in frequency from 6 to 12 months. (Author/CB)

Monthly observations of the play behavior of 16 young children with blindness over an 18-month period revealed correlations between play categories and development. Children who had high scores on developmental scales also had a high involvement in fantasy play. Children as young as 18 months old, prompted by older children, exhibited pretend play…

A study examined the effect of visual status (visually impaired or sighted) and setting (indoor or outdoor) on the social behaviors of nine preschoolers with visual impairments and 11 typical preschoolers in an inclusive setting. Regardless of their visual status, the children spent significantly more time near sighted children. (Contains…

The effects of a shared teacher-child play intervention on the amount and type of targeted play behaviors of young children with blindness were evaluated. Nondirective strategies (following the child's lead to make indirect play suggestions, modeling appropriate play activities, and participating as a play partner) resulted in improved play…

This study compared a group of nine children (ages 3 to 8) with congenital blindness and an autism-like syndrome with nine sighted children. Children with autism had more severe abnormalities in terms of their relationships with people and emotional expressions, and were more impaired in the area of pretend play. (CR)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by parents of 91 young blind children and 74 matched sighted children indicated that sighted children engaged in more complex levels of play at an earlier age; blind children interacted less frequently with other children than did sighted children; blind children preferred tactile-auditory games and toys; and…