Independent Movement and Travel in Blind Children

The purpose of this book is to contribute to the understanding of Developmental O and M, independent movement and travel in blind children. The goals of this book are: To increase knowledge of a developmental perspective for the young blind child with positive, useful information, gained from many years of experience working with blind children as an O and M professional To increase confidence both in thinking about the blind child's O and M needs and in interactions with the blind child To promote in blind children a positive thinking about their own movement and travel and to view themselves as travelers To facilitate the setting of age -and stage- appropriate movement and travel expectations for blind children. To offer an alternative "developmental approach" to conventional practices which derive from an "adult-centered model" To be a provocative catalyst for positive change in the field of O and M Unlike many books and articles on orientation and mobility (O&M) for blind children, this one is not about the effect of blindness on movement. Such an inquiry is self defeating from the start, as it often begins with misconceptions and deficit-thinking about blindness and the blind child's early motor development. Instead, this book is about the effect of movement on development and the importance of movement experiences for the development of independent movement and travel in blind children. It has a clear premise: blind children must become "active movers" if they are to become independent " travelers."