Teaching Social Skills to Students with Visual Impairments

From Theory to Practice

How do children become social beings? When a child is unable to observe visually and imitate how other people react and interact, this complex developmental process can become fragmented and incomplete. As a result, providing specific information, direct instruction, and opportunities for social interaction to children who are blind or visually impaired is critical to their growth and education. Edited by two groundbreaking educators and researchers, with contributions from other outstanding educators and researchers in this area, Teaching Social Skills to Students with Visual Impairments explores what theory can tell us about how children who are visually impaired become socially skilled individuals. It then presents a compendium of techniques and strategies for helping youngsters, from preschoolers through young adults, including those with additional disabilities, develop and refine social skills.

Typically, students at this level require external motivation, such as grades,
encouragement, and structured instruction from ... They can usually hear or see,
read, write, and learn through observation; however, demonstration — doing an
activity with ... through content teaching, in which the teacher presents
information either through lecture or reading assignments, ... are time limited, as
opposed to students or clients whose needs are extensive and likely to last
throughout their lives.