Encouraging the use of Vision and Hands and Feet

Owen has limited vision and has had to learn to use his vision.  When he was a baby he showed very little visual response but now fortunately has learned to use his vision quite well (although still not entirely "normally").  He sometimes saw shiny things, lights, bright yellow and black and white. He was attracted to sound, especially bells and wind chimes and would turn towards them.  He did not seem to know he had feet or hands, let alone he could do things with them.  Owen and I attended Narbethong Special School ECDP playgroup and they introduced us to Active Learning and methods to encourage Owen to use his vision and learn about his body.  I'm sharing a couple of things I made to help him using my knowledge of what encouraged him:

Altered Baby A Frame

You will see from the below photo, I used our old A frame and covered the existing toys with various things like black and white fabric, shiny cardboard.  I added some chiming toys.  I bought Christmas tree decorations that were bells and sewed the bells on the bottom of the existing toys, so they made a noise when he accidentally hit or kicked them.  As he turned towards sound, he would turn towards the object, with the shiny fabrics etc.  This all gave him the best chance of seeing it.  If you have an older child and want to do this you could make an A frame out of PVC pipping.

Hands and feet

I don't have a picture of these but I also sewed bells to some black and white socks so his feet would make noise when he moved them.  I used to pop them on his hands too.  

Sensory Bib

This was another idea I learnt at Narbethong.  I made a sensory bib for Owen to wear in the car for the many trips to hospital's and other appointments.  He could also wear it in his stroller in the waiting room.  He wore it when we went to the park etc.  It was hoped he would accidentally find the items on himself and learn to go back to them.  The idea was permanence of the object, ie it remained in the same place even if he dropped in a million times.

To make it you need:

• A larger sized bib or apron
• Bias binding/elastic
• Shower curtain rings (the little plastic ones that look like a sleeper earring)
• Various sensory items and small toys

Sew on a tie for around the back (to tie up like an apron) with bias binding. Then use bias binding or elastic to sew on little loops (elastic means the child can put the item in their mouth), attach various toys and sensory items to the shower curtain rings and add them to the bib. Use it as often as you can.

Altering a Baby Mobile

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of this but I made some black and white patterns (smiling faces, polka dots, checker board) out of paper plates and permanent markers (red and black) and attached them to the bottom of Owen's baby mobile, so he could  look up and see them when he woke up from sleeping.  I also made some cardboard pictures like the below to help him see and had him face them during tummy time.  The black background is to help him see them.

I know the road is long and hard but don't give up.  It can take a long time before you see the benefit of all of these things.