Every newborn child perceives the world through sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste. Unfortunately, nature does not favor all children, and sometimes children are born with some kind of pathology.

Children with visual impairments see the world completely differently, and their development and upbringing require special features. Correctly selected upbringing is very important, since such a child will need to adapt to kindergarten, school, and also in life, which will not be easy. What do parents need to know about the development of children with vision problems?

List of diseases associated with vision problems in children

The most common ones are functional ones, such as:

- (blurred eye)
— (the position of the eye is disturbed, in which deviation of one or two eyes appears, in turn or looking straight), read also ““,
- (not distinguishing objects into long distance),
- (), and others. If treatment is started in time, the condition can be corrected.
— Organic disorders are those that are related to the structure of the eye and other parts of the visual system. Causes include eye abnormalities, retinal disease, optic nerve disease.
— Factors affecting vision problems are congenital, acquired, or hereditary.

Features of development and learning for children

Young children who do not see, get acquainted with the world in most cases through hearing and touch. Because of this, their idea of ​​the world is different from the children who see it. Unlike sighted children, blind children have to recognize everything by sound, because of this, one of the most important aspects of education is focusing on sounds. For such children, the participation of specialist doctors is a necessary part of education. It is difficult for children with vision problems to cope without the help of a speech therapist, since in most cases the child is not able to understand words, especially if he cannot see real objects.

For such children, outdoor games are needed that will stimulate vision, develop proper movement associated with coordination, and most importantly, training the necessary skills. All these recommendations can be obtained from an ophthalmologist, who will tell you which games and exercises are suitable for the child. So you're with high probability get success.

— Teach your child proper orientation and coordination. It is advisable to repeat the exercise and actions several times until you reach automaticity.

— Buy ​​toys that are not the same as for ordinary children, but take large sizes, so that you can feel it well and not get hurt. After all, for such children the main thing is to touch everything and learn new things.

— Do not buy toys with small and very sharp parts, so that the child does not injure himself. After all, we can see everything, but they cannot.

— Be sure to teach correct orientation in space, to do this, perform certain tasks and exercises. It is important to explain to the child what he is doing and why.

Choosing a kindergarten

The most responsible should be the choice of kindergarten; when choosing a kindergarten, look at specialized kindergartens for children with visual impairments, organization and implementation of therapeutic purposes to restore vision, and preparation for school. In order to get into a specialized kindergarten, you need to take a referral from your local pediatrician, or from the ophthalmologist with whom you are registered, and go to the psychological-medical-pedagogical commission, which will make a verdict on the visit specialized garden.

For a child with visual impairments, such a garden will be the most suitable option, since in such kindergartens there are fewer children in groups than in ordinary kindergartens, in a regular kindergarten there are about 30 people, and in specialized ones there are 6-15 people. And because of this, your child will receive much more attention, and the child will learn exactly what he needs. There are very few disadvantages in such kindergartens, the fact is that such kindergartens are rare, and there are few of them; you have to take the child early in the morning. An equally responsible choice is in educators who must have two degrees, medical and pedagogical. There should be consultations with doctors, an ophthalmologist, a speech therapist, and a psychologist in the kindergarten. Even if you go to a regular kindergarten, the children will most likely laugh at such a child, but not in a specialized kindergarten, since almost all the children there are like that.

Adaptation of children with visual impairments

Adaptation in children with poor eyesight goes a little worse than in children, with normal. Because the situation and people change, and the parents who were always with the child all the time are no longer present. The most important thing for parents is not to panic; the child feels it and begins to get nervous.

- Go to the kindergarten together, let the child adapt a little, touch the toys, get to know the teachers and nannies.

- On the first day, bring the baby to the kindergarten for ten twenty minutes, stand near the office, wait, if the child cries and cannot calm down, take him home, no matter what happens psychological trauma. If everything is fine and he plays, you can wait until he plays enough.

- The second time, leave it for longer, about a couple of hours, even if the child cries, let him get used to it a little. And so on for a couple of hours and you will get used to it. The main thing for such a child is a schedule so that he has an idea of ​​how the day is going and automatically does everything.

Finally

To summarize, if you decide to go to a specialized kindergarten, you will need to go to a pediatrician or ophthalmologist, take a referral to a special commission, if it gives permission, then you can go to the kindergarten and find out how experienced and qualified the workers are working there, if all okay, talk to your child about starting a new step in life. In this way, you prepare your child a little for adult life, a lot depends on you, how you explain everything so the child will understand. After all, children are a reflection of their parents.

Create comfortable living conditions so that the baby knows that you love him, despite the fact that he has vision problems, be an incentive for your children. Never focus on his illness, strive to develop your child further and further, then when he grows up, he will thank you.

2. System preschool education children with visual impairments

Differentiated preschool institutions and preschool groups at kindergartens and boarding schools are open for children with visual impairments:

kindergartens, nurseries and preschool groups for blind children;

kindergartens, nurseries and preschool groups for visually impaired children;

kindergartens, nurseries and preschool groups for children with strabismus and amblyopia.

Currently, there is a network of special preschool institutions mixed type, where mainly children with strabismus and amblyopia, a certain number of visually impaired and a small number of blind children are admitted.

The purpose of these institutions is to provide treatment, possible restoration of vision and prevent the deterioration of its condition, as well as the creation of corrective and compensatory conditions in the process of training and education in order to prevent the appearance of secondary abnormalities in the early detection of eye pathology, and to overcome, weaken or eliminate deficiencies in cognitive activity, physical abnormalities

some unwanted personal qualities children with visual impairments.

Preschool institutions for children with visual impairments operate according to a special program, built taking into account the unique development of children and the peculiarities of the formation of their cognitive activity, motor sphere and personality traits.

Children's education is aimed at comprehensive development, correction and compensation of developmental deficiencies in children with visual impairments, due to the degree and nature of the visual defect.

Education for children with visual impairments kindergarten carried out in classes with a group of 10 blind and visually impaired children or 10-12 children with strabismus and amblyopia. Classes are face-to-face, subgroup or individual.

The content of education and upbringing of children with visual impairments is aimed at solving general and special problems of developing knowledge, skills and abilities that ensure successful admission to school for the blind, visually impaired and children with strabismus and amblyopia. Special programs developed on the basis of an education program in a general education kindergarten. Along with this, special sections have been introduced on the development of visual perception and the formation of subject concepts, social adaptation and spatial orientation, the development of touch, auditory perception, physical therapy, rhythm, and correction of speech disorders.

Teaching methods in preschool institutions are based on general didactic teaching principles and taking into account the developmental characteristics of children with visual impairments, their methods of perception (visual or tactile), cognitive activity and compensatory possibilities.

The use of special methods and techniques is aimed at correcting visual perception, subject concepts, orientation in space, overcoming deficiencies in speech development, subject-related practical activities, etc. Important place in teaching, visualization is important, which adapts to the conditions of perception (visual or tactile); optical means of correcting visual perception of visual and illustrative material are widely used. To overcome the verbalism of objective ideas and expand sensory experience, special work is carried out to familiarize with the surrounding reality on excursions and observations, while important role assigned to the regulatory role of speech as a means of compensating for blindness and low vision. To correct deficiencies in the development of subject-related practical actions, the method of step-by-step, step-by-step execution of tasks in manual labor, design, modeling, appliqué, etc. is used.

As a result of an integrated approach to teaching and raising children, the child’s activity and his interaction with the surrounding reality and people are formed.

The proper development of the child is facilitated by the organization of continuity between education in kindergarten and boarding schools for children with visual impairments, as well as between public and family education. An important place in the pedagogical process is occupied by work on the continuity and interrelation of correctional-educational and therapeutic-restorative work, on the development and activation of vision, its protection, as well as the strengthening of general health.

A kindergarten, nursery school for children with strabismus and amblyopia is a special educational institution designed for the treatment, education and training of children of early and preschool age. "

Preschool institutions for children with strabismus and amblyopia are part of the education system and are opened by education departments together with health departments.

General pedagogical guidance is provided by the education departments, and responsibility for providing treatment rests with the health departments.

Preschool institutions - nurseries and kindergartens accept children from 2 to 7 years old.

The selection of children is carried out on the basis of a medical report and a psychological and pedagogical examination by psychological, medical and pedagogical commissions. The examination methodology consists of a series of game tasks that allow us to identify the level of psychophysical development of a child of a certain age.

The decision on enrollment in an institution and withdrawal from it is made by a psychological, medical and pedagogical commission.

The main goal of preschool institutions for children with strabismus and amblyopia is to provide comprehensive assistance children. Training and education includes the following tasks: clarifying the level of psychophysical development and organizing appropriate conditions for training and education;

ensuring the general level of development, education and training; creating corrective conditions to overcome deviations in psychophysical development.

The main program and methodological documents regulating the activities of preschool institutions for children with strabismus and amblyopia were developed at the Institute of Corrective Pedagogy, and the content of treatment in a preschool institution was developed by the Institute of Eye Diseases named after. Helmholtz. The content of training and education takes into account the tasks, requirements and recommendations of treatment and rehabilitation work. All types of children's activities include training - exercises to activate visual functions. The development of visual perception is carried out in special correctional classes, as well as in the process of play, general education classes and everyday life.

Correctional classes on the development of visual perception, spatial orientation, and social and everyday orientation are conducted by a teacher-defectologist (typhlopedagogue).

Classes to overcome speech development deficiencies are conducted by a speech therapist, and children are grouped into subgroups in accordance with the level of speech development, i.e. with approximately the same state of vocabulary, grammar, phonetics, and coherent speech.

In addition, children are held special classes in physical therapy, rhythm, since children with visual impairments have deviations in the development of the motor sphere.

The entire educational process in kindergarten is built taking into account the requirements of treatment and rehabilitation work.

Advisory groups for children with visual impairments who do not attend preschool institutions arose as a need to assist families in raising the blind and visually impaired

These groups are created both at state and public, private and other preschool institutions.

The groups are staffed by medical, psychological and pedagogical commissions working in the education system. Children are enrolled in the groups from the moment the primary defect (visual impairment) is identified.

Work with children is carried out both on the basis of a preschool institution and in a family setting.

The main purpose of advisory groups is:

identification of children with visual impairments who do not attend preschool institutions and who need comprehensive medical, psychological and pedagogical assistance;

consulting parents in connection with the uniqueness and characteristics of the child’s psychophysical development and developing, together with parents, a program for his education and upbringing;

training parents in methods, means and techniques for raising and educating children with visual impairments in a family setting;

conducting correctional classes by a typhology teacher in the presence of parents and with their help in a preschool institution and at home;

studying the success in the development and advancement of the child in the process of education and upbringing and drawing up individual maps of the dynamics of the child’s psychophysical development during the examination.

Advisory groups establish a link between the family and other agencies that need to provide assistance to parents, both now and in the future.

However, these groups are just beginning to function, so special nomenclature acts are needed to regulate their activities.

MAIN DIRECTIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION OF SPECIAL PRESCHOOL INSTITUTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT Education, training, diversified development of children with psychophysical disorders for the purpose of early correction of pathological developmental deviations, adaptation to environment And social integration A unified work style for teachers to create an emotionally positive climate and favorable conditions for assimilation program material every child unified approach in education and training, the work of teachers in close contact Organization educational process and content special education according to requirements educational standards

Definition of individual strategy correctional education and training based on complex diagnostics, differentiated approach to carry out correction taking into account the results of diagnostics of children, analysis social situation development, ways of their orientation in understanding the world around them.

WHEN ORGANIZING THE PEDAGOGICAL PROCESS WITH VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN, IT IS NECESSARY TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS: The preschool institution, in the process of education, training and special correctional work, ensures the correction of defects in mental and physical development, necessary for social adaptation and independent human activity. The organization of the educational process is built on the basis of pedagogically sound choice. teachers of the program, means, forms and methods of education, training and correction in order to create optimal conditions for the personal and physical development of children, preventing the occurrence of secondary defects in development

Education and training are carried out according to programs recommended by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation: “Program of special (correctional) educational institutions Type IV (for children with visual impairments). Kindergarten programs. Corrective work in kindergarten”, ed. L.I.Plaksina, Moscow, 2003 “Special correctional programs for preschool children with severe visual impairments”, International University family and child named after Raoul Wallenberg, St. Petersburg, 1995 “From birth to school.” Approximate basic general education program preschool education edited by N.E. Veraksy, T.S. Komarova, M.A. Vasilyeva, Moscow

TASKS OF A SPECIAL PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION: Compensation for visual defects, protection of physical and mental health children, formation of foundations healthy image life. Formation of a child’s personality, taking into account age and individual characteristics, development of its capabilities and creative potential. Formation of humane relationships, ensuring the emotional comfort of each child, accustoming children to the culture of the Russian people, as well as other peoples living on the territory of the Russian Federation, instilling respect for universal and national values. Creation of ophthalmic-hygienic conditions in groups, treatment rooms, and a special routine for life, treatment, education, taking into account the interests and needs of the child.

Creation of a subject-development environment that promotes the upbringing and education of preschool children, overcoming and correcting visual impairments, and developing compensatory capabilities. Providing timely preventive and correctional-habilitation assistance to preschool children, aimed at protection and development visual functions. Ensuring a system of work on social and everyday adaptation, continuity and complementarity of education and training. Ensuring interaction with the family of a visually impaired child.

DIRECTIONS OF WORK OF A SPECIAL PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION Organizational and pedagogical work, including methodological support correctional educational process, staffing groups, organizing work to improve pedagogical excellence, educational work among educators and parents, advisory assistance to parents of children with visual impairments. Treatment and rehabilitation work includes early comprehensive diagnostics of visual functions, which makes it possible to identify the degree, nature and causes of the defect, carrying out therapeutic and recreational measures necessary to restore impaired visual functions, stimulation of residual vision in the blind and improvement of vision in visually impaired children, comprehensive medical pedagogical impact For further formation visual functions, overcoming primary, secondary deviations in mental and physical development child.

Correctional and educational work, the purpose of which is the comprehensive development of the child, his socialization, and preparation for school. In order to effectively organize educational work, teachers need to clearly know the capabilities of each student: diagnosis of visual disease, psychophysical secondary deviations in its development, level of training, abilities, genetic factors, range of interests, social environment. Each type of activity, each lesson has, in addition to general educational tasks, correctional focus, arising from a joint plan with the typhlopedagogist promising work

DISTRIBUTION OF CHILDREN BY DIAGNOSIS IN academic year 1. Strabismus – 32% 2. Astigmatism – 21% 3. Amblyopia – 13% 4. Retinopathy – 4% 5. Complex visual diagnosis – 13% 6. Risk group for myopia – 17%

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW AND FOLLOW: The typhlopedagogue and teacher of a specialized group must have information about the diagnosis, the state of vision of each child, the results of an examination by an ophthalmologist, and the prescribed treatment. Take into account the diagnosis and state of vision of pupils when seating children in general education classes. Take into account the diagnosis and state of vision of each child when selecting tasks for correctional and developmental classes. Fulfill ophthalmic and ergonomic requirements: sufficient illumination of the room, additional lighting at the board, table lamps in the area of ​​correctional and developmental games.

Selection of toys, visual, didactic material for the development of visual perception, touch, fine motor skills, orientation in micro- and macro-space should be carried out in accordance with the visual diagnosis of children in the group. Observe the principle of free access for children to educational games and benefits.

THE ROLE OF GAME IN THE SYSTEM OF COMPENSATION FOR VISUAL DEFECT Game is the most important independent activity child with visual impairment and has great importance for his physical and mental development. Through play, children with visual impairments gain experience social behavior among their peers, practically master the norms and rules of behavior, become involved in the lives of the adults around them, and have the opportunity to demonstrate greater independence than in any other activity. Mastering knowledge and skills in preschool age included in play activity. The game is formed psychological preconditions readiness for schooling, such as the child’s ability to consciously subordinate his actions to rules, the ability to focus on a system of rules in work, the ability to listen and follow the instructions of an adult, and work according to a model.

Corrective and developmental games in the system of working with visually impaired children Game Role-playing game Social and everyday orientation Formation of communication skills Social adaptation Games with rules Didactic Formation sensory standards Development visual perception hearing, touch Development spatial orientation Development of fine motor skills Mobile Orientation in space Development of gross motor skills Formation of skills Role-playing actions