RNIB supporting blind and partially sighted people
Effective practice guide
Social inclusion - Early Years
About this guide
In this guide we explore social inclusion at Nursery level. We look
at the case study of Carys, which highlights the difficulties that
young blind children can experience in accessing play and
therefore in developing important social skills. This guide draws on
the insights of Annie Bearfield, a qualified teacher of children with
a vision impairment.
Contents
1. Development of social skills and interaction
2. Case study: Supporting Carys
3. Further reading
1. Development of social skills and interaction
The early patterns of communication, social interaction and
exploration form the foundation for what children carry into their
futures. Lasting and important attitudes to life and learning are
therefore shaped early. Young children learn social skills by
playing with friends, and skills such as empathy, negotiation,
listening and influencing are learnt incidentally by sighted children
as they observe those around them interacting.
Making and sustaining friendships are important parts of social
development. Children who have friends are:
 more socially competent than those who do not have friends
 more likely to find it easier to adapt to new situations
 usually happier, more self assured and valued
Blind children are vulnerable in terms of making and sustaining
friendships. Probably the two most important factors that impinge
on the social development of blind children, including making
Registered charity number 226227
friends, are the lack of access to non-verbal communication and
the role of adult support.
Empathy and understanding the feelings of others are key to the
development of friendships amongst children, and depend to a
great extent on non verbal communication - in order to give blind
children insight into the significance of facial expressions and
gestures we need to raise awareness and develop their insight
from a very early stage.
2. Case study: Supporting Carys
About Carys
At the time of this case study, Carys was a very bright and bubbly
toddler aged 2 years 9 months who was blind. She attended a
private day nursery in Birmingham. Carys did not have a member
of staff assigned to her there, but did have a key worker, called
Caroline. Carys also received a weekly support session from Sue,
a QTVI, or Rachel, an Early Years Inclusion Officer.
Observations of Carys playing in her nursery group and
discussions with the staff there and her mum, highlighted the
difficulties that young blind children can experience in accessing
play and therefore in developing important social skills:
 play is largely motivated, triggered and sustained by visual
clues
 play can be fast moving - situations change from one moment
to the next, which requires quick responses
 play involves lots of free flow movement like running and
jumping around.
Ways to support
The concepts of 'Commenting,' 'Connecting' and 'Creating' can
help a parent and teacher support a child's development. This is
illustrated by working with Carys:
Commenting
Putting into words the events and experiences that are happening.
 Describe your own and other's actions, interactions,
expressions and feelings - what the other children are up to.
 Verbalise Carys' feelings and expressions.
 Tell Carys what she looks like each day and also what everyone
else looks like.
Connecting
Pointing out links and providing structure.
 Making connections in her world, where people and toys are.
 Linking previous experiences with what is happening now and
what will happen next.
 Explaining why children are behaving the way they are.
 Explaining appropriate social behaviours and the consequences
of inappropriate behaviours - for example not "looking" at a
friend/adult or turning her back on other children.
Creating
Creating opportunities to maximise social interaction.
 Creating secure and manageable small groups - an element of
family grouping may help, for example a 4 year old will have
more advanced language skills and may be more sensitive to
the communication and play needs of a blind child.
 Encouraging children to interact directly with Carys and not
through an adult.
 Where children are able, encourage them to tell Carys what
they are doing.
 Allow Carys to play on her own - allowing space for her peers to
approach her.
 Encourage lots of functional play - using toys or objects for
pretend play and dramatic role play.
 Prompt Carys to verbalise preferences, share toys, choose
friends to share activities with and put feelings about other
children into words.
 Encourage Carys to imitate her friends by describing their
actions and helping her to copy them - modelling of actions may
be needed.
 Be one of the kids! - get involved, when appropriate, in role play
by way of prompting/supporting Carys.
Create more opportunities to learn about feelings, expression and
gesture by:
 encouraging Carys to feel expressions on yours and her face
(mouths & eyebrows are important)
 using dolls with facial features/expressions that can be felt with
hands
 creating tactile art work to create expressions
 drawing attention to feelings of others - in role play, books and
stories
 teaching non-verbal skills and manners - waving, shaking head
and nodding for yes/no, to say "excuse me" when bumping into
friends.
3. Further reading
What can you see? Gail Bailey (2009)
This book sets out practical approaches to making and maintaining
friendships. These include individual support for young people with
vision impairment, activities with peers and working with parents.
For friendship to succeed it is crucial to have peers who can
empathise, so this book also provides fun resources that help
sighted people gain a better understanding of the impact of vision
impairment. These activities are suitable for primary and
secondary school learners and the adults who work with them,
both in and after school.
For further information about RNIB
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), and its associate
charity Action for Blind People, provide a range of services to
support children with vision impairment, their families and the
professionals who work with them.
RNIB Helpline can refer you to specialists for further advice and
guidance relating to your situation. RNIB Helpline can also help
you by providing information and advice on a range of topics, such
as eye health, the latest products, leisure opportunities, benefits
advice and emotional support.
Call the Helpline team on 0303 123 9999 or email
helpline@rnib.org.uk
If you would like regular information to help your work with children
who have vision impairment, why not subscribe to "Insight",
RNIB's magazine for all who live or work with children and young
people with VI.
Information Disclaimer
Effective Practice Guides provide general information and ideas for
consideration when working with children who have a vision
impairment (and complex needs). All information provided is from
the personal perspective of the author of each guide and as such,
RNIB will not accept liability for any loss or damage or
inconvenience arising as a consequence of the use of or the
inability to use any information within this guide. Readers who use
this guide and rely on any information do so at their own risk. All
activities should be done with the full knowledge of the medical
condition of the child and with guidance from the QTVI and other
professionals involved with the child. RNIB does not represent or
warrant that the information accessible via the website, including
Effective Practice Guidance, is accurate, complete or up to date.
Guide updated: February 2015