Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
www.tsbvi.edu | 512-454-8631| 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, Texas 78756
Active Learning Study Group
November 26, 2012
8:30-9:30 AM
Presented by
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
Developed by
Kate Hurst, Statewide Staff Development Coordinator
Outreach Programs Staff
Social/Emotional Perception

Demonstrates “autistic-like” behaviors or appears especially developmentally threatened

Have difficulty responding to contact

Observed that child occasionally functions better than usual – involved in activities at a higher level than his daily
behavior indicates or discloses that level of intelligence must be higher than daily behavior indicates
Focus on Intellectual Development

Assess intelligence and use as starting point for teaching

Problem: Child could be trained to do things but stopped once adult left --- not self-initiating

For which purposes do human beings use their intelligence? ….for what I want to do

Based on compatibility of mind and emotions
Problem: distance between emotional and intellectual levels

Gap too wide

Make it difficult for child to be motivated to initiate activities

Make it difficult for child to dare to do what others expect him to do
Focus on Emotional Development
Give lots of physical contact
Problem

Children became very affectionate and sought physical contact constantly

Contacted adults like 6 month old babies

Never initiated activities with toys or materials
Looked at Typical Development

Ages should not be taken too literally

Important to have some knowledge about sequence of establishing contact

Blind, mentally retarded or especially developmentally threatened usually unable to talk, verbal ways of contacting
are not available

Human beings are very young when they begin to use objects to express emotional relationships with other
people
Key to Assessing Emotional Level

Different stages of the emotional development are demonstrated through child’s way of contacting

Way developmentally threatened child contacts difficult to interpret or translate because it is different, especially if
blind
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
1
Process

Interview parents using questions based on Chapter 5
o
Does child clutch clothes/hair
o
Does child bite
o
Does child maintain contact for only few seconds

Make a guess at emotional level

Gather 60-70 objects for play at different levels (familiar and unfamiliar)
Process

First day use Offering technique

Following day “being together”

If you do not know child begin at relatively high level (building and pouring / putting objects in specific places)

Talk very little and observe if child shows any kind of interest, makes a gesture (at 1 ½ yr. development or higher)

If no reaction go to 1-1 ½ yr (put objects in containers, build/turn towers, pouring marbles on plates)

If no reaction go to 8-12 months

If not reaction go to 4-8 months

ETC.
Lilli says
Assessing the child’s level of emotional development provides me with a basis for deciding which activities would be
appropriate for the child to initiate.
Lilli says
“I do not expose the especially developmentally threatened child to demands.”
“We expose normal children younger than 2 years of age to few, if any, demands. And, without our help, we do not
expect the chld to comply with the few demands we make.”
Lilli says
“Too many experiences of inability to fulfill demands disturb the normal balance between successes and failures and can
easily lead to withdrawal whenever the child interprets something as demanding.
…It is as if they are afraid that showing their ability may result in exposure to demands to do something they know that
they are unable to do or unsure of. They would rather not succeed at all than risk failure. For these children, demands
mean failure.”
p. 43, Chapter 7 of Are You Blind?
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
2
Question for Patty
Looking at the Functional Scheme assessment areas for Social and Emotional Perception……
1. How do you use this related to figuring out the educational treatment to use (Five Phases of Educational
Treatment) that Lilli discusses?
2. I know that Lilli has said that periodically you will have to return to Phase 1 for almost any child, but as a rule of
thumb, is there some correlation between the Social / Emotional Perception assessment data and the 5 phases?
Patty’s Reply

Lilli answer would vary a little from mine.

Lilli does use the emotional perception section of the Functional Scheme to help assess the emotional level of a
child.

I tend to use multiple sections of the functional scheme to assess the emotional level of a child.


o
emotional perception, social perception, and perception through play sections.
o
everything needs to be looked at as an overall picture of a child.
For example I have one child with the following summary in the functional scheme:
o Gross motor (about 18-24 month level)
o Fine motor (6-9 months)
o Mouth movements (24-30 months)
o Auditory perception (9-12 months)
o Babbles
o Haptic-Tactile perception (6-9 months) splinter skills up to 24 months)
o Olfactory perception (18-24 months)
o Spatial Perception (12-15 months)
o Object Perception (6-9 months) splinter skills up to 15 months
o Language Perception – babbles (3-6 months)
o Social Perception (3-6 months)
o Emotional Perception (0-3 months)
o Perception through Play (9-12 months)
o Toileting – 12-15 months
o Undressing (9-12 months)
o Personal Hygiene (15-18 months)
o Eating Skills (24-30 months)
Has skills that reach as high as 24-30 months, Emotionally at a 0-3 or 3-6 month level doesn’t interact with
others. When you sit near her, she stands up and moves away.

Interactions with others are to bite, scratch or pinch – but she can hug and sit on your lap.

Really represents who she is.

How she plays with toys - mouthing them, a very low way to interact with objects.

So if I use the five phases of educational treatment
o
Start by using offering and might at some point get to imitation – but playing at the level of a 3-6 month
old.
o
Use a lot of items that react to mouthing, or that would react to a simple touch.
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
3

Overall assessment tells you the tools you can use, but the emotional level tells you the skills need to be
integrated more.
5 Phases
The five phases of treatment is a tool you use to get a child to explore the world more. With a child like I described, I
would rarely get to stage 3. I would not expect to get to stage 4 or 5. She doesn’t interact with others right now – I would
not expect her to “share the work” or have “consequences” yet. She needs to learn to “interact” and that can only come
after imitating (which she does not do.)
The Functional Scheme
Available from LilliWorks.com
Price?
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
4
Subject: Question on Active Learning – Excerpt Email to Patty Orbzut at Penrickton
Hello, Patty!
I know you are headed to Texas soon; wish I was going to be able to go to that training. But in the
meantime I have a question. Looking at the Functional Scheme assessment areas for Social and
Emotional Perception……
How do you use this related to figuring out the educational treatment to use (Five Phases of
Educational Treatment) that Lilli discusses? I know that Lilli has said that periodically you will have to
return to Phase 1 for almost any child, but as a rule of thumb, is there some correlation between the
Social / Emotional Perception assessment data and the 5 phases? This is me trying to get at the gap
between emotional development and other development.
Kate Hurst
Hi Kate,
I think if you asked Lilli, her answer would vary a little from mine. Lilli does use the emotional
perception section of the Functional Scheme to help assess the emotional level of a child. I tend to
use multiple sections of the functional scheme to assess the emotional level of a child. I tend to use
the emotional perception, social perception, and perception through play sections. But everything
needs to be looked at as an overall picture of a child.
For example I have one child with the following summary in the functional scheme:

Gross motor – she likes to swing, bounce, walks on tip toes around the room, climbs (about 18-24
month level)

Fine motor – mouths everything she comes in contact with (6-9 months)

Mouth movements – eats regular food, doesn’t like to use utensils (24-30 months)

Auditory perception – is aware of sounds, goes to sounds she likes, but doesn’t respond to sounds
during play (9-12 months)

Babbles

Haptic-Tactile perception – uses lips and the tongue for tactile searches, touches food using fingers,
(6-9 months) splinter skills up to 24 months)

Olfactory perception – can identify foods by smells (18-24 months)

Spatial Perception – walks or crawls to explore the room where she is present (12-15 months)

Object Perception – mouth objects, searches for certain objects in a box (6-9 months) splinter skills up
to 15 months
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
5

Language Perception – babbles (3-6 months)

Social Perception – enjoys having an adult play with her on occasion (3-6 months)

Emotional Perception – contacts adults by clutching, pinching, pulling hair, biting (0-3 months)

Perception through Play - moves objects from hand to hand (9-12 months)

Toileting – 12-15 months

Undressing - likes to undress – capable of dressing (9-12 months)

Personal Hygiene – plays in water, drinks from washcloth (15-18 months)

Eating Skills – eats regular food, needs encouragement to set things down (24-30 months)
As you can see, she has skills that reach as high as 24-30 months, but when you look at her social
and emotional level – it really represents who she is. Emotionally she is down at a 0-3 or 3-6 month
level. She doesn’t interact with others. When you sit near her, she stands up and moves away. Her
interactions with others are to bite, scratch or pinch – but she can hug and sit on your lap. If you look
at how she plays with toys – it is mouthing them. This is also a very low way to interact with objects.
So if I use the five phases of educational treatment – I start by using offering and might at some point
get to imitation – but I am playing at the level of a 3-6 month old. I would use a lot of items that react
to mouthing, or that would react to a simple touch. The overall assessment tells you the tools you
can use, but the emotional level tells you the skills need to be integrated more.
The five phases of treatment is a tool you use to get a child to explore the world more. With a child
like I described, I would rarely get to stage 3. I would not expect to get to stage 4 or 5. She doesn’t
interact with others right now – I would not expect her to “share the work” or have “consequences”
yet. She needs to learn to “interact” and that can only come after imitating (which she does not do.)
It’s a complicated topic to try to answer by email. I hope this helps.
I would like to join you one day on the webinar. Please let me know how I can join in. I am not a tech
person – so I would need to get Kurt our director involved to figure out how to join in.
Thanks!
Patty Obrzut, M.S., O.T.R., Assistant Director
Penrickton Center for Blind Children
26530 Eureka Road, Taylor, MI 48180
(734) 946-7500
patty@penrickton.com
www.penrickton.com
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
6
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
0-3 Months
Responds or contacts by clutching adult’s finger,
clothes, hair
Smiles, kicks, and waves arms when seeing or hearing
familiar people
Sucks hands
Contacts or responds to contact by nodding, sucking,
grunting
Withdraws when he wants an entertainment to stop
Exercises to fixate
Can be calmed by being taken in the arms and cuddled
Enjoys looking at a mobile
Replies to language by listening intensively
Plays with fingers
Looks at fingers
Pushes objects hanging over his head and hands
Moves his legs, especially when naked
Pushes feet against objects that give resistance
Uses Little Room to have the opportunity to decide when
and for how long he wants to be active
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
7
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
3-6 Months
Can call parents by crying, also when nothing wrong
Enjoys having adult play with him, e.g. peek-a-boo
Interlaces fingers
Contacts or responds to contact by babbling
Cries when the adult is out of sight
Bends and stretches fingers. Watches the result.
Shows anxiety to unfamiliar rooms, persons or toys
Watches his hands while turning them around
Looks from hand to hand
Experiments with hand and finger movements
Experiments with head movements while in prone
Scratches on all surfaces within reach
Pushes objects placed within his reach
Reaches for objects
Grasps/releases objects hanging over head/hands
Uses right hand to pick up object lying to left of head
Uses left hand to pick up object lying to right of head
Uses cycling movements over the stomach
Grasps own feet
Sucks objects
Uses the mouth to investigate the surface of objects
Performs movement of shaking a rattle with all objects
Bangs on objects and surfaces with clenched hand
Establishes a memory by repeating all actions
Uses Little Room for opportunities repeating actions
Kicks rhythmically in certain pattern
Repeats same activity after a pause 1-2 seconds
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
8
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
6-9 Months
Contacts or responds to contact by pressing himself
against the adult
Tries to catch the adult’s attention
Experiments with various ways of grasping
Touches the adult’s face
Contacts adults
Moves objects from hand to hand
Puts a finger in the adult’s eyes and mouth
Stretches hands towards the adult to be picked up
Rubs object against the gums
Likes to be moved from the arms of one familiar person
to another
Bangs on objects with flat hand
Imitates the adult’s movements, e.g., reaches hand
towards the switch just after the adult has switched on
the light
Rolls around on the floor
Seeing mom and dad after their return causes great joy
Grasps and releases objects while sitting
Compares various banging activities
Exercises to sit up and lie down
Crawls to the objects rolled outside of his reach
Shows joy when recognizing familiar voices
Exercises babbling
Uses Little Room to promote fine motor activities
Experiments with changing the shape of material that can
be changed
Experiments with making sounds with the mouth
Jumps up and down while being held on lap of an adult
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
9
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
9-12 Months
Contacts or responds to contact by pointing to the adult
using a toy, as if showing
Tries to get the adult to play with him
Uses an object to bang on surfaces and other objects
Wants to share his interests with the adult
Can become anxious if the trusted provider is not
present
Repeatedly turns small objects around
Refuses contact with persons he does not feel
attached to
Comprehends several of the mother’s facial
expressions
Experiments with placing objects on certain spots
Puts his arms around the adults to whom he feels
attached
Comprehends several of the ways in which the
mother uses her voice
Plays hiding-games with objects
Wants to drink from the adult’s cup
Separates things that are easy to separate
Experiments with vocal sounds
Pulls himself into standing position by means of furniture
Pushes objects forwards and backwards
Breaks down towers built by adults
Puts toys into a toy box
Becomes aware of quantity by separating objects tied together
Repeatedly overturns big, light objects
Uses Little Room to understand position of objects
Uses a Position Board to learn relations between objects
Plays consciously “not now but now”, e.g. pushing over towers
Handles large objects, boxes, buckets or similar things
Plays sound-games with teeth
Plays hand-to-foot games
Empties boxes with toys
Places one+ things right next to him while throwing other
objects
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
10
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
12-15 Months
Establishes brief contact with the adult to confirm that
their relationship exists independently of other activities
Shows interest in other learners
Repeatedly overturns big, heavy objects
Draws forwards and backwards
Wants to feed the adult
Imitates the adult’s activity
Discovers the concept of quantity: few/many
Laughs and babbles in interaction with the adult
Waves to say good-bye
Experiments with putting 2-3 objects in one hand
Shows that he considers himself as the center of the
family
Wants to share his experiences with the adult
Puts objects into containers
Plays pouring games
Enjoys adult-learner games such as clapping of hands
and playing with lips
Compares banging games
Understands that familiar people are the same
irrespective of their state of mind
Experiments with new ways of performing familiar
activities
Covers a small object with a bigger one
Crawls up and down on a sofa or big chair
Walks sideways along a sofa or coffee table
Walks repeatedly up/down staircase with 1-3 steps
Takes down towers piece by piece
Plays with water
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
11
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
15-18 Months
Invites the adult to participate in give-and-take games
Moves close to another learner, observes intensively
Makes circular movements when drawing
Repeats separating the same toy many times
Enjoys participating in games such as ride a
rockinghorse, and see-saw
Becomes worried when another learner cries
Tests activities that are allowed and disallowed
Approaches an adult with a welcoming attitude
Tries to put things together, wants help if unsuccessful
Crawls under furniture
Crawls over low obstacles
Demonstrates a strong attachment to one or a few
objects
Exercises walking, wants to walk almost throughout the
day
Often has a need for physical contact, wants to be
carried and to sit on lap
Plays give-and-take with the adults
Builds dens indoors
Uses the Little Room for playing den games
Draws online on each piece of paper
Looks at pictures in picture books
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
12
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
18-24 Months
Suggests that the adult may borrow his most precious
toy
Observes other learner’s play intensely
Can react intensely to changes in the daily routine
Reacts spontaneously to own name
Plays with drawers
Throws a tantrum when his will is crossed
Helps the adult with tidying up of the toys
Plays with containers and lids
Presents strong feelings of ownership: “my mother”,
“my toy”, “my seat”
Protests if his activity is disrupted
Pushes heavy objects, e.g. chairs
Plays language games with the adult: rhymes and
jingles
Demonstrates his own will in the presence of the adult
Places oblong blocks upright
Separates Lego blocks
Pulls heavy objects, e.g. toy cart
Moves toys from one room to another one
Tries to run
Jumps on soft mats
Falls on purpose, gets up without support
Exercises in pronouncing words
Uses Little Room to promote experimental activities
Drops geometrical blocks in the respective holes in a box
Plays with simple puzzles
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
13
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
24-30 Months
Contacts by hiding himself, followed by reappearing
with a shocked attitude
Steals the toy another learner is playing with
Places blocks next to each other in a long row
Invites the adult to fight for fun
Tries to have his will while playing with another learner
Draws several lines on on piece of paper
Demonstrates his will in the presence of other children
by claiming ownership regarding his toy
Presents his abilities to the adult
Plays with doors
Is ready to await his turn while playing turn-taking with
an adult
Helps with wiping the table
Strings big beads
Appreciates help with, e.g. dressing and undressing
Undresses many times daily
Stamps feet in pools to splash water
Experiments with running fast
Experiments with jumping down from, e.g. step of stairs
Has a strong need for physical contact, wants to hold
hands while taking a walk
Places big blocks on top of each other
Is able to engage in contact with only one adult at a
time
Puts Lego blocks on a Lego board
Experiments with quantity: fills in mugs, plastic bottles and
other containers with sand
Experiments with pronouncing difficult or long words
Uses Little Room for playing den games with another
child
Walks repeatedly up/down a staircase with many steps
Plays a mouth organ
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
14
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
30-36 Months
Uses the language more often in contacting others
Plays parallel to other learners
Plays role games like being the dad/mom of baby
Has difficulty in accepting criticism
Becomes easily annoyed with other learners
Snips with scissors in a piece of thing cardboard
Has difficulty in choosing between yes/no,
coming/going, milk/juice, etc.
Is protective and caring towards babies
Draws schematic drawings: houses, humans, animals
Can be quite rigid. Changes result in a demonstration
of anger, passivity or withdrawal
Demonstrates politeness: Says, “Thank you.”
Experiments with water, sand, clay and painting
Uses hammer for hammering nails into piece of wood
Asks “what is that?” many times daily
Climbs on to climbing apparatus
Swings on a swing
Plays seesaw with another learner
Counts “1,2, many” while handling objects
36-42 Months
Contacts by standing next to the adult and leaning
against him
Interacts with other learners
Cuts out pictures using scissors
Shows great independence, often thinks he can do
more than he is able to
Demonstrates shyness in company of strangers (adults)
Can become very despaired when he has to receive
help from the adult
Is able to play with another learner for approximately half
an hour
Rides a tricycle
Direct physical contact is most often replaced by
conversation
Invites the adult to play rough-and-tumble
Jumps on one leg
Wants to help the adult with preparing of food or
washing of car
Builds dens outdoors
Has a favorite playmate
Counts, “1,2, 4, 6” while handling objects
Plays jumping games
Takes walks alone (can easily lose way)
Experiments with using tools e.g. saw, screwdriver
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
Experiments with high speed
Plays with clay
15
Emotional Perception
Social Perception
Perception thru Play/Activity
42-48 Months
Is eager to help an adult
Uses the adult as a living dictionary. Asks, “What is
that?”
Experiments with various ways of building a den
Can give away one of his toys to another learner
Plays role-plays with other learners
Wants to experiment with locking/unlocking doors
Is ready to await his turn in a group of learners
Helps with laying the table
Plays constructively with Lego blocks
Strives to be independent of the adult
Behaves as the one who is responsible for, e.g. cooking
Plays with dolls/model cars
Is unwilling to accept adult’s interference in any of his
activities
Can separate from the parents without crying
Digs holes in the garden or sandbox
Can use language to express both dissatisfaction and
joy
Visits the neighbor
Leads water through previously dug canals
Repeats activities that cause adult to laugh
Finds objects when requested
Plays ball with an adult
Is able to choose between not more than two
suggestions
Wants to help with dishing up
Plays role games together with other learners
Wants to participate in preparing the meals
Wants to participate in doing the domestic work
Clears the table
Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Outreach Programs
Figure 1 TSBVI logo
Figure 2 Dept. of Education (OSEP) IDEAs that Work logo and disclaimer.
Active Learning Study Group 11.16.12 – Kate Hurst Notes
16