Through Your Child S Eyes

Through your Child’s Eyes

Simulation Activities

During the simulation activities, the participants will be divided into small groups. Each group will rotate through different simulation activities. Suggested simulation activities are:

·  This Object Is . . . (aka: Objects in a Bag feel)

·  More Information Please (aka: Right Way vs. Wrong Way)

·  I’m Adapting (aka: The Shirts)

·  Listen Up (aka: What’s that Sound)

·  Assembly Line Activity

·  The Communication Game

Any simulation can be adapted to meet the unique needs and styles of the participants. For example, many TYCE teams have done an Assembly Line activity in lieu of one of the standard simulations. Another simulation sometimes done is The Communication Game, where the small group are paired up into teams of two and given a chance to give/receive directions on building something using no formal communication.

Participants will complete the activities under total occluders or sleep shades. One facilitator is needed for most of the activities; however, “More Information Please” generally works better if two people are helping with the simulation. These activities are designed to help the participants think about the obstacles their child faces and how adaptations in materials and instructional strategies can help the child be successful. Other simulation activities may be included if you like. These simulations may be modified. These are only four possible activities that may be used to help parents really “get” what it means to experience the world with a visual impairment. You may have other simulation activities that would work equally well.

There will probably be a need for some of the local professionals to help with these activities. You may want to share this information with them prior to the workshop so they can be prepared to help or lead a simulation activity.

Information about each simulation is included in these next pages.

This Object Is . . .

OBJECTIVES OF THIS ACTIVITY

·  Participants will practice describing objects in terms of size, shape, texture, and function.

·  Participants will use senses other than sight to explore and identify objects.

·  Participants will experience having things described to them rather than being allowed to explore the objects using their other available senses.

WHO

·  A group of 3-10 individuals

·  A facilitator

MATERIALS

·  Bag or box for objects

·  Variety of small, interesting objects such as kitchen and bath scrubbers and sponges, plastic, foam, and rubber balls, wax candles, rock, rubber stamp, wallet, watch, metal ornament or spoon, finger-cuffs, calculator, cookie cutter, teething ring, pet’s chew toy, a barrette or earring, etc.

·  Total Occluders or blindfolds

RULES

1.  The facilitator asks all the players to put on their blindfolds or total simulators after taking a seat in one of the chairs that have been arranged in a circle.

2.  The facilitator reviews the rules of the game with the players.

·  First person takes an object from the bag and after examining it describes it to the other players using only words that tell of the shape, size, texture, taste, smell, or function. They may not call the object by name or give the name away when sharing information about its function. For example, an eggbeater could be describe as something for “mixing” or “beating” but not necessarily “something for beating eggs.”

·  The player to his right guesses what the object is. If he is correct the object is passed around the circle so that the other players can experience it. The player who guessed correctly gets to select an object and describe it.

·  If he is wrong the object is passed to him and he tries to describe it better, again using only words that tell about shape, size, texture, taste, smell, or function.

·  The player to his right then makes a guess and if he is wrong the previous step is repeated. If correct he passes the object around and selects a new object to describe.

3.  After each object is guessed the facilitator asks the players about their experience.

POINTS TO ELICIT

·  The difficulty of describing an object vs. naming an object.

·  The desire to touch the objects instead of passively waiting to have the object described.

·  The fear of touching something in the bag that was in some way aversive.

·  How labels don’t convey meaning to a visually impaired child unless they have the experience to go with it.

To illustrate this final point the facilitator asks the group to put on simulators and says the following words or similar nonsense words as if he is describing an object.

“I am holding an object that is a bogola shape with ringy-dingy on the top and bottom. It is zoopa in the middle and you use it to meddorap.”

Of course, the players will have a good laugh and the facilitator can say that all the descriptive terms we use are just as meaningless to a child who does not have the experience of the features these words describe. Concepts must be systematically taught.

More Information Please

OBJECTIVES OF THIS ACTIVITY

·  Participants will experience mild anxiety as a result of having things done to them that they cannot anticipate occurring through their vision or have control over.

·  Participants will learn that providing information about what is about to happen, before it happens to them, decreases this anxiety somewhat.

·  Participants will learn that having opportunities to control what happens to them through choice making further reduces anxiety.

WHO

·  2-10 players

·  1 facilitator

MATERIALS

·  Things that have interesting or slightly aversive smells, such as aromatherapy oils, spices, foods, etc.

·  Things that have interesting or slightly aversive textures such as a feather duster, sandpaper, massager, hair gel, glue-stick, lotion, baby powder, petroleum jelly.

·  Things that have different tastes and textures such as tic tacs, potato chips, raisins, hard candy, etc.

·  Occluders

Warning: It is important to ask, before beginning this activity, if anyone has food- or other allergies to determine which materials are safe to use with them.

RULES

1.  The players are seated in a circle and told to put on blindfolds or total occluders. (Note: It is better to have the materials to be tasted, touched, or smelled in boxes or behind a barrier so the participants do not know what they will be experiencing before they put on their blindfolds.)

2.  The facilitator begins by randomly subjecting the participants to strong smells, textures, and tastes without providing any information about what will be happening to them. This includes passing smells under their noses; touching their faces, necks, or arms with a feather duster, glue stick, lotion; putting a tic tac, cracker, or other food in their mouths.

3.  When this phase of the activity has been completed the participants are asked how this experience made them feel.

POINTS TO ELICIT

·  When things happen to you without warning or without your permission it is stressful and sometimes even frightening and you may respond in an extreme way.

·  Things that you might normally like or can tolerate become aversive if you are not expecting them.

4.  The facilitator then has them replace their blindfolds or occluders and repeats the activity. This time however, he should provide some information about what is going to happen each time before putting something in their mouth, or placing something under their nose or touching them with something. The facilitator may also want to proceed around the circle in some order.

5.  Again the facilitator discusses how the experience made them feel.

POINTS TO ELICIT

·  Explaining what will happen (even just using a signal) before the event takes place helps reduce anxiety.

·  Having things occur in some predictable order reduces anxiety and lets you be more receptive to the experience. People learn best in a calm alert state.

6.  The facilitator repeats the activity one more time. This time asking permission and giving information before subjecting the player to any of the sensory experiences. Offer the participants choices about what they can do. Let them explore the objects in a way that they have control over the experience. For example, let them hold the bottle of lotion and pour it into their own hand.

7.  For the final time the facilitator discusses with the group how they felt.

POINTS TO ELICIT

·  Allowing the child to hold the object before experiencing it or to coactively control the object reduces anxiety.

·  Letting the child make choices about his participation in the activity or in the materials used in the activity provide for maximum participation/ learning and minimum stress for the child.

·  Trust is key to learning with a child that is visually impaired or deafblind.

·  A slower pace works better.

8.  If time allows have them share ideas for how they might change the way they perform normal care-giving activities as a result of this experience.

I’m Adapting

OBJECTIVES OF THIS ACTIVITY

·  Participants will learn that simple adaptations in the materials used within activities help make them accessible to children with visual impairments or deafblindness.

·  Participants will learn that organization and a systematic approach helps children complete tasks easier.

·  Participants will learn that many concepts can be taught through everyday routines and that concept development must be addressed through real-life experiences.

WHO

·  2- 10 players

·  1 facilitator

MATERIALS

·  Large shirts that button top to bottom.

·  Occluders that simulate their child’s vision loss or blindfolds.

RULES

1.  After the blindfolds are secured, the other partner is given a shirt. Some of the shirts will be partially buttoned, some will be completely unbuttoned, some will be inside-out, some will be completely buttoned, and some may be tied in a knot.

2.  The facilitator tells the group that often children with visual impairments and deafblindness are expected to complete an activity without being given good instructions. Then he/she gives each participant a shirt and physically prompts him/her to put the shirt on. (Don’t make an effort to give clear instructions and don’t use your voice. Just be insistent that you want them to do something.)

3.  It is important to wait the participants out without giving any more directions or information. If they cannot figure out that they should put the shirt on and button it up, after a time you may tell them to do so.

4.  The facilitator then leads the group in discussing the experience.

POINTS TO ELICIT

·  It is important to organize and adapt activities to fit the child’s individual needs and abilities.

·  Most any activity can be adapted so that any child can participate at least partially. Children can benefit greatly in having even partial participation in activities. You can use special labels or markers to help the child know about matching clothing. You can teach the child to find the label in the collar to orient the shirt. You can signal the child to hold out his arm for you to put the shirt on it, and so forth.

·  Even putting on a shirt can be a great way to teach concepts like: shirt, collar, sleeve, button, on, off, top, bottom, inside, outside, label, body parts, in, out, boy’s, girl’s, etc.

·  Children may be familiar with the word shirt, but do they know that shirts can have long, short, or no sleeves, be button-up or pull-over or both, can be cotton, silk, knit, can be big or little, can be for a man or a woman or a child, etc.? What makes a shirt a shirt and not a jacket or a dress?

·  Doing things for yourself, such as putting on your shirt, may take longer if you don’t have good vision. Allow the child more time to do the task and consider starting with just a piece of the task (putting in your arm, buttoning two buttons, and so forth) until the child masters each component.

Listen Up

OBJECTIVES FOR THE ACTIVITY

·  Participants will experience how the world is different when you use only your hearing to identify things in your environment.

·  Participants will recognize the importance and limitations of their auditory sense in providing information about the world around them.

·  Participants will recognize the differences in their bodies related to posture when they are trying to use their hearing without their sight.

WHO

·  2-10 players

·  1 facilitator

MATERIALS

·  “Listen Up” DVD or other DVD highlighting sounds commonly heard in both indoor and outdoor environments. You may request this tape from TSBVI or simply videotape a visually impaired person taking a walk around his/her house or neighborhood.

·  Total occluders or blindfolds

RULES

1.  After every one is seated the facilitator has them put on their occluders or blindfolds. He explains that they are going to listen to a tape of sounds they might hear both inside and outside. Whenever they hear a sound they should shout out what they think they are hearing.