Articles
Special education and development guides from our experts
Learning Braille Letters with the Multisensory Method
The moment a blind child feels letters for the first time with their fingertips and begins to read the world through those tiny dots is an unforgettable milestone for both the child and their family. However, the initial literacy process for individuals with visual impairments requires a far more nuanced, intricate, and systematic approach than sighted children learning letters by seeing them on a board.
Protection from Invisible Hazards: Kitchen Skills and Safety in Daily Life
Being able to make their own coffee or prepare a sandwich when hungry is a giant leap toward independent living for your adolescent or adult loved one (or child) with visual impairment. Yet concerns such as "What if they cut themselves?", "What if they leave the stove on?", or "What if boiling water spills on them?" often prevent families from taking that step and encouraging their loved one.
First Steps to Independence: Indoor Orientation and Protection Techniques
One of parents' greatest fears is their visually impaired child bumping into objects or getting hurt while moving around the home. Restricting your child's movement or constantly holding their hand out of this concern may protect them in the short term, but it undermines their independence in the long run. Instead, you need to teach your child to explore the world safely.
Literacy for Children with Low Vision: Font Size, Contrast, and Proper Lighting
Your child starting school and embarking on the journey of reading and writing is exciting, but it can also bring various concerns for families of children with residual vision (low vision). You may notice that your child struggles to distinguish letters, bends too close over books, or quickly tires their eyes and stops working.
Tactile Perception and Memory Games at Home for Your Child with Visual Impairment
For young children with visual impairments, the journey of exploring the world begins at their fingertips. Understanding what objects around them look like, communicating, and developing cognitively are all shaped entirely through the sense of touch. If you are curious about how your child with visual impairment makes sense of the world and are looking for ways to support their development at home, the concept of "tactile perception" will be your greatest ally.
An Invisible Barrier: How to Develop Phone Conversation Skills?
Your child is highly successful in face-to-face communication — thanks to their hearing aid or cochlear implant, they can have wonderful conversations by benefiting from lip-reading and gestures. But when it comes to answering a ringing phone, do they suddenly pull back, hand it over to you, or avoid speaking altogether?
Reading and Writing Process in Hearing Impairment: Interactive Book Reading
Is your child struggling to comprehend what they read or to focus on books? Discover interactive book reading strategies for literacy and early literacy skills in children with hearing impairment.
A New Door for Non-Verbal Children: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Can you see in your child's eyes that they want to tell you something, yet the words just won't come — leaving you unable to fully understand what they need? When children cannot express themselves when they are thirsty, cannot reach a favorite toy, or are in pain, the resulting tantrums, crying, and withdrawal can be an extremely exhausting process for parents.
My Child Can't Hear Me in Noisy Environments: Auditory Attention Exercises
You may have noticed that everything goes smoothly at home one-on-one with your child — they turn to look at you when you call and easily understand your instructions. However, if you find that your child seems unable to hear you in a crowded park, a noisy schoolyard, or a busy shopping center, this may not be a problem with their hearing device; it could be an "auditory attention" skill that needs to be developed.
After the Device: Hearing Training at Home and Sound Awareness
The first moment your child is introduced to a hearing aid or cochlear implant is undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable milestones of your life. While your child's first steps into the world of sound bring great excitement, the period following the fitting of the device can often be confusing for parents. You've fitted the device — so what happens now? How will your child make sense of this complex array of sounds they are hearing?
Visualizing Reading Comprehension: The Power of Graphic Organizers
Imagine your child reads a storybook from beginning to end without stumbling — fluently and wonderfully. But when the book is finished and you ask, "What happened in the story?" you receive no answer. If you have experienced moments like these, it can be quite confusing. In conditions such as dyslexia and intellectual disability, even when children succeed in decoding words mechanically, they may have great difficulty making sense of what they have read.
Learning to Play: Transitioning from Simple Play to Symbolic Play
It can be disheartening to watch your child throw or bang together the colorful, educational toy you excitedly purchased, rather than playing with it as intended. Many parents wonder why their child spins the wheels of a toy car instead of driving it, or throws a baby doll instead of putting it to sleep.