Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Eliya Centers for blind and visually impaired babies and young children place great emphasis on encouraging the children to become independent and to gain confidence in their ability to achieve self-sufficiency. This will improve the children’s future capabilities to cope with their surroundings as they grow older. Therapeutic intervention and guidance are critical and of particular value when provided from the first year in the life a child with blindness or impaired vision.
It is important that the play areas, just as the educational and therapeutic open spaces, be designed to support children with impaired vision or blindness. We encourage the children to be curious and inquisitive and to participate in everyday life, and in this way we motivate them to become more competent and to develop new skills. With time the children grow and develop, as do both their needs and their capabilities. Therefore, we are continuously changing and adapting the aims of the games and activities to the developmental needs of each child.
“Eliya” and”Migdal Or” have published an article recommending games suited for babies and children with impaired vision or blindness. The article details the special needs that these games cater for, explaining how they benefit the child’s development and how parents can help their children to gain the most advantage and enjoyment from the games.
The full article and recommended games can be downloaded from http://eliya.org.il/wp-
Puzzles and fitted shape games are examples of games that can be adapted for children with visual impairment or blindness. It is important to choose puzzles with suitable colors and sizes, clearly defined edges, and pieces that can be easily held in the child’s hands. The puzzle pieces can be spread out over a large section of the room to encourage the child to search the floor space over a wider area.
