Popular Child Development Articles

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263 votes
Make Your Own Sensory Play Area
What if you could design your own play area that would stimulate your blind baby's senses and make them feel safe and willing to explore at the same time?
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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235 votes
Help! I Need a Sleep Plan for my Baby!

I know how you feel. I've been there. You've tried everything and you're at the end of your rope.

You're baby just won...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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230 votes
What is Aquatic Therapy?
Aquatherapy, also known as water therapy or aquatic therapy, is a great way to increase body awareness and muscle strength and coordination in children with developmental delays.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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225 votes
A Visit to Audiology
We visit an audiologist to check our son's hearing. What will the audiologist do?
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220 votes
Help! My Baby Won't Sleep!

Remember when you used to lay down, close your eyes, and just sleep? Remember when Saturdays meant you could sleep in? Remember...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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219 votes
Planning the Day with Object Calendars
Using an object calendar or calendar box can help blind children transition from one activity to the next and organize their day. We'll show you how to make your own calendar using tactile symbols and how to use it effectively.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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217 votes
Make Your Own Can Puzzle!

Learning to sort shapes and drop blocks into their corresponding holes is a skill that most children work on during their toddler years...
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213 votes
Is My Blind Child Autistic? One Parent's Experience

by Mary McDonach

[Editor's Note:] As we've worked over the years to find an accurate...
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202 votes
Plays Well with Others
It can be difficult for blind children to be around other kids. Sometimes children and babies with vision impairments can be very upset around other children. We'll give you tips to help your child overcome this problem!
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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201 votes
Show, Tell and Reach!
Susan Shier Lowry, an Orientation and Mobility specialist, writes about how you can encourage your child to reach out for objects and how reaching can help develop orientation skills needed for crawling and walking.
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183 votes
Development Charts for Blind & Visually Impaired Babies & Children

Watching your child grow and fall behind traditional development charts can be difficult. You understand that it's normal for blind...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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176 votes
Learning in the Kitchen
Getting your blind child in the kitchen is a wonderful way to teach them life skills. They can learn so much from simply baking a batch of cookies - plus they get to eat the end results!
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175 votes
Sign Language for Blind Babies
Can sign language work for blind babies? Signs are made to be very visual, can blind babies really pick them up? We're here to tell you first hand, YES! We'll tell you why you should teach your baby signs and give you some tips to make the lessons fun and easy.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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130 votes
Activities of Daily Living: Teaching Blind Children Everyday Organizational & Living Skills

by Karen and Jay Stiteley

Karen and Jay presented this information at the...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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102 votes
Make Your Own Mini Play Area!
If you don't have the space or money to invest in a large sensory play area for your blind baby we've got the solution for you!
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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98 votes
Make Your Own Cake!
Get your child in the kitchen and have them help you bake their own cake!
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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98 votes
Orientation & Mobility for Babies
How to begin orientation and mobility (O&M) training for your blind infant - before they're even crawling!
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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94 votes
You Can Say That Again! Echolalia in Visually Impaired Children

by Mary McDonach

The word Echolalia derives from the ancient Greek myth about...
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93 votes
Everyday Activities for Blind Children
Simple ways to introduce your blind or disabled child to everyday activities and experiences. Teach your child about how the world works and the things people do every day.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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90 votes
The Reach Out and Teach Parent Handbook & Reachbook
We'll review the Reach Out and Teach books and explain why they are a must read for parents of blind and multiply disabled children.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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88 votes
That's Wet! Teaching your blind child about water and other wet things

When I take my son Ivan on his daily morning walk we always follow the same route around the house and out into the yard. Since I'm...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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86 votes
Vestibular Stimulation
Many children with visual impairments seek out physically stimulating activities, like swinging or rocking. Here are ways you can help channel that energy.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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86 votes
Developmental Guidelines for Infants with Visual Impairment
We'll review the book Developmental Guidelines for Infants with Visual Impairment and explain why it's a must read for parents of young blind children and blind babies.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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85 votes
Picking Up Puffs
We'll give you tips and ideas on how to set goals and teach your blind baby how to finger feed.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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84 votes
The Drive-Thru Carwash, What's Not To Like? Making the case for Occupational Therapy

by The OT Mom...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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80 votes
Let's Play! Let's Work!
As the parent of a visually impaired child, I'm sure you worry about your baby's development, both physically and cognitively. But how can you be sure that you're doing all that you can?
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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79 votes
Let's Work Together!
We'll show you how to help therapists and doctors better adapt to working with your blind or visually impaired child.
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73 votes
Developing Effective Listening Skills
Learning to listen carefully and distinguish between different sounds is an important skill for any child, but espeically for children with visual impairments. Lesley Potgieter explains how to assess your child's listening ability and how to help them improve this skill.
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72 votes
Word Games
Word games are a fun way to encourage your blind child to think about language and sounds. Here are some ways you can use simple games to help your child with phonics and Braille awareness.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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71 votes
In, On, and Under
Basic prepositional concepts like in, on, under, behind, etc. can be very difficult for blind children to master. We'll share our ideas to help you teach these concepts.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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71 votes
Teaching the Whole Concept: Learning about where our food comes from

Learning whole concepts can be difficult and take some time for children with vision impairments.

Rather than trying to...
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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56 votes
Getting a Special Needs Bed Through Insurance
Does your child need a special bed in order to be safe at night? Do you need help requesting a bed through your insurance? Here's some advice on how to get your insurance to cover a safety bed for your child.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
- - 3 comments
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34 votes
Teaching Your Visually Impaired Child Sign Language
Jennie, from the Micro/Anophthalmia Parent Support group, writes about how she taught her son, Max, to sign. Max is totally blind and does have a few verbal words, but using signs to augment his early communication has really improved his language skills.
- shared by Amber Bobnar
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1 votes
What is an EEG Really Like?
If your child's neurologist has ordered an EEG you may be wondering what the test will be like and whether or not it will be painful or traumatic for your child. You probably also want to know what sort of information the EEG will be able to tell you. We'll try to answer some of your questions about EEGs here
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