Development
Learn how to support your baby as they grow and develop through milestones, including gross motor and fine motor development as well as communication skills.
Filter by: Communication, Crawling, Fine and Gross Motor, Orientation and Mobility
Crawling, Toys
Crawligator Tummy Time Support
The Crawligator is a safe and fun way to promote tummy time by supporting crawling mobility and helping develop gross motor skills.
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Southeastern Guide Dogs
Southeastern Guide Dogs places skilled companion dogs with children with vision loss and guide dogs with teens as young as fifteen.
Crawling, Product Reviews
Best Crawling Toys for Babies in 2023
The best crawling toys for babies not only serve as encouragement for crawling, but also provide entertainment and opportunities for exploration.
Crawling
How To Encourage Crawling: 10 Creative Tips for Your Baby
Tummy time is one of the greatest forms of encouragement you can give to your baby as she learns how to crawl. Now learn what the other nine are.
Communication, Potty Training
How to Use Sign Language for Potty Training
Sign language can be helpful for potty training young children who are pre-verbal, kids with special needs, or for multilingual families.
Fine and Gross Motor, Toys
6 DIY Toys to Encourage Fine Motor Development
I talked to an OT about some of the home-made toys she creates for her students to help them learn fine motor skills. Here are six of my favorites!
Development, Visual Impairment
Helping Your Blind Baby Develop Through Play
As the parent of a visually impaired child, I'm sure you worry about your baby's development, both physically and cognitively. How can you be sure that you're doing all that...
Fine and Gross Motor, Sensory Activities
The Learning Blanket: Tactile Activity Blankets & Pillows for Visually Impaired Kids
The Learning Blanket creates interactive blankets and pillows for kids who are blind, each containing visual, sensory, tactile and educational activities.
Crawling, Visual Impairment
Crawling & Climbing for Blind Babies
Crawling and climbing are two very important developmental milestones for babies and children who are blind. Some babies may skip these steps or reach them later than their typically developing...
Fine and Gross Motor
Recycling OT Videos
Barbara Smith shares videos with ideas for making interesting games and toys out of basic materials that will encourage fine motor skills.
Communication, Visual Impairment
Teaching Your Visually Impaired Child Sign Language
Jennie 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...
Communication, Visual Impairment
Helping your blind child develop 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...
Assistive Technology, Communication
Switch Play: Using a switch for communication and play!
For children who are non-verbal or have low motor coordination, switches can be a great way to augment their play. If you're just getting started with a switch you may...
Communication, Visual Impairment
You Can Say That Again! Echolalia in Visually Impaired Children
Learn why children who are visually impaired repeat back what they hear, and how parents can help minimize repetition in a constructive way.
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Guide Dogs of America
Guide Dogs of America is dedicated to its mission to provide guide dogs and instruction in their use, free of charge, to blind and visually impaired men and women
Communication, iPad Apps and Accessibility
Adapting Signs App for Children with Vision Impairment
This app gives tips on how to adapt signs for blind children including videos and written information. It also allows you to create your own dictionary of signs.
Orientation and Mobility
ZipZac Mobility Chairs
The ZipZac 1 & 2® are great mobility chairs for kids who need assistance. The chair was originally developed for a young boy with spina bifida who could move his...
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Hand Use While Walking: Helping Your Child Who is Blind Understand His Home
Certified Orientation and Mobility instructor Susan Shier Lowry gives tips on how to encourage young blind children to reach out and touch while walking through familiar environments. Trailing techniques are...
Orientation and Mobility, Visual Impairment
Anticipators for Young Children with Visual Impairments: Push Toys, Pre-Canes and Long Canes
Early Orientation and Mobility skills for blind children can be taught with pre-canes or push toys. Learn how to choose the best tools and when to introduce them.
Fine and Gross Motor, Sensory Activities
Hold Everything: “Stay-Put” Play Spaces for Infants and Young Children with Sensory Impairments and Other Special Needs
This guide provides you with DIY Stay-Put play spaces for infants and developmentally young children with sensory impairments and other special needs.
Assistive Technology, Orientation and Mobility
Smart Cane Recognizes Faces
The XploR cane uses smartphone technology to send vibrations to the user when it detects a familiar face.
Feeding and Eating, Fine and Gross Motor, Product Reviews
EazyHold: Grip Assist Strap
EazyHold is a simple grip assist strap that easily attaches to objects enabling kids with limited grip strength to accomplish daily living skills.
Fine and Gross Motor
Headpod keeps your head up!
Headpod keeps your head up! Revolutionary dynamic patented head support system for inadequate head control due to hypotonia of the neck muscles.
Orientation and Mobility
Learning to Navigate through Echolocation
Daniel Kish demonstrates his controversial echolocation technique that allows those who are blind to navigate using sonar in this TedX talk.