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In this paper we present a pilot evacuation plan of a school building for blind, visual impaired and deafblind students after an earthquake. The combination of sensory information perceived by multisensory cues (visual, auditory, tactile,... more
In this paper we present a pilot evacuation plan of a school building for blind, visual impaired and deafblind students after an earthquake. The combination of sensory information perceived by multisensory cues (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) placed in the school setting provide students with the necessary information to locate themselves and maintain orientation while moving.
The systematic framework of the presented pilot plan is focused on the attendance, perception and interpretation of sensory cues into spatial information; the school setting becomes more accessible, structured and predictable and the perceived multisensory inputs function as a means of orientation and way finding in a case of emergency. It is important to ensure that blind, mdvi and deafblind students are trained to evacuate safely the school building in case of an earthquake. Thus, permanent multisensory cues are located in the school setting, which heighten the students’ sensory awareness and may help to orientate themselves and determine their position in relation to the line path from their classroom to the gathering point outside the school building.
The systematic framework of the presented pilot plan is focused on the attendance, perception and interpretation of sensory cues into spatial information; the school setting becomes more accessible, structured and predictable and the perceived multisensory inputs function as a means of orientation and way finding in a case of emergency. It is important to ensure that blind, mdvi and deafblind students are trained to evacuate safely the school building in case of an earthquake. Thus, permanent multisensory cues are located in the school setting, which heighten the students’ sensory awareness and may help to orientate themselves and determine their position in relation to the line path from their classroom to the gathering point outside the school building.
This paper aims to present an overview of the Early Intervention Network (EIN), which operates in Greece. According to the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, Early Intervention is considered to be a design of... more
This paper aims to present an overview of the Early Intervention Network (EIN), which operates in Greece. According to the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, Early Intervention is considered to be a design of services aiming at addressing developmental needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities and support them in conjunction with their families. Usually, the type of these interventions are based on measures such as social, medical, psychological and/or educational and refer to children with disabilities or to children who are at-risk. The present overview of the Greek EIN is based on four main tenets: (a) The availability of services to the population in question, (b) the proximity of services to the population in question, (c) the total or partial funding of the population in question in order to use the services of the EIN, and (d) the function of interdisciplinary teams and/or interdisciplinary early intervention programs. It is expected that the results of the overview, based on the above analysis, will provide direct implications on the EIN improving the operation of existing services as well as meeting information needs of families who are involved in early intervention programs and improve their skills through well-organized interdisciplinary teams.
This project is based on team effort aiming for the systematic and effective teaching through the use of the physical environment focusing on the world of herbs. The participants embarked in the program, to highlight the use of senses.... more
This project is based on team effort aiming for the systematic and effective teaching through the use of the physical environment focusing on the world of herbs.
The participants embarked in the program, to highlight the use of senses. Namely, they are trying to use the sense of smell and taste additionally to the most instructional studies that have focused on auditory and tactile senses as the main sensory modality to receive information at the early stages of blindness.
Even though blind people mainly use the senses of hearing and touch to gather environmental information, the cognitive content of olfactory cues is of vital importance to them, in order to detect hazards in their daily life (e.g. smoke, spoilt food, etc.). Olfaction is very important in gathering information about the environment during mobility and recognizing objects and people. Moreover, the sense of smell has strong connections to memories.
Multimodal training studies, as the one we are presenting, are designed to adapt appropriate strategies of information processing and most of all to improve the quality of mental and cognitive representations. Thus, the child's level of cognitive functioning and his ability to establish meaningful concepts, depends, to a large extent, on his ability to receive and integrate sensory inputs from the world around.
The basic aim of this project is to develop and broaden the knowledge regarding herbs through a range of multimodal experiences relying on all senses (smell, touch, taste, hearing). Students are blind, partially sighted and deaf blind, from a Special Kindergarten and the first two grades of a Special School for the blind and deaf blind in Athens.
Through the usage of herbs by touching, smelling, planting and taking care of them, this specific group of children will learn to interact with the environment. Children will observe the herbs while growing and learn how to respect and protect the environment. They will also gain the ability to distinguish herbs between them (smell and haptic characteristics), collect information on the extended and various properties and uses which herbs have (medical, therapeutic, cooking).
The participants embarked in the program, to highlight the use of senses. Namely, they are trying to use the sense of smell and taste additionally to the most instructional studies that have focused on auditory and tactile senses as the main sensory modality to receive information at the early stages of blindness.
Even though blind people mainly use the senses of hearing and touch to gather environmental information, the cognitive content of olfactory cues is of vital importance to them, in order to detect hazards in their daily life (e.g. smoke, spoilt food, etc.). Olfaction is very important in gathering information about the environment during mobility and recognizing objects and people. Moreover, the sense of smell has strong connections to memories.
Multimodal training studies, as the one we are presenting, are designed to adapt appropriate strategies of information processing and most of all to improve the quality of mental and cognitive representations. Thus, the child's level of cognitive functioning and his ability to establish meaningful concepts, depends, to a large extent, on his ability to receive and integrate sensory inputs from the world around.
The basic aim of this project is to develop and broaden the knowledge regarding herbs through a range of multimodal experiences relying on all senses (smell, touch, taste, hearing). Students are blind, partially sighted and deaf blind, from a Special Kindergarten and the first two grades of a Special School for the blind and deaf blind in Athens.
Through the usage of herbs by touching, smelling, planting and taking care of them, this specific group of children will learn to interact with the environment. Children will observe the herbs while growing and learn how to respect and protect the environment. They will also gain the ability to distinguish herbs between them (smell and haptic characteristics), collect information on the extended and various properties and uses which herbs have (medical, therapeutic, cooking).
ABSTRUCT: Body language which is observed among typically developed individuals, people on the autism spectrum or with visual impairment, sometimes contrasts and sometimes not. For instance, eye pocking and rocking can be observed to... more
ABSTRUCT: Body language which is observed among typically developed individuals, people on the autism spectrum or with visual impairment, sometimes contrasts and sometimes not. For instance, eye pocking and rocking can be observed to children with visual impairment when they are stressed. The same behaviour can be observed to children on the autism spectrum, who are idle; but to a typically developed child who has anxiety, we can observe flipping objects. These can be characterized as inappropriate stereotypies that many specialists try to diminish. Positive reinforcement of positive behaviours or a functional modification of stereotyped behaviour can be mentioned as the best reaction, better than negative comments. Thus, it is important to understand each child's needs and intervene in an appropriate way at the right time. Furthermore, these behaviours are a kind of indication of how someone receives information from the world; which is his/ her preferred sensory channel. It is about behaviours that can be characterized as unacceptable and inappropriate due to social reasons, even if for someone is a way of relaxing and energizing; something such as " leisure activity ". In other words, are considered self-stimulation and may often become self-injurious. By changing our perceptions regarding stereotypies, may help us to interpret that kind of behaviour and get in contact with the person in a more efficient way. For this reason, the research is moving forward in identifying people's perceptions regarding their own stereotypies or these of others. Thus, the redefinition of designing a way of intervention might be easier.
Oštećenje vida, u sadejstvu sa socijalnim činiocima, može da dovede do teškoća u razvoju i uspori usvajanje svakodnevnih životnih veština. Roditelji dece sa oštećenjem vida zbog gubitka slike o " perfektnom " detetu, mogu da se suoče sa... more
Oštećenje vida, u sadejstvu sa socijalnim činiocima, može da dovede do teškoća u razvoju i uspori usvajanje svakodnevnih životnih veština. Roditelji dece sa oštećenjem vida zbog gubitka slike o " perfektnom " detetu, mogu da se suoče sa gubitkom samopouzdanja što se negativno odražava na kvalitet života porodice. Stoga program intervencije treba da bude fokusiran na porodicu, porodične brige i prioritete. Uključivanju u proces rane intervencije treba da prethodi procena razvoja deteta i potreba porodice. Cilj rada je utrvđivanje elemenata kvaliteta života povezanog sa oštećenjem vida kod dece uzrasta od tri do sedam godina. U istraživanju je korišćen Upitnik za procenu vizuelnog funkcionisanja, verzija za decu od tri do sedam godina (Children's Visual Function Questionnaire, CVFQ). Sadrži pitanja koja se odnose na vid i zdravlje deteta, uticaj stanja vida na aktivnosti deteta, reakcije roditelja na teškoće povezane sa vizuelnim i socijalnim funkcionisanjem deteta. Pitanja su podeljena u četiri subtesta: sposobnosti deteta, lične karakteristike deteta, uticaj oštećenja vida na porodicu i teškoće u tretmanu. Upitnik je popunilo 46 roditelja (29 majki i 17 očeva) dece sa oštećenjem vida, uzrasta od tri do sedam godina. Većina dece je imala blaži stepen oštećenja vida (28; 60,9%), desetoro je slabovido (21,7%) i osmoro slepo (17,4%). U obradi dobijenih podataka korišćene su deskriptivne statističke mere: aritmetička sredina, standardna devijacija, minimalne i maksimalne vrednosti. Značajnost razlika u postignućima na primenjenom upitniku, ispitana je primenom analize varijanse (ANOVA). Utvrđeno je da uzrast, uzrok i stepen oštećenja vida ne utiču značajno na kvalitet života ove dece i njihovih roditelja. Vreme nastanka oštećenja vida utiče na kvalitet života i obavljanje svakodnevnih aktivnosti (p=0,027), kao i prisusutvo višestrukih smetnji (p=0,017). Nezaposlene majke, u odnosu na majke koje su u radnom odnosu značajno bolje procenjuju vizuelno funkcionisanje svoje dece (p=0,012). Ključne reči: vizuelno funckionisanje, kvalitet života, porodica, dete sa oštećenjem vida
Visual impairment, along with social factors, can lead to developmental difficulties and can slow down the acquisition of daily life skills. Due to loosing the picture of " a perfect child " , parents of children with visual impairment... more
Visual impairment, along with social factors, can lead to developmental difficulties and can slow down the acquisition of daily life skills. Due to loosing the picture of " a perfect child " , parents of children with visual impairment may lose self-confidence, which has a negative impact on the quality of family life. Thus, an intervention program should be focused on the family, family concerns and priorities. The process of early intervention should be preceded by the evaluation of the child's development and family needs. The aim of this paper was to determine the quality of life associated with visual impairment in children from three to seven years of age. Children's Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ) was used in this research. The questionnaire included questions related to the child's vision and health, the influence of visual state on the child's activities, parent's reactions to difficulties related to the child's visual and social functioning. The questions were divided into four subtests: Competence, Personality, Family Impact and Treatment Difficulty. The questionnaire was completed by 46 parents (29 mothers and 17 fathers) of children with visual impairment from three to seven years of age. Most children had a mild form of visual impairment (28; 60.9%), ten had low vision (21.7%), and eight were blind (17.4%). Descriptive statistical used in data processing were the following: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum score. The significance of differences in achievements on the applied questionnaire was tested by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). It was determined that age, causes of visual impairment, and the degree of the impairment did not have a significant influence on the quality of life of these children and their parents. Time of onset of visual impairment had an impact on the quality of life and performing daily activities (p=0.027), as well as the presence of multiple disabilities (p=0.017). Unemployed mothers, compared to employed ones, significantly better evaluated visual functioning of their children (p=0.012).
Children with profound vision impairments and children on the autism spectrum can present repetitive behaviours; meaning the restricted repetitive patterns of movements, such as hand-flapping, body rocking, spinning objects, sniffing as... more
Children with profound vision impairments and children on the autism spectrum can present repetitive behaviours; meaning the restricted repetitive patterns of movements, such as hand-flapping, body rocking, spinning objects, sniffing as well as repetitive vocalizations of speech (echolalia) which do not appear to have a clear functional purpose. This kind of behaviours could be labeled as physical behaviours, distinguished by their lack of developmental and social appropriateness. Thus, the investigation is about the attitudes of both the caregivers (referring to parents and legal guardians in the case of adopted children) and the professionals who are working with children with profound vision impairments and children on the autism spectrum, regarding the repetitive behaviours they indicate. The research study examines the similarities in the repetitive behaviours in these two groups of children as well as the common elements in the attitudes and reactions of caregivers and professionals towards such behaviours. A qualitative study methodology is being followed and more specifically comparative case studies. Semi-structured interviews and a research diary are being used as data collection methods. The comparative investigation between caregivers' and professionals' reports will enable identifying similarities (and differences) between these groups of people, in terms of their attitudes to children with visual impairments and children on the autism spectrum. In either case, the goal is to give the community a different perspective regarding repetitive behaviours, beyond traditional views of " stereotypies " and " mannerisms " by focusing on adults' perceptions, reactions and attitudes. Keywords: repetitive behaviours ⸱ profound vision impairments ⸱ autism spectrum disorder ⸱ attitudes ⸱ perceptions
In this paper we present a plan for evacuation of a school building after an earthquake. The combination of sensory information perceived by multisensory cues (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) placed in the school environment provide... more
In this paper we present a plan for evacuation of a school building after an earthquake. The combination of sensory information perceived by multisensory cues (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) placed in the school environment provide the blind, visual impaired and deafblind students with the necessary information to locate themselves and maintain orientation while moving. The systematic framework of the presented project is focused on the attendance, perception and interpretation of sensory cues into spatial information; the school environment becomes more accessible, structured and predictable and the perceived multisensory inputs function as a means of orientation and way finding in case of emergency. It is important to ensure that mdvi and deafblind students are trained to evacuate safely the school building in case of an earthquake. Thus, in the school environment permanent multisensory cues are located, which heighten the students’ sensory awareness and may help students t...
This comparative case study explores the perceptions of caregivers and professionals, regarding the repetitive behaviour (RB) in their 4-to-13-year-old children/ students with vision impairment (VI) or with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).... more
This comparative case study explores the perceptions of caregivers and professionals, regarding the repetitive behaviour (RB) in their 4-to-13-year-old children/ students with vision impairment (VI) or with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was conducted in Greece, as no related research has been conducted in the country.
Research questions: This research aims to address the types of RBs observed by adults in children with VI or ASD, the explanations the adults employ to interpret these behaviours and the impact RBs have on the child, the caregiver, the professional and society. The underlying reason for this is an attempt to discover any potential differences between two different disabilities in a comparative fashion. The research questions that support the study are: 1. What are the RBs that caregivers and professionals observe in children with VI and children on the ASD? Does the child’s individual characteristics such as their age or ability have an impact on their behaviour? 2. What explanations do caregivers and professionals attribute to these behaviours? and 3. What is the impact of these behaviours a) on the child, b) on the caregiver/ professional, c) on others?
Design: This study is based on interpretivist paradigm and followed a qualitative approach. A comparative case study design based on the ecological systems theory (EST) was adopted. 35 caregivers and accredited professionals were recruited (17 for the VI group, out of whom 8 were caregivers and 9 were professionals, and 18 for the ASD group, out of whom 9 were caregivers and 9 were professionals). Following the completion of a pilot study, all participants were interviewed regarding one specific child – their own child/ student – via semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, the researcher used a research diary as
a methodological tool and video elicitation as a facilitation tool. A cross-case analysis was conducted and data was analysed according to the method of thematic analysis.
Results: A link has been indicated between VI and ASD, which concerns perceptions about the socially constructed manner in which an RB is perceived. ASD is perceived by the participants as a disability with challenging characteristics, such as an RB. The ASD group perceived RB as linked to ableism, social stigmatisation and taboo, in contrast to VI, where the existence of RB seems to be a consequence of sensory loss. Bi-directionality of EST seems to have been lost completely and the macrosystem seems to drive the interactions between the ecological systems. School policy and practical implications are discussed.
Keywords: repetitive behaviour, vision impairment, autism spectrum disorder, caregivers and professionals’ perceptions, social stigma, ableism
Research questions: This research aims to address the types of RBs observed by adults in children with VI or ASD, the explanations the adults employ to interpret these behaviours and the impact RBs have on the child, the caregiver, the professional and society. The underlying reason for this is an attempt to discover any potential differences between two different disabilities in a comparative fashion. The research questions that support the study are: 1. What are the RBs that caregivers and professionals observe in children with VI and children on the ASD? Does the child’s individual characteristics such as their age or ability have an impact on their behaviour? 2. What explanations do caregivers and professionals attribute to these behaviours? and 3. What is the impact of these behaviours a) on the child, b) on the caregiver/ professional, c) on others?
Design: This study is based on interpretivist paradigm and followed a qualitative approach. A comparative case study design based on the ecological systems theory (EST) was adopted. 35 caregivers and accredited professionals were recruited (17 for the VI group, out of whom 8 were caregivers and 9 were professionals, and 18 for the ASD group, out of whom 9 were caregivers and 9 were professionals). Following the completion of a pilot study, all participants were interviewed regarding one specific child – their own child/ student – via semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, the researcher used a research diary as
a methodological tool and video elicitation as a facilitation tool. A cross-case analysis was conducted and data was analysed according to the method of thematic analysis.
Results: A link has been indicated between VI and ASD, which concerns perceptions about the socially constructed manner in which an RB is perceived. ASD is perceived by the participants as a disability with challenging characteristics, such as an RB. The ASD group perceived RB as linked to ableism, social stigmatisation and taboo, in contrast to VI, where the existence of RB seems to be a consequence of sensory loss. Bi-directionality of EST seems to have been lost completely and the macrosystem seems to drive the interactions between the ecological systems. School policy and practical implications are discussed.
Keywords: repetitive behaviour, vision impairment, autism spectrum disorder, caregivers and professionals’ perceptions, social stigma, ableism