Gross motor development and reach on sound as critical tools for the development of the blind child

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) 2002-08, Vol.24 (5), p.269-275
• Main Authors: ELISA, Fazzi, JOSEE, Lanners, ORESTE, Ferrari-Ginevra, CLAUDIA, Achille, ANTONELLA, Luparia, SABRINA, Signorini, GIOVANNI, Lanzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Blindness - complications; Blindness - physiopathology; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Cognition Disorders - physiopathology; Developmental Disabilities - physiopathology; Early Intervention (Education); Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Motor Skills; Movement Disorders - etiology; Movement Disorders - physiopathology; Ophthalmology; Prospective Studies; Sound; Vision disorders; Vision Disorders - complications; Vision Disorders - congenital; Vision Disorders - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/s0387-7604(02)00021-9

The aim of the study was to assess early neuromotor development in 20 congenitally blind or severely visually impaired children, nine without (B) and 11 with associated handicaps (B + H), in order to develop a strategy for early intervention in these subjects. The mean age at first observation was 11.4 months (range: 4-30 months). The mean follow-up duration was 16.9 months (range: 3-36 months). Assessment included developmental history, neurological examination, video-recording of spontaneous activity and administration of the Reynell-Zinkin Scales and neuroradiological and neurophysiological investigations. All B children walked independently (mean age 19.8 months) and 55.5% crawled (mean age 15 months); the B + H subjects displayed absence of almost all neuromotor functions, except one who walked at 20 months. All the B and just one (9%) of the B + H children developed satisfactory fine motor abilities. 'Reach on sound' at distance was achieved by all the B children by the age of 14.2 months while in the B + H group it was achieved by only two subjects at a median age of 19.5 months. We conclude that it is possible to describe the profile of neuromotor development in B and B + H children; strategies to help postural-motor development and 'reach on sound' appear to be fundamental in early intervention in these subjects.