How to Help a Blind or Visually Impaired Teenager
Help the teen acquire basic orientation and mobility skills., Take public transportation with the teen., Help the teen buy and prepare food., Teach the teen how to do laundry., Assign the teen cleaning responsibilities., Help the teen access...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Help the teen acquire basic orientation and mobility skills.
By the time a blind or visually impaired individual becomes a teenager, they will likely have mastered basic mobility and orientation skills.
However, if a teen has recently become blind, it is critical that these skills are acquired.
Work with the teen’s school and doctors to set up regular appointments with an orientation and mobility specialist who will help the teen with:
Sensory development Using a cane Asking for and declining assistance Finding destinations Street crossing techniques Problem solving skills Using public transportation -
Step 2: Take public transportation with the teen.
Rather than driving, suggest you take public transportation on your next outing with the teen.
This will give them an opportunity to practice mobility and orientation skills while gaining confidence as an individual.
This will help the teen acquire the necessary skills to get from one place to another independently., An important part of skill development in the teenage years is learning how to manage food.
Work with the teen to prepare a shopping list, travel to and from the store, buy the groceries, put them away, and prepare meals from the purchased food.
Helping the teen acquire these skills will help them develop independence.Work with the teen to help them identify groceries at the store by memorizing the layout of the store and shapes of particular items like produce.
Help the teen learn how to safely wash dishes. , If the visually impaired or blind teen does not already do their own laundry, it’s important that they develop this skill set while still living at home.
Show the teen how to run the washing machine and dryer, add and remove clothing, and fold and put away the clean laundry.You can use braille labels for clothing and on dressers so that the teen knows where to place what pieces of clothing.
Try using sock locks to keep socks together while in the washing machine. , At a minimum, a blind or visually impaired teen should clean their room.
This process should include making the bed, changing linens, vacuuming and/or mopping, and dusting.
Tackle one task at a time, and break each task into small steps.
Allow the teen to get close enough to see or touch your hands so that they can feel how the task is done., There are numerous assistive technologies that can help visually impaired and blind teenagers access electronic information.
Talk to the teen’s doctors and school personnel about screen magnification software, screen-reading software, and accessible personal digital assistants.
Those who read braille should explore refreshable braille computer displays, braille printers, and electronic braille note-takers. -
Step 3: Help the teen buy and prepare food.
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Step 4: Teach the teen how to do laundry.
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Step 5: Assign the teen cleaning responsibilities.
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Step 6: Help the teen access electronic information.
Detailed Guide
By the time a blind or visually impaired individual becomes a teenager, they will likely have mastered basic mobility and orientation skills.
However, if a teen has recently become blind, it is critical that these skills are acquired.
Work with the teen’s school and doctors to set up regular appointments with an orientation and mobility specialist who will help the teen with:
Sensory development Using a cane Asking for and declining assistance Finding destinations Street crossing techniques Problem solving skills Using public transportation
Rather than driving, suggest you take public transportation on your next outing with the teen.
This will give them an opportunity to practice mobility and orientation skills while gaining confidence as an individual.
This will help the teen acquire the necessary skills to get from one place to another independently., An important part of skill development in the teenage years is learning how to manage food.
Work with the teen to prepare a shopping list, travel to and from the store, buy the groceries, put them away, and prepare meals from the purchased food.
Helping the teen acquire these skills will help them develop independence.Work with the teen to help them identify groceries at the store by memorizing the layout of the store and shapes of particular items like produce.
Help the teen learn how to safely wash dishes. , If the visually impaired or blind teen does not already do their own laundry, it’s important that they develop this skill set while still living at home.
Show the teen how to run the washing machine and dryer, add and remove clothing, and fold and put away the clean laundry.You can use braille labels for clothing and on dressers so that the teen knows where to place what pieces of clothing.
Try using sock locks to keep socks together while in the washing machine. , At a minimum, a blind or visually impaired teen should clean their room.
This process should include making the bed, changing linens, vacuuming and/or mopping, and dusting.
Tackle one task at a time, and break each task into small steps.
Allow the teen to get close enough to see or touch your hands so that they can feel how the task is done., There are numerous assistive technologies that can help visually impaired and blind teenagers access electronic information.
Talk to the teen’s doctors and school personnel about screen magnification software, screen-reading software, and accessible personal digital assistants.
Those who read braille should explore refreshable braille computer displays, braille printers, and electronic braille note-takers.
About the Author
Cheryl Thompson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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