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Filed under: In The News, Day Care & Education, Special Needs, Development: Toddlers & Preschoolers
A new way to look at teaching blind children. Photo: ABC News
The non-profit organization Lighthouse International believes it does and has created a first-of-its-kind program that allows visually impaired children to learn alongside sighted children in the same preschool classrooms. At the Lighthouse International School in New York, all students learn a standard curriculum with minor adaptations made for those who are visually impaired. The bookshelves hold regular and braille versions of the same books and writing paper is raised so students can feel their work.
"The kids that are visually impaired, they're getting a regular preschool experience just like every other child should get," says Lighthouse International School principal Gregory Santamoor.
For Maribel Montes, the school has been a wonderful experience for her son John, who has limited vision. "When he first started, he was socially withdrawn and not as confident," she says. "But now, he has tons of friends. He knows all the staff. His confidence has built incredibly."
But while the visually impaired students most certainly benefit from this program, what about their sighted peers? According to teacher Regina D'Ambrosio, sighted students at the Lighthouse school may actually reap the greatest benefit of all.
"They learn that it's good to be kind," says D'Ambrosio. "It's good to help people and help your friends, and then they get exposed to that at a very young age... It's a life lesson learned."
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
7-20-2009 @ 3:15AM
Shoshannah said...My husband, (a baby-boomer in his 50s) is "low-vision" and has been schooled alongside sighted students his entire academic career, including his four years at an exclusive academically-selective college, and his two years in graduate school. He's been a successful computer programmer, college instructor and dad. So many of our friends forget his blindness, and forget that he can't drive a car! It's really amusing. He's just this terrific man, and I bless the day I met him!
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9-04-2009 @ 11:44PM
Laura said...As a grad student in early childhood special education. I could not agree more with students being paired together. Everyone learns from each other, and when your younger you have no basis againist anyone. I wish I could have had that opportunity when I was younger. I went to private schools my whole life and am ashamed to say when I finally met someone who had a disability I was a little uncomfortable. Had I been exposed to more people with disabilities in my education I may have totally felt excepting and not uncomfortable that day.
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