The cognitive play of 13 children with visual impairments approximately 40 months of age was observed while playing alone in their homes. Three play categories adapted from Belsky and Most's (1981) hypothesized sequence of development of exploration and play for typical children and nonplay were coded for frequency and duration. The findings revealed that children with visual impairments showed significant differences in play compared to the earlier documented play schemes for sighted children in the Belsky and Most's study (1981). Over half of the play behaviors were in the category of exploration and sensorimotor play, and symbolic play accounted for less than 4% of play. These findings are discussed in terms of interventions at home and in school.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between maternal responsive and directive behaviours and the development of young children with visual impairments. The participants were 17 mother-child dyads, and the children's ages ranged from 20 to 36 months of age. The amount, quality, and appropriateness of four maternal behaviours were rated during a free play session between mother and child and compared with a developmental outcome measure designed for young children with visual impairments. In general, the results showed that the quality of maternal control and appropriateness of directiveness were positively related to children's language development; whereas, the amount of these same behaviours was negatively related to language development. The findings also indicated that both the quality and amount of maternal goal-setting behaviours, and the quality of responsiveness were positively related to children's language skills, exploration of the environment and sensorimotor development. The findings are discussed in terms of maternal influence on child development.

This article reports on a study of the relationship between mother-child interactions and children's development for 18 children, aged 20–36 months with severe visual impairments and no other known handicapping condition. The study found that mother-responsive behaviors were positively related to the children's development, whereas mother-initiated behaviors were either negatively related or not related.

The aim of this study was to identify specific aspects of the home environment related to the development of young children with visual impairments. The subjects of the study were 18 mothers and their legally blind children, aged 20–36 months, with no other handicapping conditions. The overall home environments were found to be consistently favorable, despite the differences in the parents’ socioeconomic status. However, they were not significantly related to any developmental scores except for the positive relationship between the emotional and verbal responsiveness of some mothers and the expressive pragmatic language abilities of their children.

This survey sought to determine which service providers work with young children with visual impairments, the children they serve, their roles and responsibilities, and the professional competencies they consider important. The findings emphasized the need for service providers to develop strategies for working with families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and young children with multiple disabilities, to collaborate and consult effectively with other professionals and agencies, and to support caregiver-infant interactions.Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandates early intervention services to infants and toddlers who have or are at risk for disabilities or developmental delay. This mandate was initiated in the 1986 amendments to P.L. 99-457, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1990) under Part H. To provide mandated early intervention services, service providers in all disciplines need specific professional competencies for working with families and their young children who are eligible for services, and professional organizations and state certification agencies have identified the competencies that service providers should demonstrate (