Choosing toys for children with sight loss
Summary: All children are different and a toy that is a favourite of one child may not be suitable for another. Choose toys with textures, bright and contrasting colours, sounds and music. The following is offered as a guide to assist when choosing toys for a child with sight loss.
- Good colour and tonal contrast
- Interesting texture offering some tactile variety
- Encourages good co-ordination of hands
- Encourages development of fine finger control
- Encourages visual tracking
- Encourages development of hand-eye co-ordination
- Encourages physical play e.g. running, jumping etc.
- Makes a sound or other cue to an action having occurred
- Reflects light or is fluorescent
- Encourages understanding of cause and effect
- Encourages development of sense of smell
- Lettering is bold and clear
- Discrete pieces can be discriminated by touch
- Switches are recognizable by touch as on and off, and click when operated.
Useful contacts
Visiting Teacher Service
The Department of Education and Science provides a regionalised visiting teacher service. This service is available from birth and follows through to third level. A visiting teacher visits children with sight loss in their own home. The visiting teacher will carry out an assessment of a child’s needs and provide guidance on the implications of sight loss on teaching and learning. Emphasis is placed on working as a partner with families enabling them to make informed choices in the education of their children.
Apply to the visiting teacher service (vision impairment) on Tel: 090 6474621
Find out more about the visiting teacher service.
Public Health Nurse
Public health nurses are employed by the health service executive and work from your "local health centre":. Use the help and support of your local public health nurse who will offer both advice and practical support about caring for your baby. You can contact with your public health nurse by calling your local health centre or call the health service executive infoline at 1850 24 1850 Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm.
Family Resource Centre
Family Resource Centre in St. Josephs School for the Visually Impaired offers an extensive calendar of events for families who have a child with sight loss. Read more about the Family Resource Centre.
Feach
Féach is a parent support group of parents of children with sight loss is another useful support service.
Contact your community resource worker
If you have not already done so, it may be helpful to contact your local NCBI community resource worker. A community resource worker can visit your family at home or if you would prefer you can drop into see them in our local office. Your community resource worker can also refer you to some of our other services that you may find useful including our low vision service, resource centre, library service or family therapy service for example.
NCBI’s Early Learning Centre
The NCBI’s Early Learning Centre (ELC) in Clondalkin caters for children with sight loss from the ages of 0 to 6. If you would like some advice or additional information please call the staff at the ELC on 01 4056950 or email the ELC at elc@ncbi.ie.