“They’re Not Ready Yet” – Why Waiting to Begin Independent Living Instruction at Home Widens Deficits and Prevents Future Independence
For blind children, a common barrier to ECC (Expanded Core Curriculum) instruction taking place at home, particularly in the area of independent living, is unintentional parental attitudes. The parents or caregivers often perceive that the child is not yet ready to undertake a given age-appropriate task or activity. They delay providing opportunities for task learning because they are waiting for some sign that the child has reached a level where they are prepared to be successful with the task. But how can the child ever become “prepared” if they are never exposed to the task or its parts in the first place? How can we know that they are even aware that the task exists or that other children take on such activities if we don’t tell or show them so? Parents who maintain this “not ready yet” attitude need help understanding that visually impaired children do not develop readiness in the same way as sighted children. They will not benefit from incidental learning by watching things take place around them. Therefore, waiting for the child to be “ready” on their own is simply not going to happen.
These parents are expecting them to build a house without giving them a foundation to build on first. By no means does this mean the visually impaired child cannot master the same tasks, it only means that readiness must be supported through scaffolded interactions with the task. Delaying exposure will only cause the child to fall further and further behind as they grow older.
Readiness Needs to be Intentionally Cultivated
Parents can be reassured that their child does not have to be ready to perform the whole task from the start to begin learning. An effective method for learning a task is to have the child experience, receive direction on, then practice each individual step separately. Then, once they can successfully do each step, help them integrate these smaller tasks into the larger task as a whole. The child may require time for this process to fully sink in until master is achieved. But rest assured, the repeated exposure, reinforcement, and guidance will gradually lead to successful integration. By getting started now, you are providing your child or student with the foundational skills that they will build on to truly become ready in the future. By preparing them now in the present, you are ensuring their success later in the future!