Chris Russell Hunter College SPED 746 Fall 2014 Concept Development Chris Russell Hunter College SPED 746 Fall 2014

Cognitive: Egocentric Versus Allocentric Egocentric understanding of spatial concepts reflects understanding based on the relationship between objects and the individual’s body. Allocentric understanding of spatial concepts reflects knowledge of object-to-object relationships that are not tied to the individual’s body. Reflected in language also Lueck, Chen, & Kekelis, 1997 Warren, 1994

Cognitive and Sensorimotor Development Initially, young children learn about the world through sensory experiences. Young children learn a great deal through vision, and concepts acquired without vision or with severely impaired vision must necessarily be different. Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers With Visual Impairments http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~edin/

Movement and Cognitive Development Children who move about and explore their surroundings acquire concepts about the world that promote cognitive development. Children who do not move and explore will not have the same opportunities for cognitive development. Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers With Visual Impairments http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~edin/

Concept Development Concepts may be acquired from sensory perceptions; Concepts are mental representations of images and ideas Concepts may be acquired from sensory perceptions; A variety of interactions with people, objects, events Matching, comparing, classifying, and grouping. The quality and quantity of experiences available to children with visual impairments will impact their concept development. Skellenger & Hill, 1997

Concepts at Varying Levels Concrete—knowledge of specific characteristics and relating to objects and things Functional—understanding purpose or function Abstract—understanding of characteristics and purposes and ability to generalize to other uses and situation Skellenger & Hill, 1997, SPARKLE

6 Areas of Concept Development Most Impacted by DB Objects exist: Difficulty learning about the existence of objects as they have limited sensory experience Objects have permanence: Knowing that something exists beyond their direct and perceived world Objects differ: Limited sensory experience limits development of categories Objects have names or labels: Access to language. Objects have characteristics: And can share characteristics with other objects Objects have functions or use: for which they are intended, learned incidentally SPARKLE

Objects Schemes (existence) Deliberate actions that involve objects are called object schemes. Examples of object schemes include bringing a ring to mouth, playing with paper, banging objects, putting on a shoe, and peeling a banana. Pre functional object use

Object Permanence Object permanence is the development of internal mental images of objects not directly within immediate experience or perpetual range. Sighted infants develop this skill around 9 months.

Strategies for Promoting Object Permanence Recognize signals that convey interest in items recently removed from touch. Provide tactile and, later, sound cues to encourage reaching for objects. Provide organized and consistent play spaces. Involve children in the retrieval of desired objects (e.g., book from shelf, diaper from drawer, clothes for dressing).

Comparative Learning (Difference) Comparative learning is important for concept development. Different objects require different actions. Objects in the same category may have different characteristics. Objects have different sizes, shapes, textures, etc. Anthony et al., 2002

Facilitating Acquisition of Environmental Concepts Allow children to explore environments in a systematic manner without intruding. Provide simple, appropriate descriptions as children explore. Help children identify landmarks. Help children identify sensory features of different areas—textures, sounds, smells.

Facilitating Acquisition of Environmental Concepts Keep furniture, favorite toys, and personal items in predictable positions. Provide simple verbal mediation and interpretation while allowing children time to process and respond with subtle physical, vocal, or verbal cues. Environmental concepts are best taught within daily routines. Task-analyze daily events into small actions that can be easily accomplished so that the child participates in daily activities as independently as possible. Repeat experiences often.

Activities to Reinforce Environmental Concepts Storage and retrieval of favorite toys and personal items Food preparation and storage Self-care activities Other chores around the house (e.g., putting leaves into a bag to help clean up the yard)

Supporting Concept Development in Instruction Teach concepts within meaningful routines Identify concepts within curriculum and designated lessons that can be taught in a discrete and comprehensible manner Support concepts with meaningful tactile or visual materials Provide sensory access Use language that relates to concepts Teach categorization – Match, sort, etc Support access to abstract concepts – ideas, feelings, social