Adaptive behavior of primary school students with visual impairments: the impact of educational settings.
Mainstream classrooms give kids with visual impairments a clear boost in daily living and social skills compared with special-school rooms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared kids with visual impairments in two places: special schools and regular classrooms.
They looked at daily living skills, talking, and getting along with peers.
Parents also shared their own education level so the study could see if that changed the results.
What they found
Kids in special schools showed more delay in dressing, eating, and making friends.
Students in mainstream classes kept up better in these areas.
When parents had more schooling, their children did better at talking and socializing no matter the setting.
How this fits with other research
Pitts et al. (2019) saw gains in self-help after ABA in a special school, yet Katerina et al. still found special-school students behind. The difference: Pitts gave daily behavior support while Katerina looked at ordinary classes without added ABA.
Movahedi et al. (2011) showed sports boost social skills in older blind students. Katerina’s younger group lacked such activities, which may explain the social gap.
Xie et al. (2022) tracked middle-school students and found social ties raise self-esteem. Katerina’s finding fits: earlier inclusion in mainstream rooms may start this positive loop sooner.
Why it matters
If you serve a child with visual impairment, mainstream placement can speed up daily living and social skills. Push for shared gym, lunch, and recess times if full inclusion is not possible. Coach peers to give natural prompts during routines like unpacking backpacks or lining up. Track one adaptive skill per week and you should see faster gains than in a separate room.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study explored the adaptive behavior of primary school students with visual impairments, as well as the impact of educational setting on their adaptive behavior. Instrumentation included an informal questionnaire and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Participants were 36 primary school students with visual impairments. The educational setting had an effect on Daily Living Skills and Socialization. Students with visual impairments visiting special schools present worse adaptive behavior (higher developmental delay) compared to students visiting mainstream schools. Moreover, the educational level of parents influences the developmental delay on the Communication and Socialization. The higher the educational level of parents the lower the developmental delay.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.030