The blind child builds his perceptions from tactual (haptic) and auditory information. Assumptions on the part of professionals that tactual and visual data are identical can result in misconceptions that may lead to delayed development and distortions of cognitive process in blind children. A review of research on the perception of form and spatial relationships suggests that differences between tactual and visual information result in differences in perceptual organization. However, studies indicate that blind children reach developmental milestones (e.g., conservation) at approximately the same ages as sighted children.
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