This study examines the effects of visual impairment on parent/child interaction. Six children (aged 1 to 3 years) with varying degrees of vision were video-recorded in naturalistic interactions with their families. Results indicate that caregivers of the blind provide highly directive input, offer relatively few descriptions, and initiate a greater proportion of topics than their children, focusing almost exclusively on child-centered topics. The special needs of blind children (e.g., for locomotor stimulation) as well as the absence of visual cues from and to the child motivate many of these modifications. We propose alternative ways for families to engage in satisfying interactions with their blind children.
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