Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine: (a) whether children with visual and additional impairments show any non-verbal behaviours, and if so what were the common behaviours; (b) whether two rehabilitation professionals interpreted the non-verbal behaviours similarly; and (c) whether a speech pathologist and a rehabilitation professional interpreted the behaviours similarly. Twelve children, aged from two to eight years, with visual and additional impairments, were videotaped during their play sessions to observe their non-verbal behaviour. A rehabilitation professional observed the tapes and identified and interpreted 131 non-verbal behaviours. The study found that the children showed 33 common behaviours. There was 98.4 per cent agreement between the two rehabilitation professionals, and there was 88.5 per cent agreement between the first rehabilitation professional and the speech therapist. The authors go on to suggest strategies for developing the non-verbal behaviours of children with visual and additional impairments.
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