The importance of stimulation of sensory perception by preschool-aged children with visual impairment

This bachelor thesis engages in the topic "Stimulation of sense perception for sight-impaired children at preschool age". The theoretical section of the bachelor thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter focuses on the sight-impaired individual, the second chapter deals with the development of a preschool-aged child, the next chapter is concerned with the preschool education of sight-impaired children and the last chapter focuses on sense perception for those children. The main aim of my bachelor thesis is to augment the already existing School Education Program (SEP) for preschool education at nursery schools for the sight-impaired focussing on sense perception and to create educational aids. A constituent aim of this bachelor thesis is to determine through interviews with educators what section of SEP in the area of sensory education is suitable for augmentation. The second constituent aim is to produce educational aids, which will be a benefit for the development of sense perception for sight-impaired children at preschool age. The third constituent aim is to test the educational material in practice. In accordance with these stated aims there are three selected research questions. To achieve the stated aims for the completion of the bachelor thesis, qualitative research techniques were employed. For the collection of data in the practical section of this thesis semi-formal interviews with educators were used. On the basis of information ascertained from interviews further inquiries ensued. An additional method used was the secondary analysis of personal documentation of selected sight-impaired children at preschool age. The final method used during the research inquiries was participant observation and direct work with the sight-impaired children. With regards to the constituent aims observational categories were created. The research inquiries occurred in the period from January to the end of March 2014 in the Nursery School for the Sight-Impaired in České Budějovice. The target group, which was the research subject, was comprised of educators and sight-impaired children at preschool age. The results of my bachelor thesis are two personally devised educational aids focused on the development of touch perception. On the basis of observation it was determined that both aids expanded the stated observational categories. For the sight-impaired children, the devised aids contributed to the development not only of touch perception but also fine motor skills, speech and communication, sight perception, memory and thinking. The fist aid also supported the development of mathematical concepts and the second supported the development of concepts about the human body. The results of the research inquiry indicate that both aids were beneficial for the children. The children learned to work systematically during class, complete activities and make independent decisions. In class with the first aid they learned to rely on their own sense of touch, develop their vocabulary, and recognize geometrical figures and count. In class with the second aid they learned to distinguish different types of material and surfaces through touch, develop their vocabulary, distinguish colours by sight, gain an idea of the human body, and assemble a human body from individual parts. Based on observations, it is possible to say that the work of children with educational aid depends on several factors. It was found that the performance of children is affected by attention; environment in which they work; sufficient time to work; repeating and summarizing activities; daytime and the child alertness; motivation and the child interest. Currently on the market there is quite a large number of aids, which support the development of touch perception. Every offered aid, however, is not always suitable for different sight-impaired children. My aim was to produce an aid which was in some way original and which met all the necessary criteria