Including children with sense impairments in the early years

[Extract] The senses are the basis of development and learning. If a child doesn't have senses then the brain won't receive valuable stimulation. The senses are the way a child accesses information about their internal selves or about the outside world. As early years professionals we therefore must be continually checking whether the children in our care are using their senses in the best ways they possibly can to engage in the learning activities we are offering (Winter, 2010). All children use their sense experiences to construct their understanding of themselves and the outside world. In the early years, vision and hearing are particularly important for development and learning; however the other senses also play significant roles-often in unexpected ways. For that reason, in this chapter we will not only be learning about how to include children with sense impairments in the early years, we will also be learning about the vital role all the senses play in development and learning