How to Help a Blind or Visually Impaired Teenager

There are many ways you can help a blind or visually impaired teen. If you are a parent, friend, or family member, you can work with the teen to master daily activities like orientation, transportation, buying and cooking food, and accessing electronic information. You can also help blind or visually impaired teens navigate their social lives by working with them to develop social skills and encouraging them to socialize with their peers.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Helping the Teen with Daily Activities

  1. By the time a blind or visually impaired individual becomes a teenager, they will likely have mastered basic mobility and orientation skills. However, if a teen has recently become blind, it is critical that these skills are acquired. Work with the teen’s school and doctors to set up regular appointments with an orientation and mobility specialist who will help the teen with: [1]
    • Sensory development
    • Using a cane
    • Asking for and declining assistance
    • Finding destinations
    • Street crossing techniques
    • Problem solving skills
    • Using public transportation
  2. Rather than driving, suggest you take public transportation on your next outing with the teen. This will give them an opportunity to practice mobility and orientation skills while gaining confidence as an individual. This will help the teen acquire the necessary skills to get from one place to another independently. [2]
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  3. . An important part of skill development in the teenage years is learning how to manage food. Work with the teen to prepare a shopping list, travel to and from the store, buy the groceries, put them away, and prepare meals from the purchased food. Helping the teen acquire these skills will help them develop independence. [3]
    • Work with the teen to help them identify groceries at the store by memorizing the layout of the store and shapes of particular items like produce.
    • Help the teen learn how to safely wash dishes.
  4. . If the visually impaired or blind teen does not already do their own laundry, it’s important that they develop this skill set while still living at home. Show the teen how to run the washing machine and dryer, add and remove clothing, and fold and put away the clean laundry. [4]
    • You can use braille labels for clothing and on dressers so that the teen knows where to place what pieces of clothing.
    • Try using sock locks to keep socks together while in the washing machine.
  5. At a minimum, a blind or visually impaired teen should clean their room. This process should include making the bed, changing linens, vacuuming and/or mopping, and dusting. Tackle one task at a time, and break each task into small steps. Allow the teen to get close enough to see or touch your hands so that they can feel how the task is done. [5]
  6. There are numerous assistive technologies that can help visually impaired and blind teenagers access electronic information. Talk to the teen’s doctors and school personnel about screen magnification software, screen-reading software, and accessible personal digital assistants. Those who read braille should explore refreshable braille computer displays, braille printers, and electronic braille note-takers.
  7. If the teenager doesn't already have a guide dog, you may want to consider adopting one. A guide dog can help lead the teenager safely around obstacles while helping them find and retrieve small objects. Guide dogs require daily care, however, so make sure that the teenager is responsible enough to care for one. [6]
    • Guide dogs can be adopted from special training schools. The teenager may have to attend training sessions to learn how to interact with their dog.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Helping the Teen Navigate Their Social Life

  1. Sometimes blind and visually impaired teenagers can struggle to make friends or be included in their peers’ social activities. Since most friendships are built on common interests, urge the teen to get involved in hobbies, activities and clubs. [7]
    • For example, if your teen is interested in theatre, urge them to join the drama club at school.
    • If your teen enjoys music, suggest they join their school’s choir or band.
  2. It’s important that a blind or visually impaired teen has ample opportunity to socialize with other teenagers outside of school or other structured activities. Encourage the teen to invite others to a movie night, the bowling alley, or even a hike on a local trail. [8]
    • Encourage the teen to become involved in non-school activities like scouting organizations, church youth groups, community center clubs, and arts groups.
  3. Whether you are friends with the teen or the teen is a member of your family, urge them to go on family outings, socialize with the family, and further develop relationships with family members. Invite the teen to participate in planning activities and encourage the teen to invite a friend along. [9]
    • Help the teen nurture individual relationships within the family by planning one-on-one activities like a brothers fishing trip or a mother daughter date.
  4. Blind and visually impaired teens won’t be able to fully perceive all types of nonverbal communication, which is critical to learning socially appropriate behaviors. Help the teen learn to make eye contact, turn their face toward the speaker, use good posture, and keep an appropriate distance from the person with whom they are speaking. [10]
  5. As a blind or visually disabled teen, it can be difficult to know how others perceive your social skills. You can help the teen by encouraging good social skills when you see them, and providing honest and kind feedback about social skills the teen can improve upon.
  6. Teens who are blind or visually impaired will not pick up on the same visual flirting cues that sighted teens do. When you watch movies with the teen, or see people flirting in public, describe the eye contact, body language, and physical closeness of the couple. And if you notice someone is interested in, or flirting with the teen, let them know. [11]
  7. Dating is an important part of the teen experience, and blind or visually impaired individuals should be encouraged to participate. For teens that are comfortable socializing on their own, encourage them to ask someone to the movies, a dance, or a sporting event. For teens that are less comfortable, suggest a group date to a play or dinner. [12]
    • You can have a friend or older sibling provide transportation services for the date, allow the teen’s date to drive the family car, or use public transportation.
  8. A great way to help a teenager who is blind or visually impaired is by connecting them with other blind or visually impaired teenagers. Talk to other parents, community members, or the teen's teachers to find out if there are other visually impaired or blind teens in the community.
    • Try exploring community and state affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind to link the teen to other blind and visually impaired teens in the region.
    • Make sure you also encourage the teen to socialize with sighted individuals to avoid isolation from these groups.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.visionaware.org/info/everyday-living/essential-skills/an-introduction-to-orientation-and-mobility-skills/123
      2. ↑ http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/travel.html
      3. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/parenting-and-family-life-t/household-responsibilities/1235
      4. ↑ http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/dressing--clothing-management.html
      5. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/parenting-and-family-life-t/household-responsibilities/1235
      6. ↑ http://www.visionaware.org/info/everyday-living/essential-skills/an-introduction-to-orientation-and-mobility-skills/dog-guides-for-people-with-vision-loss/1234
      7. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/social-life-and-recreation-teenagers/friendship-in-the-teen-years/1235
      8. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/social-life-and-recreation-teenagers/friendship-in-the-teen-years/1235
      9. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/parenting-and-family-life-t/family-activities/1235
      1. ↑ http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/non-verbal-communication.html
      2. ↑ http://www.familyconnect.org/info/browse-by-age/teenagers/social-life-and-recreation-teenagers/flirting-and-dating/1235
      3. ↑ http://www.tsbvi.edu/component/content/article/129-materials/3253-sexuality-education-#dating

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