Chapter 2

Developmental Sequences

Use the Developmental Sequences Chart (DSC) (Table 2.1) and Appendix A: Continuum of Visual Development to determine skills and accommodations for learning media in priority activities by comparing current performance to visual behaviors as they develop typically from birth. Keep in mind that visual behaviors emerge and mature in children at different ages. For children who develop typically, one sequence of visual behaviors may reach maturity in infancy while another may mature in kindergarten. For students who are developmentally 3 years old or older, the DSC and Appendix A will be most helpful if the Activity Inventory shows consistently low visual efficiency performances across activities. This can indicate that very basic visual skills need attention.

Table 2.1 Developmental Sequences Chart.1

Emergence Maturity
Awareness Attention Understanding
Lights People Objects
Fixating Tracking Scanning
Near Far
Peripheral Central
Familiar Novel
Large Small
High contrast Low contrast
Part Whole
Black and white Colors
Simple Complex
Outer edges Internal details

For some students, the DSC and Appendix A may help identify developmental gaps related to lack of experience in a certain area. When skill gaps are identified, list the related developmental sequences (e.g., simple/complex) from the DSC in column 3 of the Intervention Guide (IG), using the letter “V” (visual). After you list the behaviors affecting performance with a media item, use Appendix A to determine appropriate interventions and list them in column 4 of the IG. For example, observation of a dressing activity during which there is a high need for instruction may indicate that fixations are poor when clothing items have complex color patterns. The accommodation described in column 4 of the IG related to the simple/complex sequence might be to improve fixations by providing clothing items limited to two colors.

When visual behaviors are extremely delayed or when gaps are identified, different kinds of interventions must be considered. For example, you may find during your observation of activities that a student’s responses to colors are poor. You indicate that the black-white/colors sequence needs evaluation. When you check the Continuum of Visual Development in Appendix A, you see that color perception is typically near adult levels by 4 months (Ferrell, 2010). Your student is 6 years old. When gaps such as this exist, start by checking your student’s clinical eye report. Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, keratoconus, optic nerve atrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, and Leber’s amaurosis are conditions associated with reduced color perception (Lueck, 2004). If your student has had a clinical low vision evaluation, color perception may have been evaluated and information about capacity may be found there. If not, you may want to consider a referral.

A photo shows a male child holding two tri-colored sound adapted tangle balls in his hands.

This student easily identifies the colors of his tri-colored Sound Adapted Tangle® Ball in his preschool environment.

Physical capacities—determined by maturation or by impairment—must be part of the evaluation that determines intervention methods. But, keep in mind two things:

When performance in a sequence is delayed, accommodations are essential interventions. They ensure that, to the maximum extent possible, your student will have access to the kinds of experiences that result in development of visual behaviors. For example, children cannot move from simple to more complex unless they have many enjoyable experiences in which they interact visually with things in their environments that are simple. They may not have that opportunity without accommodations. When you have reason to believe that early visual experiences may have been inadequate or absent, instruction may be an appropriate intervention. Consider these two points:

The Continuum of Visual Development in Appendix A presents information about behaviors related to visual capacity such as cognitive and motor abilities. Use this information to help you determine whether visual efficiency, cognitive skills, or motor skills should be the primary focus of instruction.

The sample Intervention Guide (Table 2.2) shows how to document identified developmental sequences and interventions for learning media and objects in priority activities.

Table 2.2 Sample Intervention Guide Showing Related Developmental Sequences and Accompanying Intervention Accommodations and Skills

Priority Activities Media/Objects affected by poor visual efficiency Related visual developmental sequences (V)
and/or
Related perceptual skill deficits (P)
Intervention
Accommodation (A)
Skill (S)
Strategy (St)
Arrival time Name tag on cubby V: High contrast/low contrast A: Enhance contrast with wide tip, black marker on white background
Hook on coat rack V: Fixating/tracking/scanning S: Scan from left to next hook in row until empty hook is located
Journal time Notebook V: High contrast/low contrast A: Use bold line paper to enhance contrast
Centers Picture books V: Simple/complex S: Identify single element in scene
Puzzles V: Part/whole S: Assemble two halves of single-object pictures cut in half
Morning circle Weather pictures V: Outer edges/internal detail A: Outline outer edges of salient feature
Playground Anything in bright sunlight V: Fixating/tracking/scanning A: Sunglasses
Arts and Crafts Lines for cutting V: High contrast/low contrast A: Used bold marker to enhance contrast

An image depicts a book open to a page which shows a clipart of a girl playing with a boat and a ball in a swimming tub.

Single elements in scene

An image depicts a picture of a boat divided into two equal rectangular puzzle pieces.

Two halves of a single object picture puzzle

An image depicts the clipart of a boy holding an umbrella and walking on a road. The caption below the image reads “Rain.”

Weather card with bold outline around an umbrella