Safety will Always be our First Priority
During the Covid-19 pandemic, to protect all families, we have obeyed Governor Cuomo's request to stop all nonessential activities. We have ended all cane making activities until this order is lifted.
Are you concerned about the gross motor development of a child who is blind/visually impaired?
When children are mobility visually impaired (unable to visually avoid obstacles) and are not meeting their gross motor milestones on time, belt canes may help.
Motor milestones:
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Nine months -- a child may be crawling and standing (holding hands, furniture)
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Twelve months – cruising (holding furniture when walking), walks with assistance (holding hands)
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Fifteen months -- walks alone feet wide, hands up, often falls, bumps into furniture
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Eighteen months -- walks well with arms down, runs carefully but cannot avoid obstacles
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Twenty-four months -- walks and runs avoiding obstacles.
Consider: Children who are blind risk injury when they walk and run without mobility tools.
What are the benefits of belt canes?
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Belt canes provide consistent, reliable tactile path information in a form that is easy for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and children with additional disabilities to use.
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Adults easily integrate belt canes into structured and unstructured activities.
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Children five and younger with mobility visual impairment and blindness (MVI/B) obtain independent tactile feedback about the path ahead: such as "clear path", "blocked path", "elevation change" (watch moms' reasons for choosing belt canes).
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Learners with MVI/B, who wear their belt canes most of the day, gain confidence with consistent path information and improve in motor, concepts, language and social skills.
Who needs belt canes?
Children five and younger with cortical visual impairment (CVI), optic nerve hypoplasia, or who are otherwise mobility visually impaired or blind need to wear their belt canes. Mobility visual impairment and blindness (MVI/B) robs children of visual path information. Wearable canes provide children with MVI/B with consistent tactile path information. Path information is essential for gaining confidence in one's next step.
Usage guidelines: Children five and younger with MVI/B should wear their canes everyday, all day to enable free exploration and confidence in the path ahead.
How to obtain belt canes?
A free belt cane can be requested by family members. Early intervention, preschool or other service providers for children with mobility visual impairment and blindness (MVI/B) can also use purchase orders to obtain one or more wearable canes.
