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Research of the temperament of infants with visual impairment
Focus: Early Intervention
Topic: Assessment
Plastunova Lilja
Psychologist
The State Consulting & Education Centre for Habilitation
of Visually Handicapped Children of St.-Petersburg
St.-Petersburg
Pilutova Street 54/2, flat 12
198264 RUSSIA
+7 812 1449929
Plastunova@yandex.ru
The temperament represents a dynamic characteristic of the person and defines the type of the reaction of the man on enclosing, motility and features of emotional sphere. The properties of temperament biologically are stipulated and are inherent.
The doctrine about temperament ascends to operations of the doctor Hippocrat. He has described four types of the temperament, has offered the first classification, which has reached up to now.
It is accepted to consider, that the temperament is rather steady and is subject to changes under influence of the environment and the bringing up, but it varies in an ontogenesis. However, the facts of change of separate properties of temperament (on quality and degree of an expressiveness) in early age are known in connection with the transferred illnesses, features of power supply, conditions of life. The differences in behaviour of children start clearly to be determined already on the first year of life, approximately from the end of the first month. P.F.Lesgaft at visiting large children's home and at matching there newborn children among themselves spoke, that all of them differ not so much by features of the person, how many by force and speed of the vital manifestations.
The temperament of children of the first year of life mirrors behavioral responses of the child, his emotions, individual differences of a reactivity and selfregulation.
10 infants with visual impairment took part in research: 5 children with the diagnosis a Retinopathy premature; 3 children with the diagnosis and Atrophy of a visual nerve; 2 children with the diagnosis and Albinism. Group of children with the diagnosis a Retinopathy premature included children with the age of gestation from 28 - 32 weeks and mass of a body from 900 grammes up to 1250 grammes. In this case has a place influence unfavorable factors during pregnancy's period on maturing and creation of the visual system that in turn, probably, changes separate properties of temperament of children. To number of the similar factors it would be possible to attribute after birth, such as: character of meals of the child; durable treatment an eye; influence of hospital chamber; social deprivation.
The purpose of research was detection of features of temperament of infants with visual impairment. In research the methods were used: the biographic method, observation and Infant temperament questionnaire, which is filled by the mum, designed W. Carey, S. McDevit, 1978, adapted by us for social conditions of St.-Petersburg. The technique determines individual differences between infants. Questionnaire consists of 95 questions evaluating behavioral responses on a 6-mark scale and contains 9 characteristics of temperament. Into number of these characteristics fall:
1 ACTIVITY - size of movements during dream and wakefulness
2 REGULARITIES - stability of alternations of periods of dream and wakefulness, feedings, duration of reception of nutrition, time of bowel emptying
3 PERSEPTION - response to new external stimulus, on the new people new places new procedures
4 ADAPTABILITIES - metric, as far as it is easy or difficultly child is adapted for changes of traditional conditions
5 INTENSITIES - mirror force, from which the child expresses the emotions, positive or negative
6 MOODS - common correlating of behavioral responses within day, painted by positive or negative emotions
7 PERSISTENCES - time, during which the child can continuously realize the defined sort of activity
8 DISTRACTABILITY - the metric how many is easy to calm on the child or to distract it (him) from the defined occupations
9 THRESHOLDS of PERCEPTION - mirror minimum force of external actions (alimentary, sound and other), necessary for response of the child
The procedure of research passed in conditions of The State Consulting & Education Centre for Habilitation of Visually Handicapped Children of St.-Petersburg. After filling of the questionnaire the count of numbers describing the separate sides of temperament of the child was carried out. Then on a computing scale the account of values of nine characteristics, reduced was carried out above. In result we have received the value quantitatively describing each side of temperament in numbers. The value of a number can oscillate in a range from 1 up to 6.
Below we result in most typical the profiles of temperaments of children obtained as a result of usage of the questionnaire.
First represent the profile of temperament of the 8-month's boy Dima. The child was born for 40 weeks with weight 4150. An estimation of The Apgar scale is 8/9 numbers. The visual diagnosis: a partial atrophy of visual nerves. Dima reacts to the sun and bright flash-light of red colour. The redundant weight is watched.
Profile 1 ACTIVITY REGULARITIES PERSEPTION ADAPTABILITIES INTENSITIES MOODS PERSISTENCES DISTRACTABILITY THRESHOLDS
of PERCEPTION
On the profile on a horizontal the characteristics of
temperament, on a vertical - numbers from 1 up to 6, describing data aspects
are marked. The dark colour marks average value of the characteristics of
temperament. As it is visible from the profile, a minimum 4 characteristics
overstep the bounds of norm. It
As it is visible from the profile of temperament and on our observations Dima's behavioural responses differ by a number of features: a bad adaptability to conditions of environment, redundant negativism originating during interaction with the parents and other people, and as creation of secondary deviations coupled with visual deprivation. In this connection, apparently, it is possible to speak about the factors of risk of creation of temperament, which on classification W. Carey is approximate to «difficult temperament ».
The factors of risk of creation of temperament have the important value, as the parents and people, close to the child, can consider these features of behaviour harmful or undesirable, comparing the opinions and behavioural responses of the child with own waitings. Therefore, the temperament of the child influences quality of mutual relation of the child with the parents. In a case with Dima we shall estimate them as a bad adaptability. The bad adaptability can reduce in inconsistencies between possibilities of family, their requirements to the child and his possibilities, that in further can conduct to a social disadaptation.
Profile 2 ACTIVITY REGULARITIES PERSEPTION ADAPTABILITIES INTENSITIES MOODS PERSISTENCES DISTRACTABILITY THRESHOLDS
of PERCEPTION
Let's consider the following schedule. It is the
profile of temperament of the 6-month's girl Liza. Was born for 40 weeks with a
mass of a body of 3650 grammes. An estimation on The Apgar scale is 7/8
numbers. The visual diagnosis: a partial atrophy of visual nerves, nystagmus
converging strabismus. The child has residual vision.
At observation we have noted, that priority stimulus is the source of a bright light: the girl permanently searches by eyes for an artificial light, throw back a head, or is pulled to natural lighting from the window. The response of tracing behind movement of a bright flashed toy is short-term. During a wakefulness are watched random floating of driving an eye. On the profile we see a low adaptability, predominance of negative mood, low persistence, high distractability and high threshold. The obtained datas coincide with our observations and point difficulty adaptation of the child to changes of conditions of the environment, the behavioural responses within day in the majority are painted by negative emotions, very short time the girl can play with toys, fast distracts and, on the contrary, the strong stimulus (loud sound saturated smell flashed subject) is necessary for engaging notice for her.
This profile of temperament can be described as the profile « rather difficult » of temperament of the child.
Profile 3 ACTIVITY REGULARITIES PERSEPTION ADAPTABILITIES INTENSITIES MOODS PERSISTENCES DISTRACTABILITY THRESHOLDS
of PERCEPTION
The following schedule. It is the profile of
temperament of the 6-month's boy Ilja. Was born for 40 weeks, mass of a body of
3500 grammes. An estimation on The Apgar scale is 7/8 numbers. The diagnosis:
an albinism, dystrophia of an iris.
On the profile we see low activity, low metric of perception, moderate intensity, predominance of positive emotions, moderate persistence. On classification by W. Carey we can describe this profile of temperament, as temperament « slowly warmed up » of the child. At observation behind the child it is possible to mark insufficient size of movements, low research activity, during short time can independent play in toys. By the mum the child is perceived as «mild».
Probably, a reason is the insufficient experience for the mum, that does not allow her adequately to estimate behavioural responses of the child and to recognize available difficulties in a maintenance and education of the child with features in his development.
The data analysis obtained at processing of the profiles of temperaments of children, has shown, that children with an inherent visual pathology have features of behavioural responses mirroring change of separate properties of temperament. They haave law activity, do not show interest to new toys, the enclosing subjects do not research, they are difficult be for calming and for distracting, yave pure facial expressions, the behavioural responses in the majority are painted by negative emotions.
The research gives the basis to recommend to the parents to create conditions for children for forming of social aspects of temperament.
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