[nabs-l] Blindness versuses other minority groups

[Jedi]

Bridgit,

It's a thought supported by research. Back in the 80s and 90s, Romanian 
children in orphanages were studied. Back then, these orphanages were 
known for keeping their kids cooped up in small spaces with not a lot 
of adult attention. Researchers found that these children exhibited 
some pretty strange mannerisms of movement and behavior, much like the 
ones we often find in blind children who didn't get much opportunity to 
explore the world and socialize with others. Annecdotally, we've found 
that getting blind children involved in the world from birth, as we do 
other children, seems to lessen the impact of unusual developments of 
behavior. As a sort of research, we could each consider , the kind of 
mannerisms we have or used to have, and think about whether or not we 
had much opportunity for exploration. I'd be interested to see if there 
is a contingent relationship here based just on our observations of our 
own lives. As for myself, I used to rock a lot, but I also used to have 
a fair amount of exploration. In my case, I wonder if I didn't pick up 
rocking from my mother; she used to rock quite a lot herself and she is 
sighted. I will say that I didn't have much social opportunity; I lived 
in an isolated situation most of my younger years with few children to 
play with. I think I experienced some fear regarding certain activities 
and so didn't engage in them much. As a result, I don't think I 
developed physically as well as I maybe could have until much later. As 
for the rocking, my mother and I both decided to try a new technique to 
kick the habit: we both decided to substitute the behavior for one 
considered more "normal." I don't know how well the technique worked 
for my mother, but it worked for me; I suspect changing my behavior 
caused me to consider it consciously and thus extinguish it.


Respectfully,
Jedi

Original message:
> Jedi,

> You bring up an interesting point: If blind children are allowed to
> explore and experience just like other children, won't they exhibit more
> "normal" physical behavior? Though a lot of things are picked up through
> learned behavior, a lot of physical movement and expressions are natural
> and instinctive as a human. I would assume a blind child allowed to be a
> kid would naturally pick up certain behaviors and expressions. Children
> who are sheltered and not allowed to explore space and experience the
> world, I would think would have these natural instincts stifled and
> suppressed, blind or sighted. Just a thought.

> Sincerely,
> Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
> Read my blog at:
> http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/

> "History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
> The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

> Message: 14
> Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:03:29 -0600
> From: SA Mobile <loneblindjedi at samobile.net>
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>         <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Blindness versus other minority groups
> Message-ID: <59D3B0F7-4477-4E92-B5B5-5D952EDADD67 at samobile.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=us-ascii

> A lot of mannerisms go away naturally when blind kids are allowed to
> move naturally like anyone else.

> Respectfully Submitted


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