made to feel that, with greater effort, he may do just what they do, he
will soon become cheerfully alert and hopefully alive to all the
possibilities of his peculiar position. It is true that natural
disposition has much to do with one's outlook on life, but cheerfulness
and a certain form of stoicism may be cultivated, and to the blind child
these qualities are absolutely essential if he is to attain any measure
of success in later life. It would be foolish for me to ignore the
difficulties and limitations in the path of everyone deprived of
eyesight, either in infancy or adult life, but I know that these very
limitations and difficulties may aid in forming a character whose quiet
strength and unfaltering courage can not fail to win the admiration and
co-operation of all who witness its tireless efforts for success. But in
order to achieve success, let me repeat that such training must begin at
the earliest possible date.
You may never have thought of it, but the blind child has no model, no
pattern. It must acquire everything. It learns nothing by imitation. The
normal child copies the gestures and mannerisms of its parents, and so
learns many things unconsciously, and with little or no instruction. But
the blind child must be taught to smile, to shake hands, to hold up its
head, to walk properly, to present and receive objects, and the thousand
and one details of daily living so naturally acquired under ordinary
conditions. Long before it has reached school age, the blind child
should be permitted to romp with other children, to take bumps and
bruises as part of the game, and should be encouraged to run, jump rope,
and join in all harmless sports, thus acquiring that freedom of
movement, muscular co-ordination, and fearless bearing, so necessary if
he is to cope successfully with the difficulties awaiting him. His toys
should be chosen to instruct as well as amuse, and in this way he should
be made familiar with the different forms, the square, the circle, the
oblong, the triangle and the pyramid. The Goddard form board and
Montessori insets are invaluable at this period. He should be trained to
recognize the difference between smooth and rough, soft and hard, light
and heavy, thick and thin. He should be given plasticine or clay with
which to model, and be urged to reproduce his toys, thus assisting in
the muscular development and intelligent use of his fingers--another
essential equipment. As soon as possible, the process of dressing should
be taught. The child may learn this more readily if a doll is used as a
model, and he is required to put on its clothes each morning, and remove
them just before his own bedtime. This important process should be made
as interesting as possible, and each successful effort greeted
enthusiastically, each failure carefully pointed out, its cause
discovered, and its repetition prevented, when possible. In this way he
acquires system, learns to put his clothes away in a certain place, and
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