1. Chris Russell Hunter College SPED 746 Fall 2014
Concept Development
Chris Russell
Hunter College
SPED 746
Fall 2014

2. Cognitive: Egocentric Versus Allocentric
Egocentric understanding of spatial concepts reflects understanding based on the relationship between objects and the individual’s body.
Allocentric understanding of spatial concepts reflects knowledge of object-to-object relationships that are not tied to the individual’s body.
Reflected in language also
Lueck, Chen, & Kekelis, 1997
Warren, 1994

3. Cognitive and Sensorimotor Development
Initially, young children learn about the world through sensory experiences.
Young children learn a great deal through vision, and concepts acquired without vision or with severely impaired vision must necessarily be different.
Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers With Visual Impairments

4. Movement and Cognitive Development
Children who move about and explore
their surroundings acquire
concepts about the world that
promote cognitive development.
Children who do not move and explore will not have the same opportunities for cognitive development.
Early Intervention Training Center for Infants and Toddlers With Visual Impairments

5. Concept Development Concepts may be acquired from sensory perceptions;
Concepts are mental representations of images and ideas
Concepts may be acquired from
sensory perceptions;
A variety of interactions with people, objects, events
Matching, comparing, classifying, and grouping.
The quality and quantity of experiences available to children with visual impairments will impact their concept development.
Skellenger & Hill, 1997

6. Concepts at Varying Levels
Concrete—knowledge of specific characteristics and relating to objects and things
Functional—understanding purpose or function
Abstract—understanding of characteristics and purposes and ability to generalize to other uses and situation
Skellenger & Hill, 1997, SPARKLE

7. 6 Areas of Concept Development Most Impacted by DB
Objects exist: Difficulty learning about the existence of objects as they have limited sensory experience
Objects have permanence: Knowing that something exists beyond their direct and perceived world
Objects differ: Limited sensory experience limits development of categories
Objects have names or labels: Access to language.
Objects have characteristics: And can share characteristics with other objects
Objects have functions or use: for which they are intended, learned incidentally SPARKLE

8. Objects Schemes (existence)
Deliberate actions that involve objects are
called object schemes. Examples of object
schemes include
bringing a ring to mouth,
playing with paper,
banging objects,
putting on a shoe, and
peeling a banana.
Pre functional object use

9. Object Permanence
Object permanence is the development of internal mental images of objects not directly within immediate experience or perpetual range.
Sighted infants develop this skill around 9 months.

10. Strategies for Promoting Object Permanence
Recognize signals that convey interest in items recently removed from touch.
Provide tactile and, later, sound cues to encourage reaching for objects.
Provide organized and consistent play spaces.
Involve children in the retrieval of desired objects (e.g., book from shelf, diaper from drawer, clothes for dressing).

11. Comparative Learning (Difference)
Comparative learning is important for concept
development.
Different objects
require different
actions.
Objects in the same
category may have
different characteristics.
Objects have different sizes, shapes, textures, etc.
Anthony et al., 2002

12. Facilitating Acquisition of Environmental Concepts
Allow children to explore environments in
a systematic manner without intruding.
Provide simple, appropriate descriptions as children explore.
Help children identify landmarks.
Help children identify sensory features of different areas—textures, sounds, smells.

13. Facilitating Acquisition of Environmental Concepts
Keep furniture, favorite toys, and personal items in predictable positions.
Provide simple verbal mediation and interpretation while allowing children time to process and respond with subtle physical, vocal, or verbal cues. Environmental concepts are best taught within daily routines.
Task-analyze daily events into small actions that can be easily accomplished so that the child participates in daily activities as independently as possible.
Repeat experiences often.

14. Activities to Reinforce Environmental Concepts
Storage and retrieval of favorite toys and personal items
Food preparation and storage
Self-care activities
Other chores around the house (e.g., putting leaves into a bag to help clean up the yard)

15. Supporting Concept Development in Instruction
Teach concepts within meaningful routines
Identify concepts within curriculum and designated lessons that can be taught in a discrete and comprehensible manner
Support concepts with meaningful tactile or visual materials
Provide sensory access
Use language that relates to concepts
Teach categorization – Match, sort, etc
Support access to abstract concepts – ideas, feelings, social