Fostering Object Permanence: A Vital Skill for Children Who Are Blind

Sep 22, 20237 min read

In the journey of childhood development, there's a fascinating concept that parents and caregivers often encounter – object permanence. This term refers to a child's ability to understand that an object continues to exist even when it is out of sight. While this might seem like a simple concept, its significance in a child's cognitive and emotional development is immense. Moreover, for children who are blind, the development of object permanence takes on even greater importance. Let's delve into the world of object permanence, its significance in child development, and how to nurture this skill, especially in children who are blind.

What is Object Permanence?

Object permanence is a cognitive milestone that typically emerges in the first year of life. It's the realisation that objects and people continue to exist even when they are not visible. For instance, when a caregiver hides a toy behind their back, a child who has developed object permanence knows the toy is still there, waiting to be revealed.

This concept was popularised by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who made significant contributions to our understanding of child development through his theory of cognitive development. Within this theory, the concept of object permanence holds a central role, particularly during the sensorimotor stage, which spans the first two years of a child's life.

Piaget's theory identifies four distinct stages of cognitive development, with the sensorimotor stage being the first. During this stage, infants and toddlers are engrossed in exploring and comprehending their surroundings through sensory experiences and physical actions. Within the sensorimotor stage, object permanence is a pivotal milestone. It signifies a child's growing awareness that objects and people maintain their existence even when they are not within their immediate field of vision. Initially, infants lack this understanding and may act as though hidden objects cease to exist. Piaget's research revealed that object permanence does not emerge suddenly but rather evolves gradually.

He proposed a sequence of 6 substages within the sensorimotor stage, each characterised by different levels of comprehension regarding object permanence.

Birth to 1 Month: Reflexes

During the earliest part of the sensorimotor stage, reflexes are the primary way that infants understand and explore the world. Reflexive responses such as rooting, sucking, and startling are how the infant interacts with their environment.

1 to 4 Months: Development of New Schemas

Next, primary circular reactions lead to the formation of new schemas. A baby might accidentally suck their thumb and realise that it's enjoyable. The baby will then repeat the action because it is pleasurable.

4 to 8 Months: Intentional Actions

Around the age of 4 to 8 months, infants begin paying much more attention to the world around them. They will even perform actions to create a response. Piaget referred to these as secondary circular reactions.

8 to 12 Months: Greater Exploration

Between 8 and 12 months, intentional actions become much more evident. Babies will shake toys to produce sounds and their responses to the environment become more cohesive and coordinated.

12 to 18 Months: Trial and Error

Tertiary circular reactions appear during the fifth stage. These involve trial and error, and infants might start performing actions to gain attention from others.

18 to 24 Months: Object Permanence Emerges

Piaget believed that representational thought begins to emerge between 18 and 24 months. At this point, children become able to form mental representations of objects. Because they can symbolically imagine things that cannot be seen, they are now able to understand object permanence.

As children progress through these substages, they gradually acquire the realisation that objects endure even when concealed. These substages may be delayed or vary for children who are blind or have multiple impairments.

Toddler reaching for a ball that has left their grasp.

The Significance of Object Permanence

In Piaget's view, the development of object permanence represents a crucial cognitive transition. It marks the advent of representational thought, where children begin to form mental representations or mental images of objects. This newfound capacity for mental representation paves the way for more advanced cognitive skills such as problem-solving and symbolic thinking.

In essence, object permanence within Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage illustrates the foundational nature of this concept in early cognitive development. It underscores how children progress from a stage of basic sensory-motor exploration to one marked by the ability to mentally represent and grasp the enduring presence of objects—an achievement that sets the stage for their future cognitive growth and understanding of the world.

The Importance of Object Permanence

Foundation for Learning: Object permanence lays the foundation for various cognitive skills. It enables children to engage in complex problem-solving, spatial understanding, and memory development. These skills become crucial as they progress through life and encounter more complex learning challenges.

Emotional Development: Understanding that loved ones and familiar objects remain present even when not seen provides children with a sense of security and emotional stability. It reduces anxiety and helps them develop trust in their environment.

Social Interaction: Object permanence also plays a role in social interactions. When children understand that others exist when out of sight, they can engage in games like hide-and-seek or peek-a-boo, fostering social bonding and communication.

How to Know if a Child has Developed Object Permanence

To determine if object permanence was present, Piaget would show a toy to an infant before hiding it or taking it away. In one version of his experiment, Piaget would hide a toy under a blanket, then observe to see if the infant would search for the object.

Some of the infants would appear confused or upset by the loss while other infants would instead look for the object. Piaget believed that the children who were upset that the toy was gone lacked the understanding of object permanence, while those who searched for the toy had reached this developmental milestone.

A toddler is standing with a blue blanket covering their face and front of body.

Challenges for Children Who Are Blind

For children who are blind, developing object permanence may present unique challenges. Since they rely less on visual input, their other senses, such as touch and sound, become essential in building a mental representation of the world around them. In the process of cultivating object permanence in toddlers, it's crucial for them to encounter success in grasping this concept. To facilitate their comprehension, it's helpful to gently move an object within their reach if it's dropped, allowing them to recognise that an object maintains its existence even when it's not within immediate proximity to their body. If initial attempts do not yield success, it can impede the development of their grasp on object permanence.

Here are some strategies to help children who are blind develop object permanence:

Auditory Cues: Use sounds to help your child locate objects. Make noise while hiding or moving objects and encourage your child to follow the sounds. Or, use a toy/ object that makes its own sound when moving.

Tactile Exploration: Encourage tactile exploration by letting your child touch and feel objects. Describe the texture, shape, and size to create a mental image. Refer to Tactile Collective's WESSST blog post which can be found here!

Consistent Routines: Establish routines to create predictability. When your child knows what to expect, it's easier for them to understand that objects and people remain constant in their lives.

Verbal Narratives: Describe daily activities and events in detail. Narrate what's happening around them to build a mental map of their surroundings and provide opportunities for exploration for confirmation.

Engage in Play: Play games that involve hiding objects and encourage your child to participate actively, for example Peek-a-boo, hide-and-seek with an object. Use toys that make sounds or have unique textures.

Examples of Activities - How can we help children to develop these concepts?

Place small sound-producing items (like small bells or rattles) on their wrists or ankles, so they will begin to learn that when they move their arms/legs, they are the ones making these sounds.
Suspend items near the child, so that random movements will cause them to come into contact with the item and encourage them to make the movement again intentionally.
Hang items in the Little Room or on Position Boards in consistent locations initially, so that the child can begin to predict where to find something and what will happen when they manipulate it.
Ring a bell behind a cloth and encourage the child to remove the cloth to find the bell. For children with vision, cover an item with cloth and encourage the child to remove the cloth to discover what’s underneath.
Use sound-making toys and objects that also produce a vibration such as a tipping tray with marbles, dowel rods, walnuts, or golf balls in it that will produce a sound and a vibration when the child moves it with feet or hands.
Let a child play on a Resonance Board with a variety of preferred objects around them so that they can relocate once they've interacted with them.
Use a Position Board, Little Room, or HOPSA Dress that allows a child to interact with an object, leave it and return to it.
Place objects like golf balls, spoons, or rocks inside a sock/ tin can/ jar and let the child get them out.
Play with electronic gadgets like personal fan, toy that moves, blender that are attached to a switch device that allows the child to turn it on and off.
Drop different objects from various heights on to a Resonance Board or tray and hear the noise or feel the vibration they make when they land.
Play with wooden and metal spoons on pots and pans to hear the different sounds they make or feel the different vibrations.
Build a tower with blocks or boxes and knock it down.
Roll cars of different sizes or balls with different sounds (ping pong, timber, golf) down a slide. (Ref: Active Learning Space)

As parents and caregivers, it's crucial to celebrate each milestone in your child's development, including the achievement of object permanence. For children who are blind, these achievements might come with additional effort and creativity, but the rewards are immeasurable and sets them up for further complex learning. Object permanence is not just a cognitive concept; it's a testament to a child's growing understanding of the world. By fostering this skill, we empower children to explore, learn, and navigate their surroundings with confidence and curiosity, regardless of their visual abilities. In the journey of child development, every step toward understanding object permanence is a step toward greater independence and a deeper connection to the world. So, let's encourage our children, especially those who are blind, to reach for this milestone and watch them flourish in the beautifully diverse tapestry of human experience.