For children with multiple disabilities, especially those who are blind or deaf-blind, understanding the world around them can be a significant challenge. How do they learn where their body is in relation to their environment? How do they explore and engage with objects when visual or auditory cues are limited or nonexistent? These are fundamental questions that Lilli Nielsen, a renowned Danish educator and psychologist, addresses in her powerful work 'Space and Self'.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the key concepts and practical approaches from Nielsen’s book, which has become an essential guide for professionals and caregivers working with children who face significant sensory and physical challenges.
Understanding Lilli Nielsen’s Approach: Active Learning
Lilli Nielsen is best known for her pioneering Active Learning approach, which is built on the principle that children with disabilities need opportunities to explore their environment on their own terms. Rather than being passive recipients of care, these children can learn through self-initiated exploration, provided they are given the right tools and a supportive environment.
In Space and Self, Nielsen focuses on helping children develop spatial awareness—understanding how their bodies fit into and interact with the world around them. This is particularly important for children with vision impairments or other disabilities that affect their ability to perceive space and movement. Through a series of thoughtful, child-centered strategies, the book emphasizes fostering independence and confidence.
Key Topics and Concepts in Space and Self
1. The Importance of Spatial Awareness
Spatial awareness is crucial for all children, but for those with sensory impairments, it takes on a new level of importance. Children need to understand how their bodies relate to the space around them—whether it's navigating a room, reaching for an object, or moving safely through different environments.
In Space and Self, Nielsen offers ways to help children develop this awareness through purposeful play and exploration. By creating environments that encourage safe exploration, children begin to understand the relationship between their movements and the world around them.
2. Promoting Self-Directed Learning
A core principle of Nielsen’s work is that children learn best when they can direct their own experiences. In Space and Self, she outlines how to create stimulating environments that encourage
children to explore independently. Whether through tactile play, exploring different textures, or interacting with objects in their environment, the goal is to give children the opportunity to act on their curiosity.
This shift—from being guided by adults to initiating their own exploration—empowers children to build confidence in their abilities. For many, this is a critical step toward independence.
3. Building Body Awareness
Another important concept in Nielsen’s book is the development of body awareness, which involves understanding how the body moves, its position in space, and how it interacts with objects. Many children with vision impairments struggle with this because they lack visual cues that help them gauge distances, shapes, and movement.
In Space and Self, Nielsen introduces activities that promote body awareness by encouraging children to explore their own movements. Whether through touching different parts of their body, moving through space, or feeling the weight and shape of objects, children begin to understand their own physical presence. This body awareness is foundational to future skills such as walking, self-care, and interacting with others.
4. Creating the Right Environment
One of the most practical aspects of Nielsen’s book is her advice on creating environments that facilitate learning. She emphasizes the importance of designing safe, structured spaces where children can explore without constant adult intervention. For example, using specific furniture arrangements, soft barriers, or a “Little Room” (a space with hanging objects that encourage tactile exploration) allows children to engage with their surroundings in a meaningful way.
By carefully curating the environment, caregivers and professionals can give children the freedom to discover their capabilities in a safe, supportive context.
5. Understanding the Role of Repetition
Repetition is another key element of Nielsen’s Active Learning approach. For children with sensory impairments, learning takes time, and repeating movements or activities helps solidify their understanding of space and self. Nielsen encourages providing children with repeated opportunities to practice new skills in different contexts, gradually building their confidence and competence.
Practical Applications: How to Implement Space and Self
Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, Space and Self offers a variety of practical strategies to help children with disabilities build essential skills. Here are a few takeaways you can incorporate into daily routines:
Tactile Exploration: Encourage children to touch and manipulate objects of different textures, sizes, and shapes. Place these objects within their reach to promote independent exploration.
Controlled Spaces: Create controlled, safe spaces where the child can move freely without the risk of injury. A “Little Room,” for example, gives children the opportunity to interact with hanging objects and develop spatial awareness.
Self-Initiated Movement: Give children the opportunity to move their bodies in a way that feels natural to them. Rather than constantly guiding their movements, allow them to learn through trial and error. This could be as simple as letting a child crawl or roll to reach an object.
Frequent Repetition: Introduce activities that can be repeated in a variety of settings, allowing children to practice their skills in different environments. Repetition strengthens their understanding of spatial relationships and body awareness.
Why Space and Self is Essential for Supporting Children with Disabilities
Lilli Nielsen’s Space and Self provides an essential roadmap for fostering independence and growth in children with disabilities. By focusing on spatial awareness, body control, and self-directed learning, Nielsen encourages caregivers and educators to rethink traditional methods of teaching and support. Instead of intervening in every step, her approach allows children to take the lead in their own learning journey.
For professionals and parents alike, Space and Self offers actionable strategies to help children with sensory impairments develop critical skills that will serve them throughout their lives. By creating environments that encourage exploration, fostering body awareness, and providing repeated opportunities for independent learning, we can support children in gaining the confidence they need to navigate the world with greater independence.
Lilli Nielsen’s work in Space and Self is transformative for anyone working with children with disabilities. Her focus on independence, body awareness, and spatial exploration provides children with the tools to take control of their learning, ultimately leading to a more confident and self-reliant future. If you're looking to expand your toolkit in supporting children with vision impairments or multiple disabilities, Space and Self is a must-read.
For further resources on Active Learning and the work of Lilli Nielsen, you can explore additional materials and tools that complement the teachings of Space and Self below:
Lilli Nielsen, 1992, SIKON: Space and Self.
Lilli Nielsen, 1989, SIKON: Spatial Relations in Congenitally Blind Infants.
Lilli Nielsen, 1993, SIKON: Early Learning – Step by Step.
Lilli Nielsen, 1998, SIKON: The FIELA Curriculum – 730 Learning Environments.
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