There is a difference between skills and concepts. A skill is the ability to physically complete a task. Skills are observable and easily measured. A concept is an understanding of an idea or thought. Concepts can be concrete, semi-concrete or abstract.

Can you see the confusion caused by trying to teach a skill when the concept is not understood? It is important to know both the skills and concepts needed to complete an activity. What happens if just skills are learned and not concepts? In this section there is an article entitled, “My Older Brother Darrell”. It is a graphic example of what happens when skills are learned in isolation without the development of concepts.

We all develop our own concepts based on our experiences. Concept development occurs naturally. However concepts can be misunderstood in children with deafblindness. Imagine telling a child, “We are going to put another coat on the house.” If the only type of “coat” the child has had experience with is the coat he wears when he goes outside in the cold, imagine the funny picture in his mind of the house wearing a furry coat with a zipper. Without learning about the concept of “a coat of paint” the statement would be misunderstood. What about the king who reigned or a chocolate mousse? Here is a poem about six blind men and how their sensory perceptions led to misinterpretations.

The Blind Men and the Elephant by John Godfrey Saxe

John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) based the following poem on a fable which was told in India many years ago.

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:“
God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!”

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, “Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!”

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a snake!”

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
“What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“ ‘Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!”

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: “E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
“I see,” quoth he, “the Elephant
Is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Do our children know what a cow is by touching the tail? Do they know why they are learning to go sort objects? Do they know that the washcloth just doesn't appear out of thin air? When things just appear for the child, we call this the “fairy godmother syndrome.” The child doesn't see or hear you get food out of the fridge, so they think it is always there or just appears. Do they have the whole picture? Do they understand that the washcloth comes out of a drawer and that when it is dirty, it is washed? (You could even help them understand buying a washcloth from the store.) You decide how far back or how wide you go in helping the child understand that the “Fairy Godmother” doesn't just make things appear and disappear. Because it takes a great deal of time to fully develop concepts, consideration should be given to which concepts are most important and functional for the child.

“Learning is experienced based. Whether we hear a lecture, watch a video, or read a book, our learning is ‘based' on those experiences. Unfortunately, we remember 20% of what we hear, 50% of what we see, but 80 % of what we do. As Confucius said: I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”,

In order for a child to learn about concepts they need to:

1. Learn that there are objects
2. Learn that objects are still there, even when they can't see them
3. Learn that objects have a name and have differences.
4. Know characteristics about the objects
5. Know how to use the objects

Here are some things to do to help children learn concepts:

Give them consistent, constant exposure to their world and the things in it.

Use familiar routines and activities. Give them lots of experiences. When you use things that the child enjoys, they will have more motivation and reasons to learn.

Name the things you are teaching about. Use the child's way of understanding and build on it. Talk about the activity.

Remember the distortion that comes with visual and hearing impairments. Use touch when teaching. Guide the child's' hands (never force) when exploring.

Use the concepts with different settings and situations. If a ball is only used when going to the gym, the child will think that is the only use for a ball. Be careful not to confuse the child when you are generalizing the concepts over different settings and situations.

The following articles help to explain more about concept development:

Developing Concepts With Children Who Are Deaf-Blind This DB-LINK fact sheet discusses the process by which a deaf-blind child may develop their own unique concepts based on their personal experiences.

“My Older Brother Daryl” talks about all the skills that Daryl has, but without understanding the concepts, he is unable to translate the skills to other activities.

“Doors” is an article by a parent that is about transition and the fact that the concept of a door has many different aspects. It is found on page four in the September 1993 issue of “Deafblind Perspectivies”

“Concept Development” is a Georgia Deafblind Project fact sheet.

“What a Concept” is from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, See/Hear newsletter. It explains the importance of learning proper concepts and has strategies for teaching concept development.

DISH stands for Deafblind Intervention Strategies for the Home,
click here for the intro and index page