Self Esteem and Psycho-Social Issues of Visual Impairment

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Self Esteemand Psycho-Social Issues of Visual
Impairment

• Rona Pogrund, Ph.D.
• With revisions by Holly Cooper, Ph.D.

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Aspects of Adjustment to a Visual Impairment

• Cognition- the awareness and knowledge of coping
• 2. Action- the behaviors and skills of coping
• 3. Affect- the feelings and attitudes of coping
• (Tuttle Tuttle, 2004)

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Social Effects of a Visual Impairment on Children

• Immaturity
• Self-consciousness
• Social isolation
• Dependence learned helplessness
• Inadequate social role models

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Measurement of Competence

• Social-comparison standard
• Personal standard
• Unique standard for blindness

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Understanding Self-Esteem

• Self-esteem
• Self-concept
• Ways to learn about self sensory experiences and
  interactions with others
• Integrative process
• Self-esteem circle
• Self-esteem and competence

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Self-esteem of Individuals with Visual Impairments

• Parental attitudes and the bonding process
• Increased lack of competency in school years
• Degree of severity of disability

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Indicators of High Self-Esteem

• High moral and ethical sensitivity
• Strong sense of family
• Successful interpersonal relationships
• Perspective of success is viewed in terms of
  interpersonal relationships, not in crass
  materialistic terms

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Indicators of High Self-Esteem(continued)

• Productive on the job
• Lower incidence of chemical addictions
• More likely to get involved in social and
  political activities in community
• More generous to charitable institutions give
  more generously to relief causes

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Indicators of Poor Self-Esteem

• Poor posture (head down, shoulders slouched)
• Social isolation by choice
• I cant attitude (fear of failure)
• Over-dependency on others (family, teachers,
  peers)
• Using visual impairment as an excuse for
  inappropriate behavior
• Acting out behavior and over-aggressiveness (need
  for attention or anger)
• Passivity (allowing others to do and choose for
  you)/ shyness)
• Underachieving (based on ability)

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Indicators of Poor Self-Esteem(continued)

• 9. Fear of achieving (will not try even if have
  ability)
• 10. Poor overt image (lack of cleanliness, sloppy
  dress and hair, poor grooming)
• 11. Inability and unwillingness to talk about
  ones visual impairment
• 12. Rejection of use of visual or non-visual
  devices (cane, braille, optical devices)
• 13. Attempts to conceal ones visual impairment
• 14. Depression/sadness
• 15. Preoccupation with self and personal problems
• 16. Insensitivity to the needs of others

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Things One Needs to Have for Good Self-Esteem

• 1. Security- feeling basically safe
• 2. Sameness- the need to feel like you belong-
  not to feel different from others
• 3. Interdependence- being in give and take
  relationships with others
• 4. Individuality- having unique characteristics
  which are statements of you
• 5. Setting life goals and having self-direction-
  I know who I am, and I know what my choices are.

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Strategies for Improving Self-Esteem

• Giving responsibility to the student at home and
  at school
• Making choices
• Getting in touch with feelings
• Providing role models of other persons with
  visual impairments
• Finding sports and hobbies in which they can
  compete equally
• Group activities with other students with visual
  impairments
• Read biographies and autobiographies of persons
  with visual impairments

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Strategies for Improving Self-Esteem (continued)

• 8. Assertiveness training
• 9. Making sure students are comfortable with and
  knowledgeable of their own eye condition
• 10. Teaching competency in fads, dances, social
  skills, dress, and whats cool and in with
  their age peers
• 11. Assist students in being contributors
• 12. Competency at technology
• 13. Orientation and mobility
• 14. Role-playing to prepare for potential social
  difficulties ahead of time

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Stages of Loss for Adventitiously Visually
Impaired

• Stages of Reaction to Loss
• Acceptance I might as well get used to it.
• Adjustment I am going to make the most of it.

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Adjustment

• The adjusting process Learning to accept the
  reality of a condition and then finding suitable
  ways to live with that condition (Acton, 1976)

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Type of Vision Loss Affects Reaction to Loss

• Loss of vision can be rapid (e.g. trauma)
• Loss of vision can be slow and progressive (e.g.
  RP)

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Signs of Lack of Adjustment

• Continued denial
• Unnecessary or exaggerated displays of dependence
• Personal devaluation
• Social reclusion
• Lack of motivation
• Prolonged depression

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Consequences to Vision Loss

• On the job as an accountant

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• In the kitchen

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• Leisure Activities

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• Household Chores

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Phases of Adjustment to Vision Loss

• Trauma (physical or social) What hit me?
• Shock and denial Im too stunned to feel. I
  dont believe its happening.
• Mourning and withdrawal Poor me. No one
  understands.
• Succumbing and depression I cant Im
  distressed.

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Phases of Adjustment to Vision Loss (continued)

• 5. Reassessment and reaffirmation My turning
  point. Life is still worth living.
• 6. Coping and mobilization I can. Some
  things I do in a different way.
• 7. Self-Acceptance and self-esteem I like me.
  I am somebody of value.

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• The most beautiful things in the world cannot
  be seen or even touched. They must be felt with
  the heart.
• Helen Keller

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• Happiness is a state of mind and depends very
  little on outward circumstances.
• Helen Keller