The Mary Sheridan Unit: an evaluation of the effects of a hospital unit on the development of visually-impaired multiply handicapped children.

The evidence in this study appears to indicate that adopting a goal-planning approach can provide demonstrable and clear improvements in the developmental functioning of multiply handicapped blind children. However, while the improvements in functioning for self-help and sensorimotor abilities are quite significant, those for communication and language skills are much less so. Three possible hypotheses have been advanced as to why this should be so. The hypothesis that the setting might be an institutionalizing one was rejected on the grounds that some of the evidence did not fit with that from other populations. The second hypothesis referred to the lack of formal speech and communication training on the unit. The best possible test of this hypothesis would be to employ a speech therapist to work on the unit and support for such a scheme is being sought. Finally, it was hypothesized that the way in which the staff interacted with the children was not being sufficiently modified to take account of the children's handicaps.