Attainment of Developmental Tasks by Adolescents with Visual Impairments and Sighted Adolescents

Abstract

This study compared the achievement of developmental tasks by 158 adolescents with visual impairments to that of 158 sighted adolescents. The groups did not differ in the fulfillment of 9 of 11 tasks. However, those with visual impairments were less successful in peer-group integration and forming intimate relationships.

Psychological Adjustment in Adolescents with Vision Impairment

“…This effect can be explained by an accumulation of stressors associated with adolescence and with vision impairment. For example, belonging to a peer group and building intimate relationships are important developmental tasks in adolescence, and students with vision impairment have reported more difficulties with mastering these tasks than their sighted peers (e.g., Huurre & Aro, 2000;Lifshitz et al, 2007;Pfeiffer & Pinquart, 2011).…”

“…Because some developmental tasks of adolescence (such as gaining autonomy from parents and building intimate relationships) may be more difficult to attain for students with vision impairment than for their sighted peers (e.g., Huurre & Aro, 2000;Lifshitz et al, 2007;Pfeiffer & Pinquart, 2011), we expected that the discrepancies between psychological adjustment of students with vision impairment and sighted peers would become stronger across adolescence. According to our knowledge, only one available study provided data for this assumption.…”

Control strivings in attaining peer-group membership and forming romantic relationships among adolescents with and without visual impairment

“…Two reasons may explain the lack of between-group differences in the use of maintenance/enhancement strategies for building peer-groups, despite being less successful with reaching this developmental goal (Huure and Aro, 1998;Pfeiffer and Pinquart, 2011). First, adolescents with visual impairment may be as active as their sighted peers but less successful, because it might be more difficult for them to gain access to a peer-group (Huurre and Aro, 1998).…”

“…The present study analyzed control strivings of adolescents with visual impairment and sighted peers when working on two developmental goals: a) attaining peer-group membership; and b) forming romantic relationships, as adolescents with visual impairment are, on average, less successful in achieving these goals than their sighted peers (Huurre andAro, 1998, Pfeiffer andPinquart, 2011). Based on the following reasons we assume in Hypothesis 1 that adolescents with visual impairment use less enhancement/maintenance strategies than their sighted peers.…”

Computer use of adolescents with and without visual impairment

“…For example, they have more problems with peer-group socialization than their sighted peers [19]. In addition, Kroksmark and Nordell [14] reported that adolescents with visual impairment undertake fewer leisure activities than sighted adolescents.…”