“Line of sight” describes what your DHH child can see when looking in a particular direction. You can also think of it as your child’s “visual bubble.” Your child’s line of sight will depend on his positioning, along with his peripheral (side-to-side) vision and head control.
Consider how you are using your child’s line of sight in all aspects of daily communication.
- If you are signing with me:
- Make sure you get on my level. Being face-to-face and making eye contact makes our communication more intentional.
- Sign even when I am not directly looking at you. I will likely “oversee” signed conversations that are in my peripheral vision.
- If you need me to change the direction of my gaze–perhaps to show me something you think I’ll like–you can:
- Gently wave your hand in my line of sight until I look your way.
- Move interesting objects into my line of sight to get my attention focused on something different.
- When we are reading a book together, it is helpful when you position me to make sure I can easily look back and forth between you and the book. Being able to keep the book, your face, your hands, and your body in my line of sight helps my brain make strong connections, particularly between pictures (which are overflowing with meaning and facial expressions!) and their labels, descriptions, and actions.