Teachers evaluation on the factors effected the qualities of self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder 5 – 6 years old

HNUE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE
Social Sciences, 2020, Volume 64, Issue 4D, pp. 122-128
This paper is available online at

TEACHERS EVALUATION ON THE FACTORS EFFECTED THE QUALITIES
OF SELF-HELP SKILLS FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER 5 – 6 YEARS OLD

Nguyen Thi Tham
Faculty of Special Education, Hanoi National University of Education
Abstract. Developing self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder is very necessary and important. With the self-help skills, children will
have independent life. In this article, the author will focus on the factors affecting the
development of self-help skills for children with visual impairments and autism spectrum
disorders 5-6 years old via a survey of 30 teachers teaching children with visual impairment
and multiple disabilities in Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. The results show that the
group of factors that influence the teaching of self-help skills for children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder are “The level of disability of children”,
“Methods and teaching skills of teachers”, “The cooperation of school and family”; The
groups of factors that have less influence in teaching self-help skills for children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder are “Children's cooperation”; “School facilities,”
“Time to teach specific skills to children”. Studying these influencing factors will be the
basis for centers and schools to adjust to the capabilities and needs of children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder.
Keywords: self-help skills, visual impairment, autism spectrum disorder, factors.

1.

Introduction

The authors Grimmet, Eric S Summer, Sharon, Parker, 2008, Evidence – Based

Communication Practices for Children with Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities,
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blind, New York, Vol 102, Iss 9, pp.540-552 did a research
over 202 visually impaired children from birth to infant, the results showed that about 60% of
these 202 children were accompanied by other disabilities such as: hearing impairment, motor
disability, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy [1].
Bruce Susan (2015) in the research “Communication and Language in learner who are
deaf and multiple disabilities”, American Annals of Deaf, Washington, Vol 160, Issue 4, also
found that children with multiple disabilities increasingly account for more in the total number
of children with disabilities. In particular, about 30-40% of children with hearing disabilities
have at least one or more other accompanying disabilities, mainly visual impairments,
intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and especially deafness and blind [2]. Besides,
the authors Erin (1989), Alexander (1990) & Groenveld (1993) and WiliiamMac L & Lee, M
(2002) showed that the percentage of children with visual impairment and cerebral palsy
accounts for about 80%, with epilepsy is 60%, hydrocephalus 20%, hearing impairment 10% and
Received April 21, 2020. Revised April 14, 2020. Accepted May 7, 2020.
Contact Nguyen Thi Tham, e-mail address:

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intellectual disability, autism is about 80% [3], [4]. Thus, the number of children with multiple
disabilities including children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder is
increasing in the group of children with visual impairments and the care and education for this
group of children needs specific programs and methods.
Nguyen Minh Phuong, Nguyen Ha My, Tran Bich Ngoc, Pham Thi Hai Yen (2019) with the
study “Conditions to ensure the succes of inclusive education for children with disabilities”
showed that there are a lot of factors which affect on the effectiveness of inclusive education for
children with disabilities, including of children with visual impairment and autism. They are (1)

facilities, teaching equipment; (2) Policy framework and implementation; (3) curriculum and
teaching content; (4) capacity of teachers: knowledge about incusive eduacation, children with
disabilities and teacher’s teaching skills,… ; (5) the coordination of educational forces: teachers
and parents [5].
In the study Method of developing self-help skills for children with visual impairment and
autism spectrum disorder published in Science journal of Hanoi National University of
Education No. 9AB, Volume 64, in September 2019, the authors pointed out that some specific
methods of teaching self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum
disorder are “forward chain”, “reverse chain”, “Modelling”, “Practice and practice” [6]. In
particular, the authors also pointed out the process of educating self-help skills for children with
multiple disabilities including the following steps: identify initial status; choose self-help skills
and analyse skills into small steps; guide self-help skills according to the analysed steps; reevaluate the child's skill level. However, this study has not clarified the factors affecting selfhelp skills teaching for children with visual impairments in general and visually impaired
children with autism spectrum disorder 5-6 years old in particular. Therefore, in this article, we
focus on the factors affecting the development of self-help skills for children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder in theory and reality in institutions caring and
educating children with visual impairments in Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. By analysing
these influencing factors, educational institutions and teachers will be able to adjust how to
teach self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder.

2.

Content

2.1. Factors affecting the development of self-help skills of children aged 5 – 6 with
visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder
In the process of developing self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorders, there are many efficiency factors. These factors may come from children
themselves or from their surroundings such as teachers, family, friends and class.
- Factors related to children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorders:
These include factors such as activeness, active participation and disability, cognitive

ability, and behavior of children. A research shows that children with visual impairment and
autism spectrum disorders have certain difficulties, have language, behavior and feeling
disabilities that make them unable to understand other people and not make others understand
themselves; difficulties in being impatient to performing tasks, fine motor skills and rough
motor skills are very awkward [7]. This has a strong influence on the child's self-help skills,
most of which are dependent on others. In addition, children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorders have limitations in cognition related to the processes of sensory, perception,
memory, thinking and imagination which affect the formation of self-help skills. Children also
have little incentive to actively learn the skills, so they also influence the development of selfhelp skills.
- Family environment: The family is the first cradle for a child to develop in all aspects,
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especially in emotion [8]. It is the safest and closest environment for children but in fact, due to
the impact of many pressures from life, many families and parents leave their children to
grandparents and maids to teach, nurture and take care of them every day. Instead of patiently
waiting for the child to do it, parents do it for the child, so it does not waste their time. On the
other hand, parents accept the thought about the child's existence. They believe in spirituality
and believe that their children are suffering from the disadvantages for other family members,
making the child even more pampered. All of these are barriers that prevent children from
developing and working [8].
- Teachers: Teachers are the ones who directly teach children, take on the duties of
teaching children directly. In addition, teachers are also people who are close, understand and
interact with children daily and know what difficulties they are facing, from which they discuss
with family and family to develop appropriate personal plans for children [7] 8]. Therefore,
more than anyone, teachers have to grasp the physiological characteristics, abilities as well as
the difficulties of children in the problem of self-help at school. Hence, the teacher is the one
who decides whether to use methods to develop self-help skills for children with visual

impairment and autism spectrum disorder or not. If yes, which method to use?
- Classroom environment: Friendship is extremely important factor for developing self-help
skills and a measure to evaluate yourself. Through friendship, children can compare themselves
with other children, children can imitate and learn from their peers [9]. Therefore, helping
children understand which behaviors are good to develop and which ones to eliminate is
extremely important and necessary for teachers. If children are often inferior and disrespectful
by their classmate, they will have a feeling of abandonment and children will develop jealousy and
passivity. Therefore, when building a circle of friends for children, teachers need to choose
children with a positive attitude, sympathy, and desire to help their peers to be peer supporters [8].

2.2. Situation of factors affecting the development of self-help skills of children
aged 5 – 6 with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder
2.2.1. Purpose
The study shows the results of teacher evaluation of factors affecting to skill teaching for
children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder.
2.2.2. Methods
Main methods are used as the following:
- Interview teachers, parents;
- Survey questionnaire for teachers;
- Synthesis, document analysis
- Mathematical statistics
2.2.3. Research area and object
- The study was conducted at educational centers in Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh
- Objects: 30 teachers who are teaching children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder in educational centers.
2.2.4. Results
To understand better the impact of factors to the development of self-help skills of children
aged 5 – 6 with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder, we conducted a survey of 30
teachers who have been providing assistance to children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder in Khanh An center, Anh Duong center and the Early Intervention class of

Nguyen Dinh Chieu special school - Hanoi, the center inclusive education in Tam An - Quang
Ninh, Hai Phong blind school. The influence of the factors on developing self-help skills for
children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder is assessed according to the
following criteria:
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Very influential: 3 points
Influential: 2 points
Little influence: 1 point
No influence: 0 points
The results obtained are as follows:
Table 1. Factors affecting the development of self-help skills of children aged 5 – 6
with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder
No.

Factors

Total points

𝑿

Order

1

The degree of disability of children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder

Cognitive ability of children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder
Teachers’ methods of teaching self-help skills
Teachers' qualifications, awareness and
experience in teaching multi-disabled children
School facilities
The attention and support of the family
Program, content of teaching self-help skills for
children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder
Collaboration between family and school in
teaching self-help skills for children
Time to teach self-help skills for children at
school

72

2.4

2

57

1.9

6

76
56

2.53
1.86

1
7

25
63
70

0.83
2.1
2.33

9
5
3

68

2.26

4

55

1.83

8

2
3
4
5
6
7

8
9

𝑿

2.01

Comments:
Through the data table above, it can be seen that there are many factors affecting the
development of self-help skills for children aged 5-6 with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder and the influence level of the factors is Influential (X = 2.01) . Especially,
each factor has a very different influence and is specified as follows:
Ranked in the first place among all the factors is “Teachers’ methods of teaching self-help
skills” with 𝑿 = 2.53. Among the 30 surveyed teachers, 16/30 teachers chose Very influential,
14/30 teachers chose Influential, none of the teachers selected Little influence or No influence.
Talking to teacher Đ.T.T.T at Khanh An center, she said that this is an important factor, which
decides on the effectiveness of teaching self-help skills for children. Many teachers still apply
old teaching methods that are not suitable for children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder such as presentations, modeling, so it is difficult for children to perform the
tasks. Teachers need to teach self-help skills through specific methods such as task analysis,
teaching steps in sequence, inverse sequence, daily practice, using real objects, real objects, and
pictures step-by-step illustrations for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum
disorder easy to follow.

Ranked the second with 𝑿 = 2.4 is the factor “ The degree of disability of children with
visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder” that most teachers chose at the level of Very
influential (13/30), Influential (16/30) and Little influence (01/30). According to teachers, it is
more difficult to teach self-help skills for blind children than those with poor vision. By using
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Nguyen Thi Tham

the remaining visual field, children can observe their friends and teachers to model and imitate.
Because self-help skills are skills that children can learn daily through imitating people around
them. On the other hand, the more serious visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder are,
the more difficult it is to teach self-service skills. By observing the children in Khanh An center,
we found that children with serious visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder were
unable to perform self-help skills, even eating and walking. Hygiene with these children is also
very difficult.
The factor that teachers also considered to have a great influence on teaching self-help
skills for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder is “Program, content of
teaching self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder” with
the average points of 𝑋 = 2.33. At the schools and centers we surveyed, teachers actively
provided individualized content and programs for each child, there was no self-help training
program specifically for children with multiple disabilities. It is also difficult for teachers to
select and come up with appropriate plans for children.
Ranked in fourth place with 𝑿 = 2.26 is the factor “Collaboration between family and
school in teaching self-help skills for children “with 14/30 teachers chose Very influential, the
rest is Influential and Little influence. Talking to teachers who participated in the survey, they
said that many families leave the care and education for child to school, even though the teacher
sent an individual education plan to the parents. In particular, after each self-service skill
training session, children initially formulate skills, when they return home, because parents are
afraid that the children are not able to do it and also be impatient, the family mainly do things

for the children (spoon feed them, dress them etc.). This greatly affects the training of self-help
skills that teachers have instructed for children with visual impairment and autism spectrum
disorder in class. Families also rarely actively share and exchange with teachers to teach
children self-help skills appropriate to their abilities and needs.
Along with the above factor, the factor “The attention and support of the family” also
greatly affects the effectiveness of teaching self-help skills for visually impaired children with
autism spectrum disorder with 𝑿 = 2.1.
For example: N.T.V and H.L.T are both children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorder of the same level. Yet, V gets more attention and support from his parents, so
it is much easier to teach him than T because T’s parents do not care much about him. There is a
supporter who follows to help T, feeds him and does everything for him. Thus, it is very
difficult to teach him how to eat by himself. Teacher V.T.A also shared that many families
follow the guidance of the teachers so their children quickly develop self-help skills, but for the
family who pays little attention and guidance to the children but often helps them instead, the
children become passive, unable to perform the skills.
Other factors that affect less in teaching self-help skills for children with visual impairment
and autism spectrum disorder are “Cognitive ability of children with visual impairment and
autism spectrum disorder” (𝑋 = 1.9); “Teachers' qualifications, awareness and experience in
teaching multi-disabled children” (𝑋 = 1.86); “Time to teach self-help skills for children at
school” (𝑋 = 1.83). These factors, according to teachers, are influential but the level of influence
is not high. In particular, the teachers said that if teachers have experience and training in
teaching children with visual impairments, it is better to teach self-help skills for children.
The difference between factors affecting teaching self-help skills for children with visual
impairment and autism spectrum disorder is illustrated in the following chart:

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Teachers evaluation on the factors effected the qualities of self-help skills for children with...

𝑋
3

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

0
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Chart 1. Influence level of factors affecting the development of self-help skills of children
aged 5 – 6 with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder

3. Conclusions
There are many factors affecting the development of self-help skills for children with
visual impairment and autism spectrum disorders 5-6 years old such as factors related to
children, factors related to teachers, families, classroom facilities, classroom psychology
elements. Based on a survey of 30 teachers in care and education facilities for visually impaired
children for 9 factors, the results showed that there are factors that have a great influence of
developing self-help skills for children with visually impaired and autism spectrum disorder 5-6
years old. In order to teach self-help skills for children with visual impairment and autism
spectrum disorders, teachers need to have different ways to overcome these factors and adjust
issues related to classroom environment as well as families of children with disabilities.
REFERENCES
[1] Sharon, Grimmet, Eric S Summer, Parker, 2008, “Evidence – Based Communication
Practices for Children with Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities”. Journal of
Visual Impairment & Blind, New York, Vol 102, Issue 9, 540-552.
[2] Susan, Bruce & Boder, Christy, 2015. Communication and Language in Learner who are
Deaf and Multiple Disabilities, American Annals of Deaf, Washington, Vol 160, Issue 4.
[3] Wiliiam, L & Lee, M, 2002. Learning Together: A Creative Approach to Leaning for
Children with Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities, London, Royal National
Institute for the Blind.
[4] Nancy Levack & Millie Smith, 2007. Teaching Student with Visual and Multiple
Impairments, A Resource Guide, Thirth Edition, Taxas School for the Blind and Visual
Impairment, USA.
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[5] Nguyen Minh Phuong, Nguyen Ha My, Tran Thi Bich Ngoc, Pham Thị Hai Yen, 2019.
“Conditions to ensure the succes of inclusive education for children with disabilities”.
Science journal of Hanoi National University, No. 9AB, Volume 64.
[6] Tran Thi Hoa, Nguyen Thi Tham, 2019. “Method of developing self-help skills for
children with visual impairment and autism spectrum disorder”. Science journal of Hanoi
National University, No. 9AB, Volume 64.
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