Word Meaning among Congenitally Blind Children

Ten totally and congenitally blind children ages 3 through 9, and 10 sighted children of matching age, sex and socioeconomic status were interviewed following a prescribed format. Responses were obtained to lexical semantic tasks focusing on verbal descriptions of common objects, and the two groups’ responses were compared regarding the type, quantity, and quality of attributes they assigned to the objects. The implications of these data pertain to the effects of the absence of vision on children's understanding of common words and on communication between blind and sighted individuals.