This article investigates the relationships between play and language development in students with multiple disabilities and visual impairments or deaf-blindness. The findings indicate that students with higher levels of communication demonstrate more advanced play skills and that the use of play-based assessment and exposure to symbolic play are…

In 1966, a national survey reported on 8,887 multiply impaired (MI) blind children. About 56% were boys; 85% had been blind since before age 3, and half were totally blind. The principal causes of blindness were retrolental fibroplasia and congenital cataracts. Almost 63% had two or more additional disabilities (86.8% of those under age 6), such…