FAMILY INTERVIEW

Informant ______________________________________________

Relationship to child _______________________________________

Child’s Name ____________________________________________

Age _______________                Date of Interview _______________

Interviewer _____________________________


1. Please describe your child's visual impairment:

• What have the doctors, ophthalmologist, and/or optometrist told you about your child's diagnoses?
  
  
• What have teachers told you about your child’s visual impairment?
  
  
• (For children with low vision) how does your child use his or her vision in different activities?

		Probes
		Does the child respond to light? Sunlight? Flashlight? How does he or she behave in response to the light?
		Have you noticed your child responding to persons or objects? (What about their size, color, distance, location) How do you know when the child is looking at something? Does the child have a preferred visual field?
		Have you observed if your child likes any particular color? When you have observed this? How does he or she respond to this color?

2. Please describe your child’s hearing loss:

• What have the doctors and audiologist told you about your child’s diagnosis?
  
  
• What have teachers told you about your child’s hearing loss?
  
  
• (For children with some hearing) How does your child use hearing in different situations? What sounds does your child respond to? How loud do they need to be?

		Probes
		Does he respond to his or her name or any specific spoken words?
		How does your child respond? For example does he or she smile, blink his eyes, start vocalizing, stop vocalizing, move any part of the body? Does he turn towards the sound source?
		Does your child seem to have a better ear? (Better responses if the sound is presented on the left or right side?)

3. Please describe your child’s other special needs.

4. What are your child's favorite people, objects, and activities? Why do you think they are favorites?

		Probes
		About each preferred person: Why do you think he or she likes this person? How does your child express this preference? Does your child do something different with this person that he or she doesn’t do with other people?
		About each preferred object: Why do you think he or she likes this object? What it is made of? How does it feel (texture)? How big is it? What’s its shape? What does your child do with this object? What characteristics of objects do you think your child really likes?
		About each preferred activity: Why do you think he or she likes this activity? Which characteristics of activities do you think your child really likes?

5. What people, objects, and activities does your child dislike? Why?

		Probes
		About each person: Why do you think your child dislikes this person? How does your child express dislike?
		About each object: Why do you think your child dislikes this object? Is it the texture? What it is made of? What is your child supposed to do with that object?
		About each activity: Is there any activity that your child doesn’t like that we haven’t mentioned yet? What is it about certain activities that doesn’t appeal to your child?

6. How does your child handle objects and use the sense of touch in different situations and activities?

• What is your child usually doing with his or her hands? For example, shakes them or puts them in the mouth? Holds into something? Keep them by his or her side.
  
  
• Does your child use one hand or both hands to pick up and handle an object?
  
  
• What does your child usually do with objects he can handle independently? For example, how does he or she manipulate it?
  
  
• How do you encourage your child to handle and examine objects using touch?

7. How does your child interact tactilely with you, other family members, and friends?

For example: does the child like to touch people’s faces, or their hands? Is it common for your child to touch you or other people? When your child reaches out and touches you or other people, why do think he or she does it and in which situations?

8. How do you and other people (family, relatives and friends) interact tactilely with your child? Which parts of your child’s body do you touch or move? Why? Have you found any particular area of his or her body that your child prefers you to touch? Is there an area of the body your child dislikes being touched? Does your child like firm touch or light touch? Show me how you might help your child.

9. How does your child communicate needs, desires, and other ideas?

For example, body movements, signs, or vocalization? How does he or she do it?

10. How much time does your child take to respond when you or others communicate with him or her?

11. How do you communicate with him or her? For example: do you use objects or other cues? Do you use tactile signs? Do you talk to him or her?


12. When is your child most attentive and responsive? At what times? With what people and for what activities?