Considerations in the assessment of blind children who function as severely or profoundly retarded.

Unevenness in development of blind children who function as severely or profoundly retarded, particularly in language and communication, needs to be considered as a feature of the child's ability to learn rather than as characteristics of his retardation. Impact of blindness on early development, environment and previous opportunities for learning need to be considered as part of the assessment process as well as of education and treatment.