Hadley School
for Professional Studies

Self-Esteem and Adjusting with Blindness

Course ID: SFE-121

Audience
Students enrolled in the Hadley School for Professional Studies

Course Description
Self-esteem refers to the way people feel about themselves, their unique set of characteristics and qualities, and their special mix of strengths, interests, and abilities. An individual who is visually impaired is a typical person responding to life’s demands with the added characteristic of a sensory impairment.
The extent to which all individuals are able to make choices, and to exercise some control over themselves and the events in their lives, contributes to feelings of high or low self-esteem.

Medium
Study Guide: online only; the regular print textbook will be sent in the mail.

Organization
Total lessons required: 10

Credit
1 Carnegie Unit; 4 CEUs

Prerequisites
None

Equipment required
None

Overview
Ten assignments are submitted to the instructor.

Grading
Letter grades

Maximum Completion Time
5 months

Objectives and Content

Lesson 1: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. identify how a visual impairment impacts on the development of self-esteem
   
2. summarize the five phases in society’s attitudes toward people who are visually impaired
   
3. describe, using terms commonly found in blindness-related literature, how the extreme variability, low incidence, and prevalence factors of visual impairments affect people’s perceptions of individuals who are visually impaired
   
4. explain how a visual impairment influences self-esteem in the areas of personal and home management, travel, reading and writing, employment, and recreation

Lesson 2: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. identify some sociological implications of living with a visual impairment
   
2. recognize psychological factors that can impact on the intellectual and social abilities of a person who is visually impaired
   
3. explain the role of independence and self-esteem in the adjusting process

Lesson 3:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. define self, self-concept, and self-esteem
   
2. describe how external reflections affect the self-concept and self-esteem
   
3. identify how various relationships can impact on self-esteem
   
4. discuss the role of self-appraisal in the development of self-esteem

Lesson 4: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. differentiate between aspirations and expectations
   
2. describe performance and observed performance
   
3. explore how performance is assessed
   
4. relate success and failure to self-esteem
   
5. explain the role of value priorities in success and failure assessments
   
6. determine how basic drives and developmental needs influence the internal sources of self-esteem

Lesson 5: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. identify sources of discrepancies and anxieties
   
2. describe different reactions to discrepancies
   
3. identify various ways of resolving discrepancies
   
4. analyze the role of defense mechanisms in resolving discrepancies
   
5. describe characteristics of high and low self-esteem

Lesson 6: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. discuss the meaning of adjusting
   
2. describe the first phase of the adjusting process, physical or social trauma
   
3. identify certain characteristics of the second phase of the adjusting process, shock and denial
   
4. explain mourning and withdrawal, the third phase of the adjusting process
   
5. describe the fourth phase of the adjusting process, succumbing and depression

Lesson 7: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. describe phase five of the adjusting process: reassessment and reaffirmation
   
2. identify the characteristics of coping and mobilization, the sixth phase of the adjusting process
   
3. explain phase seven of the adjusting process: self-acceptance and self-esteem

Lesson 8: After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. identify the internal factors that impact on the adjusting process
   
2. describe the external factors that influence the adjusting process

Lesson 9:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. discuss guidelines for working with people who are visually impaired
   
2. explore attitudes and behaviors that encourage emotional growth
   
3. identify activities that inspire emotional growth

Lesson 10:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to

1. discuss how this course can be useful for professionals who work with the visually impaired
   
2. compare your client's experiences with those of past students
   
3. apply the course concepts to your work

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