The neonate does not have a concept of the self as an entity independent of other people or the physical world. The older child has a welldeveloped sense of him- or herself, not only as an entity distinct from other people and things, but as an independent person with a unique set of emotions, desires, fears, abilities, and other personal characteristics. The development of the sense of self is the topic of this chapter.

The adaptive tasks begin in infancy, when the neonate must acquire the concept of the distinction of the self from the rest of the world. Subsequently, a concept of body image must be acquired, and the child must be able to represent the self in linguistic usage. The child's realization of the facts and implications of his or her visual impairment are of particular interest.

Gradually, and in large part as a consequence of the process of adapting to the demands of the social world, the child acquires a set of characteristics that are often collectively called “personality.” With respect to a sense of self, not least among these is the notion of locus of control, which has to do with the child's perception of the extent to which his or her personal situation is primarily under the control of external as opposed to internal factors.

Self-concept in infancy

The general argument is made that initially the infant, with or without vision, does not have a sense of self as distinct from the physical or social world and thus must acquire the distinction.