Young children with low vision tend to experience delays in cognitive development, motor development, and social skills because of insufficient motivation and opportunities to explore their environments actively. This literature review explores the resulting difficulties in acquiring practical knowledge and spatial/environmental concepts,…

This article reviews the development of measures that assess mobility and discusses the use of such measures in the study of factors influencing travel in natural travel environments. It traces the development of measures related to spatial orientation, provides a review of orientation research, and suggests areas for future research. (SM)

Examines the barriers faced by preschool children with visual impairments in gaining access to the environment and presents some approaches to reducing those barriers. The importance of early identification, early intervention, a team approach for the provision of educational services, and parent participation is discussed. (CR)

Reviews federal legislation related to the responsibilities of colleges and universities under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide accessibility to information for students with visual impairments. Litigation, statements, and letters of findings from the U.S. Department of Education,…

Research has shown, and educators in the field have acknowledged, that students with visual impairments (those who are blind or have low vision) who are in general education, as well as in special education, settings, can lack social competence (Bauman, 1973; Davidow, 1974; Doll, 1953; Hatlen, 2000, 2003; Huebner, 1986; Sacks, Kekelis, &…

This paper presents a historical view of the development of special education for New Zealand's students with learning difficulties. The paper uses a chronological approach, beginning with special provisions for deaf and blind students, followed by examination of: the impact of a national standards method of classifying and promoting pupils; the…

The article describes preschool orientation and mobility programs for blind and visually impaired preschool children and makes suggestions for improvements in existing practices. Current programs are outlined including the skill areas covered and materials used by mobility instructors. (PHR)

This article addresses issues surrounding judicial involvement in mandating educational methodologies. It reviews court rulings affecting services for students with autism, hearing impairments and communication disorders, visual impairments, and learning disabilities, and concludes judicial review has been relatively limited and confined to…

This paper examines research and literature related to the education of Virginia students who are deaf or hearing impaired, blind or visually impaired, or multihandicapped. The paper discusses legal considerations such as least restrictive environment and other variables required to be considered when determining appropriate service delivery…

Acknowledging the importance of sight to the writing process, the paper elucidates the processes of vision related to the composing process. In the opening section the physics of light and vision, optic neuroanatomy, and cortical responses to visual stimuli are explained. Next, theories of vision and data mapping are examined and their…

A review of the literature on the spatial functioning of the blind, the results of a questionnaire of 75 sighted college students and their parents, and results of a study of 87 blind and seeing adults' performance on three spatial tasks are presented. The review suggested that adventitiously blind individuals perform better than congenitally…

Visually-impaired gifted students are at risk for not being identified as gifted. Relevant identification, placement, and curriculum problems are reviewed and excerpts from interviews with two visually-impaired gifted students illustrate their unique needs (e.g., the effects of multiple labels, counseling needs, and the need to feel equal to…

The reading process and the history of teaching reading to Braille, print, and aural readers are reviewed. Variables in effective reading instruction programs for visually impaired children include teaching methods, assessment methods, qualities and competencies of teachers, other deficits of visually impaired students that exacerbate reading…

An Amiga 500 microcomputer with a talking word processor was used by an Australian visually impaired elementary school pupil, to provide an alternative to braille in using text and writing. This article reviews the relevant literature, explores the challenges and limitations posed by the technology, and offers a case study of the student and her…

This literature review examines and integrates research addressing visual handicap and giftedness and provides suggestions for the identification and education of gifted students with visual handicaps. The review addresses definitions of visual handicap and giftedness, characteristics of the gifted visually handicapped child, the problem of…