This study investigated the self-concept of students with vision impairments who were placed in mainstream and specialist schools in South Australia. Self-Concept was studied across six dimensions, namely Physical, Moral, Personal, Family, Social and Academic Self-Concepts and the Total Self-Concept. The 'Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Second…

Introduction: Surveys conducted in schools for blind students have become useful alternatives to population-based surveys in generating data on childhood blindness and low vision. This survey determined the prevalence of low vision, causes of visual impairment, and the proportion of students requiring low vision devices and provided the low vision…

A single-participant multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate the effectiveness of verbal rehearsal and graduated guidance to teach youth who were blind how to cross the street. This study replicated intervention procedures across settings along with the staggered entry of participants. Individuals learned to cross one or two…

In the present study, the aim was to examine the differences in performance between children and adolescents with visual impairment and sighted peers in the water-level task. Twenty-eight individuals with visual impairments, 14 individuals with blindness and 14 individuals with low vision, and 28 sighted individuals participated in the present…

Introduction: In this study, executive function of school-aged children with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) is examined in the context of behavioral problems and communicative competence. Methods: Teachers assessed the executive function of a sample of 226 visually impaired students from mainstream schools and…

In affluent societies how people use technology is symbolic of various values and identities. This article investigates the symbolic values and use of assistive technologies from the world of information and communication technology (ICT) in the daily lives of 11 visually impaired young Norwegians. The article draws on a qualitative interview…

This study explores the musical interests and talents of children and young people who are blind or partially sighted as a result of retinopathy of prematurity (RoP). The results from questionnaires completed by 37 parents were analysed using methods drawn from Ockelford et al.'s (2006) study of the musical interests and abilities of children with…

This study of 12 individuals with blindness or low vision extended earlier studies by Morton Heller concerning speed and accuracy of reading noncanonical (tilted) braille text. Results were similar for Heller's original character set (B-J), but the effect of orientation was reduced with other letters and whole words, especially for experienced…

This study examined the contribution of the home environment to the reading achievement of 49 children and adolescents with low vision. It found that children with no books at home read less well than those with books at home, but that no other home variables were related to reading achievement. (DB)

The article describes the response of 55 blind and partially sighted teenagers to genetic counseling and outlines their knowledge of their disability and their attitudes towards marriage and parenthood. It was concluded that the counseling was not cost-effective though such services were welcomed by the teenagers. (Author/DB)

Children and adolescents who had positive Dye Tests for toxoplasmosis had lower performances on all verbal subtests than those with negative Dye Tests. The impairment was comparable to subjects with brain damage. Subjects with congenital sight deficiency and positive Dye Tests showed progressive intellectual impairments. (Author/CM)

Ninety-nine adolescents with blindness or visual impairments were interviewed about their vocational aims, marriage plans, and recreational activities. Career ambitions included the helping professions, commercial/industrial work, support services, and self-employment; over 50 percent were looking forward to marriage; and favorite hobbies were…

A study investigated effects of regular instruction and practice with prescription reading glasses with three adolescents with low vision. Two students demonstrated no advantage in reading large print and one student experienced a decreased reading rate using standard print and reading glasses. Students preferred reading standard print with…

Records of 360 students evaluated via outreach programs at the low vision clinics of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School over a 10-year period were analyzed concerning age, sex, ocular condition, best-corrected visual acuity at far and near, and recommended optical devices. (JDD)

This study examined the personal networks and social supports of 316 blind and visually impaired youth, ages 14-23, in the Netherlands. The average participant had a personal network of 15 people (compared to 15-20 for sighted adolescents.) The oldest adolescents had the largest networks and blind adolescents had the smallest. For all adolescents,…