Parental involvement, as one of the most widely researched and discussed issues. It has been characterized by a variety of meanings, definitions and frameworks. Such notions and definitions provide a foundation for solving parental involvement challenges in the education of the visually impaired learners. This study provides a literature review on…

Background: This study extended the assessment of a technology-aided orientation program with auditory cues by including 2 participants with multiple disabilities who had difficulties in indoor travel and showed travel-related anxiety behaviours (e.g., calling for help and whimpering). Method: The study was carried out according to a multiple…

Over the last decade, many innovations have significantly changed the classroom. As a result, the authors believe the roles of vision professionals, primarily teachers of students with visual impairments, orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists, and braille transcribers, have likewise changed drastically in that time period. Although the…

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…

This study examined the mental effort required to monitor landmarks and the effect of the type of route on mobility-route training. The results revealed that the features of landmarks and competence in travel were significantly related, indicating that some environmental factors related to height and width are more easily learned when people can…

A panel of 20 experts in orientation and mobility (O&M) reached consensus on concepts and skills that O&M specialists should teach to students who are blind or have low vision. Panelists also agreed on visual, environmental, and behavioral conditions that would require a formal O&M assessment.

Issues related to promoting orientation and mobility training for individuals with visual impairments and diabetes are discussed, including effects of insulin, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, the timing of training, complications to the feet, and fluctuations in vision. Major lifestyle changes required by diabetes are stressed. (Author/SW)

In an unfamiliar residential neighborhood, 24 10- and 6-year olds were individually evaluated and compared on their conceptual knowledge of the neighborhood. Findings indicate there are statistical and practical differences between the two age groups. Implications for teaching orientation and mobility to children with low vision are discussed.…

The paper proposes teaching travel skills to developmentally disabled persons based upon the principles used to teach orientation and mobility to blind people. The approach emphasizes success orientation, sequencing, fading, individualized instruction, and in vivo instruction. Content includes environmental concepts, recovery techniques,…

This article discusses how orientation and mobility instructors can provide direct sensory experience about many concepts that can effect meaningfully positive changes in the understanding and subsequent language development of children with visual impairments. It provides recommendations to enhance the linguistic knowledge and vocabulary…

A survey of 120 orientation and mobility instructors found that 75% have taught their students to use alternative mobility devices. The type of device taught most often was a two-shafted device (such as the Connecticut precane). Other devices included riding toys, upright push toys, and probing devices. (Author/CR)

Article discusses research on orientation and mobility (O&M) for individuals with visual impairments, examining constant, variable, and absolute error (descriptive statistics that quantify fundamentally different characteristics of distributions of spatially directed behavior). It illustrates the statistics with examples, noting their…

This article addresses the development of an orientation and mobility (O&M) certification examination by Division Nine of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. It describes the collection of data that establishes the relative importance of the competencies necessary for O&M. (Contains eight…

Discusses a survey of 41 states that investigated employment qualifications for orientation and mobility specialists working in public school systems. Results found that at least 17 states currently require that specialists meet specific qualifications for employment. A chart identifies the employment qualifications of individual states. (CR)

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)