Reports results of the administration of a battery of tests of oral language skills to blind braille readers (N=15). Three skills were tested: phoneme deletion, sentence completion, and morphological analysis. Participants were congenitally blind high school students. Subjects differed from sighted readers only in the ability to perform…

Explains haptic computer interfaces for Web sites that relay touch-sensory feedback to the user. Discusses the importance of touch to cognition and learning; whether haptics can improve performance and learning; haptic interfaces for accessibility for blind and physically impaired users; comparisons of haptic devices; barriers to implementation;…

A new psychological test battery was designed to provide a much-needed comprehensive tool for assessing the perceptual and cognitive abilities of visually handicapped children in using active touch. The test materials consist of raised-line, raised-dot, raised-surface shapes and displays, and familiar and novel 3-D objects. The research used 20…

In this article, the authors investigate visual and tactile ASL-English interpreters' influences on interactive discourse through an interactional sociolinguistic analysis of videotaped, interpreted interactions. They examine the participation framework of each of the interactions to determine whether the interpreters' utterances influence the…

In the present study we investigated the relationship between suicidal behavior and aspects of bodily perception and parental care. Measures of bodily perception included measures of tactile sensitivity, body attitudes, and body experiences. Measures of parental care included parental bonding, negative and positive touch, and early maltreatment.…

The author describes several teaching aids and techniques to help blind and partially sighted students understand electronics, specifically devices (with availability) he has found effective in preparing a blind student for a ham radio license: an audital multimeter, raised line drawings, Opticon, braille texts, and Speech Pulse Calculator. (MF)

An educational program was designed to introduce spatial concepts to 30 congenitally/early-blinded children, aged 8-14, using a modified Optacon of Telesensory Systems, Incorporated. Using the vibrotactile stimulation device, the children learned to identify various objects correctly and to describe their relative spatial arrangements. (Author/JDD)

Five- to six-year-old children estimated the size of Euclidian objects using an addition rule of Height plus Width, rather than a multiplying rule. Within the framework of information integration theory, tested whether intensive handling of objects would facilitate shift from addition rule to multiplication rule. Found that following handling,…

This report summarizes the design and development of an adaptive e-learning prototype for middle school mathematics for use with both sighted and visually disabled students. Adaptation refers to the system's ability to adjust itself to suit particular characteristics of the learner. The main parts of the report describe the system's theoretical…

This study investigated the impact of haptic augmentation of a science inquiry program on students' learning about viruses and nanoscale science. The study assessed how the addition of different types of haptic feedback (active touch and kinesthetic feedback) combined with computer visualizations influenced middle and high school students'…

This article describes the use and development of communication systems for persons with severe intellectual and dual sensory impairments using tactually salient materials to refer to abstract and concrete objects and activities. A transdisciplinary model was used in teaching the use of these systems for requesting and decision-making processes.…

Presents a list of 11 advantages that hands-on science instruction has over science instruction via television. Teaching methods encourage activities that appeal to sensual stimulation, problem solving, student interests, and cooperative learning. (MDH)

The mind/body split internalized in Western culture does not acknowledge the body's role in learning. Three environmental education teachers' techniques for engaging all the senses to enhance other ways of knowing include: a comfortable classroom environment, experiencing the natural environment, playfulness, imagination, storytelling, crafting…

Visualized braille was presented on closed circuit television (CCTV) to six blind tactile braille reading subjects (ages 12-50). Results supported cross-modal transfer of learning from tactile to visual modality. After intensive visual training, these subjects could discriminate visual forms and read ordinary print using the CCTV. (Author/BS)

A study used focus groups to allow students, general-dentistry residents, and dental faculty to discuss issues related to learning to use touch in dental treatment. Analysis of group interactions indicated that learning to touch dental patients was often trial-and-error, and uncomfortable for students. A fine line exists between preventing…