Patterns of play behavior in 18 young low vision children in a structured free-play situation with toys were analyzed. The presence of visual impairment was associated with significantly less functional and more stereotypical play behavior indicating quantitative and qualitative differences between groups. (Author/CL)

An assessment instrument of the visual skills required for reading among macular loss individuals is presented along with a study involving 48 adults to evaluate its reliability. Data are included to verify claims regarding aspects of reading that are particularly problematic for macular loss individuals; rehabilitation techniques are suggested.…

The study examined whether individual levels of optimal illumination could be reliably determined for visually impaired adults and whether the level identified in the assessment had validity in relation to a practical reading task. The assessment procedure was found to be reliable and valid and reading performance improved. (Author/DB)

Reading speed of 72 partially sighted adults was examined under conditions of simulated and real visual impairment. Visually impaired Ss with normal visual fields and defective central or peripheral fields performed similarly to normally sighted Ss participating in simulated visual impairment. It is concluded that reading speed depends on acuity.…

The study examined question frequencies and types in language samples from 36 sighted and visually impaired children (4-10 years old). Results demonstrated significant differences between blind/sighted and low vision/sighted groups in the ratio of questions asked. Comparison of question types indicated some minor distinctions of type of usage by…

The Perkins-Binet Test of Intelligence for the Blind, Form U; the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Verbal Scale; and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) were administered to 52 low-vision children in the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. Results indicated that the mean ten scores on the two tests of intelligence…

Active and passive perceptual training methods were tested with 30 macular degeneration patients to improve their residual vision. The main conclusion was that perceptual training may contribute to successful visual adjustment and that the effect of training is not limited to a particular level of visual impairment. (Author/CL)

One of the most prevalent visual impairments of people aged 60 and older is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which ranks third globally as a cause of visual impairment (World Health Organization, 2006). The purpose of this study was to conduct a tentative subjective assessment of eccentric viewing by persons with AMD. The authors recruited…

This study investigated the effects of microcomputer usage on the educational experiences of a low vision high school student. Ethnographic research methodology was utilized to conduct the single-subject study. Participant observation provided data, with interviewing of key individuals in the student's school and home environments providing…

Correlational analysis was undertaken between occupational success and 46 visual, biographical, psychological, and educational parameters in 169 visually handicapped Ss. Small but statistically significant correlations were obtained for sex and the academic qualifications, one measure of distance visual acuity, and attitudes to visual impairment…

The Test of Practical Knowledge was used with 116 blind and visually impaired adolescents. Most of the demographic variables had little or no relationship to acquired practical knowledge. Furthermore, legally blind-visually impaired students had more difficulty in acquiring practical knowledge than did their totally blind peers. (Author/CL)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by family members revealed that there was a marked reduction in stated problems immediately after a rehabilitation training program and over a three-and-a-half-year period. Similar benefits were noted for older family members, those receiving shortened programs, and those living with sight loss for many years.…

The study investigated the relationship between specific functional color deficits and performance of 32 visually impaired children either with or without blue/purple color deficits. Results of using two types of educational materials, either dittoed or photocopied, demonstrated increased errors by the children with color deficits in the dittoed…

This study compared effects of four visual conditions of stimuli and light on the visual performance of 30 children with low vision (divided into high, and low, visual-acuity groups). Orange stimuli viewed under black light resulted in the best overall performance, benefitted the low-acuity group more than the high-acuity group, and was the…

This study examined the role of visual imagery in the centripetal execution principle (CEP), a graphic rule that is related to the drawing of complex figures that are composed of embedded geometric shapes. Sighted blindfolded children and children with early-onset low vision and early-onset blindness copied raised-line drawings (using only the…