This article discusses the increasing incidence of cortical visual impairments, resulting from medical advancements making possible the survival of critically ill children with severe brain damage. Discussed are the prevalence of multiple handicaps, formation of visual concepts, foreground/background distinction, potential for mainstreaming, use…

The applicability of two reinforcer assessment procedures to children with developmental disabilities and visual impairments was evaluated. Greater differentiation between stimuli occurred with a choice procedure than with a preference procedure. Measurement of compliance and responding rate in adaptive skill training confirmed that the choice…

Techniques used by the Special Visual Assessment Clinic for the Handicapped at the University of California-Berkeley School of Optometry are designed to serve handicapped children and adults generally considered "difficult to assess." This article describes the clinic's assessment goals, clientele, and methods for assessing visual ability and…

This study, with 3 sensory-impaired children (ages 24-27 months), 1 normal child, and their 4 mothers, found that mother-child communication interaction was influenced by the type of sensory impairment of the subject, whether hearing impairment, visual impairment, or both. (JDD)

Understanding the criteria and process for determining a student's eligibility for special education services is critical for any educator in an inclusive school environment. Based on the current reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this timely resource offers teachers and administrators an overview of each eligible disability and clear, specific…

A national survey was conducted in 1985 of agencies and schools for the blind and visually impaired as well as vocational rehabilitation facilities serving this population. Of the 1453 organizations in the sample, 415 responded; of these responses, 309 were usable. The survey was designed to examine agency characteristics; population…

Twenty-four congenitally visually handicapped infants, aged 6-24 months, participated in a study to determine (1) those stimuli best able to elicit visual attention, (2) the stability of visual acuity over time, and (3) the effects of binaural sensory aids on both visual attention and visual acuity. Ss were dichotomized into visually handicapped…

The focus of the institute on the counseling process and teachers of multiply handicapped children was on children with at least one sensory, emotional, or physical impairment in addition to a visual handicap. The roles of the specialist and the teacher in the counseling process and the determination of the best educational placement for the child…

Available from: Elizabeth K. Chapman, School of Education, The University of Birmingham, P. O. Box 363, Birmingham, 15, England. To examine the contemporary validity of the statement in the Vernon Report (EC 072 439) regarding the incidence of blind children (5 to 15 years old) with additional handicaps, a questionnaire survey of children in…

An almost totally blind, 26-year-old, retarded man whose rate of eye contact was below 30 percent in any time period was trained in his sheltered workshop environment. (Author)

The relationship between chronological age, social age, motor, sensory and concept skills, and the orientation and mobility skills of 37 mentally retarded visually impaired children was examined. Results revealed a strong relationship between developmental level in the areas of motor, sensory, and concept skills, and mobility proficiency.…

Visual defects associated with cerebral palsy and educational issues relevant to the multiple handicapped child are considered. Educational concerns include medical and developmental assessment; periodic evaluation of the individual education plan; comprehensive programing (i.e., medical, psychological, educational, and sociological); and parental…

This article reviews the theoretical and research literature on vision stimulation and vision training of children with severe irreversible visual impairments. It recommends early stimulation to prevent visual deprivation, use of operant conditioning, and the presentation of highly contrasting stimuli to stimulate visual awareness in children with…

This article presents information on the complications of both Type I and Type II diabetes and the implications for the rehabilitation of persons with diabetes and visual impairment. Topics covered include retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, peripheral neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic hand syndrome, neuropathy of the autonomic nervous…