ERIC Number: EJ1149627
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-482X
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Available Date: N/A
Should Individuals Who Do Not Fit the Definition of "Visual Impairment" Be Excluded from Visual Impairment Services?
Morse, Mary T.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, v111 n4 p377-381 Jul-Aug 2017
Cerebral or cortical visual impairment (CVI) is not the unknown condition it was 50 years ago. Although research had been conducted and papers published, it was not until the 1980s that it really became an issue of concern and much debate for educators. This interest was primarily sparked by the increasing numbers of children who had been diagnosed with the condition and the prolific efforts of many medical and nonmedical individuals and institutions. During that time, wide variations were discovered among individuals with CVI. Most had difficulty with or the inability to visually recognize objects in general or certain categories of objects such as animals or automobiles, to manage heavy sensory-motor demands, or to use two dimensional visual representations (Morse, 1999). Today, more teachers of visually impaired students are providing services to those with CVI. Many professionals in the field of visual impairment concentrate on providing services to this population and primarily perceive CVI as a condition associated with observable behaviors characteristic of severe neurological insult. There are, however, many infants, school age children, and adults with CVI who have not received as much consideration, because this is a population that most professionals are ill-prepared to understand and serve. These unrecognized groups involve people who have typical or near-typical visual acuity but may not have been identified as having CVI or, who have a range of "hidden disabilities" that may go undiagnosed. Other forms of CVI-related agnosia can include: facial agnosia, prosopagnosia, topographical agnosia, or simultanagnosia (Dutton, 2015). This report details two of the hidden disabilities associated with CVI, prosopagnosia and topographical agnosia. Implications for practitioners in the form of adaptations for the learning environment and strategies to help students identify people are included.
Descriptors: Visual Impairments, Eligibility, Related Services (Special Education), Definitions, Clinical Diagnosis, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Educational Strategies, Disability Identification
American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A