The article reviews two issues in special education service delivery and the impact on children with visual impairments: the Regular Education Initiative and the Least Restrictive Environment. The concept of "educational deficit" as a requirement for services is seen to be inappropriate for this population. (Author/DB)

Discussion of ways to encourage walking by young children with visual impairments first notes factors that constrain motor development. Suggestions include providing incentives for movement, building trust, fostering postural readiness, encouraging cruising, utilizing familiar spaces and short distances, and using protective and support devices…

The education of children with visual impairments in Australia is compared to that in the United States. Educators in both nations often face similar philosophical concerns and issues, however Australia lacks national legislation and a strong research base. Decision-making in Australia tends to be regional. (Author/DB)

This article presents a literature survey and conceptual model of the perceptual-motor performance of children with visual impairment, in relation to their social development. The relationships between visual impairment and orientation, visual impairment and mobility, and motor performance and social integration are examined. (Author/SW)

This article proposes that residential schools for children with visual impairments provide direct services to mainstreamed children, including occasional withdrawal to the residential school for instruction in specific skill areas unique to visual impairment including sports, computer training, tactile graphics, Braille music, and daily living…

The changing purposes of schools for children with visual impairments are analyzed in relation to their evolution, current practices, and future functions. It presents three models emphasizing the developing heterogeneity in orientation and services: the school as the resource center, the life-skills center, and the magnet school. (JDD)

Describes the programs of St. Lucy's Day School, which focuses on maintaining a special facility for children with visual impairments. Emphasizes early intervention, qualified teachers, mainstreaming, social support for family, pooling of resources from colleges and vendors in the community, and the use of advanced technology to improve education.…

This brief article outlines theories for the decrease in braille literacy among children with visual impairments. It stresses the need for braille instruction, the inability of itinerant teachers to adequately instruct many scattered visually impaired students, and resistance to using simplified Grade 1 braille. Special problems raised by…

A 2-year study on the shortage of personnel serving children with visual impairments found a need for 5,000 teachers and 10,000 orientation and mobility specialists. Proposed action steps include preparing new and existing personnel, preparing new leaders and researchers, and expanding the capacity to recruit new and retain existing personnel.…

This review examines research done on affection behaviors of children with visual and hearing impairments. A social interaction perspective is utilized, and areas for further empirical investigation are identified. (DB)

This article discusses the role of orientation and mobility specialists and teacher consultants for children who have visual impairments and severe multiple disabilities. Examples of the programming contributions of both the orientation and mobility specialist and the teacher consultant serving as vision consultant are given, for domestic,…

Discusses education of multiply handicapped children, especially those with visual impairments. Reviews literature relative to previous studies in this area, focusing on participant observation as a suitable and useful means of assessing multiply disabled populations. Provides a basis for advocating qualitative measures over quantitative ones in…

In February of 2009, the "Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness" ("JVIB") published the first articles under the heading of Practice Perspectives. These articles featured work by three professionals who described how they taught reading to children or adults. The feature reflects the commitment of the American Foundation…

Advocates of bimodal bilingual (Bi-Bi) early intervention argue that both visual and auditory communication systems reflect optimal family and educational interactions for teachers, families, and their young children with hearing loss. The primary objective of this commentary is to highlight semantic variations noted in theoretical, ideological,…

With the passage of Goals 2000, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Education Science Reform Act of 2002, Congress has put a priority on a science curriculum for children that is based on research on the best practices in science education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, teachers "need to know what programs and…