This article presents a rationale for emphasizing discovery instruction over guided instruction in teaching cane travel skills to people with severe visual impairments. Discovery instruction is seen to facilitate the use of intrinsic feedback in developing perceptual-cognitive skills as well as promoting problem solving, retention, and transfer of…

This study examined the use of dual communication boards for teaching appropriate communication responses to three deaf-blind high school students. Students were able to use the boards with 100% accuracy in three communication routines in both school and community environments. (Author/DB)

This article identifies segments of the deaf-blind population needing additional support to secure and maintain employment, such as the deaf-blind mentally retarded. Supported employment models are described in this context, with special emphasis on the individual placement model and its approaches to job development, worker assessment, training…

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has increased due to a high incidence of premature, low birthweight infants. Stages of severity range from no visual damage to total blindness, and educational problems of ROP children parallel those of other visually impaired children, early intervention being crucial. Treatments are either pharmacological or…

A raised-line form of the TONI (test of nonverbal intelligence), a graphic performance test, may effectively measure performance IQ of blind adults. Pilot studies show that while the tactile TONI may be too difficult for low-IQ adults, it may identify some kinds of learning disabilities and brain damage in adults with blindness. (Author/PB)

The study examined job roles in which practicing rehabilitation teachers of the blind (N=209) are engaged. Factor analysis identified three factors: teaching activities, case management activities, and professional and administrative activities. Instructional setting affected case management and professional/administrative activities. (Author/DB)

This article explores issues related to the use of supported employment and time-related transitional employment for blind and visually impaired persons. It defines the concepts; describes the characteristics that distinguish these services from others; and discusses the need for these services from ecological, philosophical, fiscal, and learning…

The study with three blind and mentally retarded adults with additional disabilities found that general case simulation instruction in housekeeping skills led to generalization to untrained settings. Degree of generalization was inversely related to the severity and complexity of participant disability. (Author/DB)

Blind vocational rehabilitation clients (N=100) were administered the Displacing and Turning tests of the Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Tests after three practice trials. Subjects essentially scored lower than people with normal vision, with their means on both tests being at the first percentile of the norms for sighted persons. (Author/DB)

The paper discusses terminology and probable causes of cortical visual impairment, normal visual development, and visual dysfunctioning. Also considered are educational implications for this population such as the importance of clarifying activity goals and utilizing persons, objects, and events that are intrinsically important and rewarding to…

Twenty-five older adults with age-related macular degeneration were separated into one of three groups: in-clinic training, take-home-training, or no-training. After testing, results showed that the ability to distinguish figure from ground is an improvable skill with the take-home group improving the most. (Author/DB)

The article describes current research on stereotypes in a group of blind children in Barcelona, Spain. Mannerisms and blindisms covering a range of verbal and motor behavior are defined and discussed, as are the variables of behavior related to them. (Author/DB)

This study used the Personal Orientation Inventory to compare self-actualization of 52 elite blind athletes with sighted athletes. Self-actualization profiles of blind athletes were lower for measures of existentiality and self-acceptance but otherwise identical to those of sighted athletes. Both sighted and blind athletes scored below test-manual…

Concerned adults (N=50) in continual interaction with visually impaired individuals were randomly assigned to view videotapes of visually impaired children either with or without gaze direction. Results indicated that the visually impaired children were judged more intelligent and socially competent when utilizing gaze direction toward the…

This article summarizes results of statistical analyses of an intelligence test for 155 braille-educated blind and low-vision children, aged 6-15, in the Netherlands. Results indicate some accuracy in predicting academic achievement; factor analysis indicates 4 interpretable factors in children with and without usable vision. (Author/PB)