Introduction: The Newborn Acuity Cards (NAC) have been used on neonates and were noted to be simple, fast, and reliable. The distinguishing features of NAC include central placement of the gratings and wide range of grating acuity that can be measured. In the current study, NAC were used with children who had developmental delays to determine the…

Introduction: This study aims to assess the prevalence of visual impairment and refractive error among learners who are deaf or hard of hearing in schools for Deaf students in Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to assess the distance visual acuity with the logMAR "E" chart, and ocular health was assessed…

Introduction: Surveys conducted in schools for blind students have become useful alternatives to population-based surveys in generating data on childhood blindness and low vision. This survey determined the prevalence of low vision, causes of visual impairment, and the proportion of students requiring low vision devices and provided the low vision…

Because children with visual impairments tend to be inactive, they are 1.5 times more likely to be considered overweight or obese than are their sighted peers. Although some barriers to physical activity have been identified (for example, lack of opportunity and transportation issues); little has been done to empirically identify predictors of…

Introduction: In this study, executive function of school-aged children with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) is examined in the context of behavioral problems and communicative competence. Methods: Teachers assessed the executive function of a sample of 226 visually impaired students from mainstream schools and…

Pediatric View is an evaluation project that began in 1999 and is located at Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh. The purpose of Pediatric View is to provide developmental and functional vision evaluations to children who have ocular or cortical visual impairments. The evaluations are generally two hours in length, and a detailed report…

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…

The ability of 16 school-age children with visual impairments and their sighted peers to recognize faces was compared. Although no intergroup differences were found in ability to identify entire faces, the visually impaired children were at a disadvantage when part of the face, especially the eyes, was not visible. Degree of visual acuity also…

This study examined the contribution of the home environment to the reading achievement of 49 children and adolescents with low vision. It found that children with no books at home read less well than those with books at home, but that no other home variables were related to reading achievement. (DB)

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) causes restriction of the visual field, progressive vision loss, and night blindness. This article presents an overview of the most common problems in orientation and mobility (O&M) for individuals with RP, appropriate interventions, vision science discoveries related to RP, and the impact of RP on functional visual…

This article describes a setup smart access card that enables users with visual impairments to customize magnifiers and screen readers on computers by loading the floppy disk into the computer and finding and pressing two successive keys. A trial with four elderly users found instruction took about 15 minutes. (Contains 3 references.) (CR)

This study evaluated the knowledge of Level 1 and Level 2 rules of perspective taking by 18 8-year-old children (either congenitally blind, congenitally low vision, or sighted). All children understood Level 1 rules; their knowledge of Level 2 rules (that a heterogeneously sided object will appear differently to viewers from different sides)…

A test of 32 children's hip and knee extensors found that children born blind or with low vision are at risk of developing weak lower-limb extensors, with congenitally blind children at greatest risk. After correcting for lean body weight, the differences between sighted children and those with low vision were insignificant. Results support the…

Outlines the contributions of education and rehabilitation specialists in maximizing specific skills, self-esteem, and quality of life of individuals with low vision. The role of these specialists in evaluating functional vision, teaching methods to compensate for impaired vision, and addressing psychosocial concerns are discussed. (Author/CR)