Imagery and visualization, both voluntary and involuntary, can be used therapeutically in the adaptation processes of congenitally and adventitiously blind persons. Imagery and visualization can help clients make psychosocial changes necessary to improve mental attitudes and to return to the mainstream. (Author/JDD)

Usher syndrome, Type I, requires multiple adaptations throughout the life cycle because each stage of life has tasks and losses associated with deafness and progressive retinitis pigmentosa. This article examines the issues raised at each stage, using clinical vignettes from persons who have this condition and their families. (Author/DB)

The article questions the loss model used to explain a lack of motivation in visually impaired clients. An alternative model proposes that self-efficacy is the primary factor in adjustment, suggesting that early skill-oriented intervention can prevent loss of competence and foster a sense of personal control essential for successful…

Psychological variables influencing adjustment to acquired visual loss are examined conceptually and empirically, to clarify their role in skill acquisition and to develop a testable model of adjustment. The Nottingham Adjustment Scale, which measures anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and other characteristics, is presented, along with analysis of…

Based upon 15 interviews, the paper discusses specific educational and social problems as perceived by nine brain injured learners (14-24 years old), their teachers, families, and peers. Interview excerpts illustrate executive functions of self-awareness, self-evaluation, and self-monitoring; the effects on families; and student difficulties in…

The Community Cadre Network in Virginia is a local support network for helping individuals with spinal cord injuries make the transition from an institutional setting to home and community life. Cadre members are people who have been through the experience of traumatic injury, rehabilitation, and return home. (SEW)

The initial role of the low-vision teacher involves helping patients psychologically adjust to their situation and assessing patients' readiness for rehabilitation. Then training can begin to effectively use remaining vision, to determine fixation angles for reading text, and to function both with and without optical and other aids. (JDD)

Personal accounts describe the lives of 2 individuals with deaf-blindness, one an 87-year-old woman who was deaf from birth and became totally blind over a 50-year period and the other of a woman who became deaf-blind as a result of a fever at the age of 7. Managing activities of daily life and experiencing sensory hallucinations are among topics…

Discussion and case vignettes demonstrate defence processes in coping with illness and disability. Differences in the coping process between adolescents physically disabled from birth and those disabled through accident or illness are addressed. Dangers and prospects of lengthy rehabilitation processes are discussed, as are adjustments necessary…

Intended for individuals losing their sight and for families of these individuals, this guide presents methods of performing basic tasks of daily living, addresses common feelings and fears, and offers suggestions for additional help. An introductory chapter outlines how to use the guide. Subsequent chapters address the following topics: (1)…