The author encourages the use of visual braille for children and adults with partial vision. A method of learning visual braille is described. (DB)

Patterns of play behavior in 18 young low vision children in a structured free-play situation with toys were analyzed. The presence of visual impairment was associated with significantly less functional and more stereotypical play behavior indicating quantitative and qualitative differences between groups. (Author/CL)

An assessment instrument of the visual skills required for reading among macular loss individuals is presented along with a study involving 48 adults to evaluate its reliability. Data are included to verify claims regarding aspects of reading that are particularly problematic for macular loss individuals; rehabilitation techniques are suggested.…

A videotape of a legally blind seven year old at home in her regular elementary class was developed for use as a learning tool for other teachers and classes and as a technical experience for the college student producers. (CL)

The study examined whether individual levels of optimal illumination could be reliably determined for visually impaired adults and whether the level identified in the assessment had validity in relation to a practical reading task. The assessment procedure was found to be reliable and valid and reading performance improved. (Author/DB)

Reading speed of 72 partially sighted adults was examined under conditions of simulated and real visual impairment. Visually impaired Ss with normal visual fields and defective central or peripheral fields performed similarly to normally sighted Ss participating in simulated visual impairment. It is concluded that reading speed depends on acuity.…

The article describes a three-part driving program for low vision persons in which potential trainees are first interviewed for problems which may interfere with success, then trained to recognize objects through a bioptic lens system, and finally trained on road signs and markings. (Author/CL)

Two experimental reading development courses were conducted for six partially sighted students who read so slowly that they could not complete their study assignments. At the end of each course, the participants' proficiency in reading improved dramatically. (Author)

The author discusses the current status of driving for persons with low vision, both with and without using a bioptic telescope. Licensing criteria, training sequences, and problem areas are considered. (Author/CL)

An overview of psychophysical studies on visual factors that influence normal- and low-vision reading is presented. General principles, such as the presence or absence of central vision, were found to predict reading performance despite the heterogeneity of low-vision conditions. Results suggested most low-vision subjects meet the visual…

The study examined question frequencies and types in language samples from 36 sighted and visually impaired children (4-10 years old). Results demonstrated significant differences between blind/sighted and low vision/sighted groups in the ratio of questions asked. Comparison of question types indicated some minor distinctions of type of usage by…

The Perkins-Binet Test of Intelligence for the Blind, Form U; the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Verbal Scale; and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) were administered to 52 low-vision children in the third, fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. Results indicated that the mean ten scores on the two tests of intelligence…

Active and passive perceptual training methods were tested with 30 macular degeneration patients to improve their residual vision. The main conclusion was that perceptual training may contribute to successful visual adjustment and that the effect of training is not limited to a particular level of visual impairment. (Author/CL)

A model is proposed that organizes factors related to visual function into three dimensions: visual abilities, available resources and past experiences, and environmental cues. The model is explained to be useful in determining how to elicit visual behaviors or maximize visual function in persons with low vision. (Author/CL)