This teaching manual for treatment of children with developmental disabilities is divided into seven sections that address: (1) basic concepts; (2) transition into treatment; (3) early learning concepts; (4) expressive language; (5) strategies for visual learners; (6) programmatic considerations; and (7) organizational and legal issues. Among…

This qualitative study investigated the medium of drawings as a methodological technique for visual data analysis. The study explored graphical symbols as an additional source for descriptive, interpretive inquiry. The design focused on gaining insight into the perceptions of adolescents' experiences as expressed by the visual narratives in their…

Rank-difference correlations between Memory-for-Designs test, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and Wide Range Achievement Test scores for two classes of educable mentally retarded children showed high negative correlations between Memory-for-Designs and WISC Full Scale IQs. Visual memory accounted for 84 percent of variance in…

Reviews research in which children's processing of individual words is examined in prose context. When taken together, the data suggest that the reader's dependence on contextual constraint for individual word identification decreases with age. (HOD)

A study investigated whether changing the letter composition of the Denckla and Rudel rapid automatized naming (RAN) task influenced task performance and the RAN word identification skill relationships in 383 first graders. Substituting a letter that was visually similar to other letters had the greatest influence on RAN speed and accuracy…

Describes the development of interactive, multimedia courseware based on Josef Alber's book, "Interaction of Color." Alber's ideas and teachings on the perceptions of color are explained, and steps involving computer graphics, hardware, and software that resulted in the use of CD-ROM and videodisc with an Apple Macintosh II are detailed.…

The stability of some dimensions of ability between the ages of 12 and 15 years was investigated for 225 boys and 242 girls in Sweden. Testing in grades 6, 8, and 9 indicated high stability for the general intelligence factor and for the residual of the General Visual factor. (SLD)

The development of visual perception skills in children with partial vision as well as developmental disabilities is considered. A model of visual learning is offered which incorporates the role of visual experience, movement, and visual learning. Specific teaching suggestions for developing visual attention and visual search skills are offered.…

Two experiments with 172 undergraduate students (70 males and 102 females) examined the relationship among spatial, imagery, and verbal ability and the multitrial free recall of brief prose passages. Results suggest that the psychological mechanisms underlying prose learning performance clearly differ depending on the ability being examined. (SLD)

Describes a study of undergraduates at Ohio State University that examined the relationship between drawing performance and cognitive abilities related to visual perception and analysis, drawing strategies, type of stimulus, previous experience with visual studies, and gender. Related studies are reviewed, and implications for instructional design…

To investigate whether screen color is an important variable in the prescription of closed circuit television (CCTV) systems, 16 adults with low vision were assessed on reading performance on white, green, and amber screens. When the screen luminance and contrast were equated for each CCTV, subjects' reading performance was unaffected by screen…

This study compares two methods of instruction in practical school biology. The content remains the same but two teaching methods are used, one based on workstations (Group 1) and the other a conventional approach (Group 2). The content was a regular 9th grade syllabus issue: visual perception. Method 1 included a phenomenological introduction,…

Studying the biological mechanisms underlying mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD) is a very complex task. This is due to the wide heterogeneity of etiologies and pathways that lead to MR/DD. Breakthroughs in genetics and molecular biology and the development of sophisticated brain imaging techniques during the last decades…

The author studied children's and young adult's perceptions of facial age and beliefs about the sociability, cognitive ability, and physical fitness of adult faces. From pairs of photographs of adult faces, participants (4-6 years old, 8-10 years old, 13-16 years old, and 19-23 years old) selected the one face that appeared younger, older, better…

To examine how young children learn to read new words, we asked preschoolers (N = 115, mean age 4 years, 8 months) to learn and remember novel spellings that made sense based on letter names (e.g. TZ for "tease") and spellings that were visually distinctive but phonetically inappropriate. Children who were more knowledgeable about letter names…