Those who focus on the study of visual information continue to search for effective ways to conceptualize that inquiry. However, many visual examples are better categorized as visual/verbal collaboration, complicating analysis. When analysis is based on the assumption that visual and verbal modalities perform in similar ways, important…

This study examined whether children with mathematical difficulties (MDs) or comorbid mathematical and reading difficulties have a working memory deficit and whether the hypothesized working memory deficit includes the whole working memory system or only specific components. In the study, 31 10-year-olds with MDs and 37 10-year-olds with both…

This paper presents an approach to understanding visual metaphor which uses metaphoric analysis and comprehension by graphic and pictorial means. The perceptible qualities of shape, line, form, color, and texture, that make up the visual structure characteristic of any particular shape, configuration, or scene, are called physiognomic properties;…

Eight autistic children and young adolescents (mean age 12.9 years) were compared to normal chronological age controls. Ss were required to discriminate briefly presented visual stimuli when they were preceded or followed by a visual noise mask and when they were not. The minimum stimulus exposure duration for criterion identification of unmasked…

A teacher of learning disabled secondary students discusses the role of visual learning in motivating students and increasing their communication skills. Application of visual methods in an American and British setting is seen to have resulted in gains in self concept, motivation toward school, and in comunication skills. (CL)

Several theoretical issues are reviewed which address the pictorial vs. verbal characteristics of media and provide a beginning framework for understanding how these influence learning. (STS)

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…

Reading comprehension performance of 50 prelingually, profoundly hearing-impaired and 50 normal-hearing Ss of comparable ages and reading levels was compared. Results indicated that although visual matching was used to some extent by normal-hearing students, it was used much more extensively by hearing-impaired students with comparable ages and…

An exploratory study involving three learning disabled students suggested that semantic maps, a visuospatial strategy in which concepts are linked, promoted reading comprehension. (CL)

Research on visual and phonological coding in reading words for meaning is reviewed, and two studies are described that examined the word processing of skilled and less skilled elementary school readers. Findings revealed support for previous studies stressing the importance of the automatic nature of reading skills. (CL)

The author cautions that far from being an educational panacea, computers may actually be frustrating or even harmful for children with visual problems, including difficulties with visual-tactual development, visual attention span, and nearsightedness. A coordinated program implemented by education and clinicians is advocated. (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)

Reviews a series of papers which report a sequence of experiments concerned with how repeated visual encounters with objects or patterns influence attentional preference for what is familiar of what is unfamiliar or novel. (WY)