Orientation and Mobility for the Blind Multiply Handicapped Young Child

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a programmed instructional program in orientation and mobility for blind multiply handicapped infants and toddlers below the developmental age of 3 years. Scales were developed for each of four major areas: motor development, cognitive development, movement and touch, and sound localization. Programmed instruction training materials were developed for each of these scales. The scales and programmed instruction were then field-tested with 22 multiply handicapped blind infants and toddlers functioning between 0 and 3 years of age. The children who received intervention from trainers using the programmed instructional materials demonstrated significant performance gains over the control subjects in the areas of cognitive development and movement and touch.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adelson

, and Fraiberg

(1976). Sensory deficit and motor development in infants blind from birth. In The effects of and other impairments on early development ( Jastrzembska

X.S.

, Ed.). New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

Atkinson

R.C.

(1968). Computerized instruction and learning process. American Psychologist, 23, 225–239.

Bourgeault

S.F.

, Harley

R.K.

, DuBose

R.F.

, and Langley

M.B.

(1977). Assessment and programming for blind children with severely handicapping conditions. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 71, 49–53.

Bower

T.G.R.

(1982). Development in infancy. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.

Campbell

D.T.

, and Stanley

J.C.

(1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago: Rand McNally.

Cook

T.D.

, and Campbell

D.T.

(1979). Quasiexperimentation: Design and analysis issues for field settings. Chicago: Rand McNally.

Felix

L.F.

, and Spungin

S.J.

(1978). Preschool services for the visually handicapped: A national survey. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 73, 59–66.

Fraiberg

S.H.

(1977). Insights from the Blind. New York: Basic Books.

Harley

R.K.

, and Merbler

J.B.

(1980). Development of an orientation and mobility program for multiply impaired low vision children. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 74(1), 9–14.

10.

Harley

R.K.

, Wood

T.A.

, and Merbler

J.B.

(1980). An orientation and mobility program for multiply impaired blind children. Exceptional Children, 46(5), 326–331.

11.

Merbler

J.B.

, and Wood

T.A.

(1984). Predicting orientation and mobility proficiency in mentally retarded visually impaired children. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 19(3), 228–230.

12.

Moore

M.E.

(1970). Developing body image and skills of orientation, mobility and social competence in preschool, multiply handicapped blind children. Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms, No. 70-20.

13.

Mori

A.G.

, and Olive

J.E.

(1978). The blind and visually handicapped mentally retarded: Suggestions for intervention in infancy. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 72, 273–279.

14.

Shine

L.L.

(1973). A multi-way analysis of variance for single-subject design. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 33, 633–636.

15.

Tawney

J.W.

, and Gast

D.L.

(1984). Single subject research in special education. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.