Light-adapted (LA) electroretinograms (ERGs) from 90 individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), mean age (13.0 ± 4.2), were compared to 87 control subjects, mean age (13.8 ± 4.8). LA-ERGs were produced by a random series of nine different Troland based, full-field flash strengths and the ISCEV standard flash at 2/s on a 30 cd m[superscript…

A curious phenomenon in early social-cognitive development has been identified: Preschoolers deny that they can see others who cannot also see them (Russell, Gee, & Bullard, 2012). The exclusive focus on vision has suggested that this effect is limited to gaze, but children's negations might reflect a broader phenomenon that extends to vocal…

The current definition of Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) includes all visual dysfunctions caused by damage to, or malfunctioning of, the retrochiasmatic visual pathways in the absence of damage to the anterior visual pathways or any major ocular disease. CVI is diagnosed by exclusion and the existence of many different causes and symptoms make…

The performance of children (and sometimes adults) with visual impairments (VI) on a range of tasks that reflect learning, memory and mental imagery is considered in this article. Sometimes the evidence suggests that there are impairments in performance in comparison with typically developing children with vision, and sometimes some advantages…

The development of the concept of conservation was examined in 120 elementary school children divided into three groups: partially sighted, sighted, and sighted-blindfolded. (CM)

Twelve- and 14-month-old infants' ability to represent another person's visual perspective (Level-1 visual perspective taking) was studied in a looking-time paradigm. Fourteen-month-olds looked longer at a person reaching for and grasping a new object when the old goal-object was visible than when it was invisible to the person (but visible to the…

Through seriation, verbal seriation, and conservation tasks, investigated blind, partially sighted, and sighted children's understanding of quantity. Subjects were 81 children equally dispersed through these 3 groups. Age range was 4 to 17 years. Found similarity in concept acquisition among three groups that extended beyond quantity conservation…

Interviews with 4- to 8-year olds indicated that children's understanding of how it is that they can see object develops gradually. This article presents a map of this development in terms of two distinct modes of cognitive functioning, the ikonic mode and concrete symbolic mode, drawn from the interviews and the SOLO (Structure of Learning…

Comparison of 2 totally blind, 2 visually impaired, and 9 normally sighted children (ages 5-8) on tasks of visual perspective taking found that the totally blind children were older than the other children when they mastered the tasks, made the highest percentage of errors before mastery, and made different errors. (Author/DB)

Three experiments investigated whether 4-month-olds would attend to and utilize the global configuration ("good form") of a partly occluded, moving object to perceive its unit and coherence behind the occluder. Results indicated that curvature per se provided information in support of completion, in addition to global configuration and…

The review synthesizes viewpoints on functions of play and provides an overview of information on effects of visual impairments on play patterns. The importance of play in learning is stressed. Specific needs for research on the play behavior of young children with low vision are identified. (Author/CL)

Among results comparing attainment of the conservation concept in blind (N=30), partially sighted (N=50), and sighted (N=40) children (ages 6-15) in Taiwan were that development of partially sighted children was more like the development of sighted than blind children, and that a 1-4 year developmental lag occurred in blind children. (Author/DB)

A comparative study of conservation development in partially sighted, sighted, and sighted blindfolded children at four age levels was assessed. Conservation on tasks of mass, weight, and volume were evaluated using Piaget and Inhelder's prediction, judgment, and explanation questions. The significant differences were found between groups, task,…

This study evaluated the knowledge of Level 1 and Level 2 rules of perspective taking by 18 8-year-old children (either congenitally blind, congenitally low vision, or sighted). All children understood Level 1 rules; their knowledge of Level 2 rules (that a heterogeneously sided object will appear differently to viewers from different sides)…

Explores the nature of images created by Paleolithic artists and autistic artists in regard to drawing techniques and image function. Explains the commonalities based on a discussion of the role of the early vision process and the construction of meaning. Notes the importance of this research for understanding autistic artists. (DSK)