Tested was the premise that the academic competencies of visually impaired learners could be enhanced by training procedures that combine auditory and visual skills in a project using the Monterey Learning Systems Reading and Mathematics Programs with 29 visually impaired print readers. (Author/MH)

The medical evaluation of 165 mentally retarded Australian adults found an average of 2.6 health problems, well above the number in the general population. In order of frequency, conditions found included obesity, ocular impairment, serious dental problems, and aural disorders. Active health promotion with this group is recommended. (DB)

Services provided 124 visually impaired students involved in a federal demonstration project in Oakland County, Michigan, (1979-1980) involved preliminary assessments, referral to a low vision specialist, and follow-up training. Development of a general remediation scheme and a team approach facilitated follow-up care and use of low vision aids.…

Some cautions regarding the early educational uses of optical aids with visually impaired children are suggested, based on widely held assumptions and recent findings in the fields of perception and reading. The change from the sight conservation era to one advocating the maximum use of remaining vision is traced. (Author/SW)

Nigeria is starting to put into practice recommendations for blind children from the Oxford Conference of 1949. Recommendations include general and vocational education in schools adequately equipped and with qualified teachers, and education according to interest and aptitudes equal to what they would have received had they not been blind.…

Outlines the contributions of education and rehabilitation specialists in maximizing specific skills, self-esteem, and quality of life of individuals with low vision. The role of these specialists in evaluating functional vision, teaching methods to compensate for impaired vision, and addressing psychosocial concerns are discussed. (Author/CR)

A study investigated whether the reading difficulties of 60 Dutch children with low vision were a matter of reduced visual input or a consequence of a lack of orthographic knowledge. Results indicated that reduced visual input was the only cause of the children's lower reading performance. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article summarizes results of statistical analyses of an intelligence test for 155 braille-educated blind and low-vision children, aged 6-15, in the Netherlands. Results indicate some accuracy in predicting academic achievement; factor analysis indicates 4 interpretable factors in children with and without usable vision. (Author/PB)

Ninety-nine adolescents with blindness or visual impairments were interviewed about their vocational aims, marriage plans, and recreational activities. Career ambitions included the helping professions, commercial/industrial work, support services, and self-employment; over 50 percent were looking forward to marriage; and favorite hobbies were…

A nationwide survey of braille instructors in adult rehabilitation centers found that: most teachers taught braille to fewer than 20 percent of clients; few taught complex reading skills; instructors' attitudes were influenced by their training site, type of college degree, and degree of vision; and teaching behaviors were affected by teaching…

A survey of teachers of the visually impaired and adults with albinism or parents of children with albinism (total responses=144) found no use of Braille by the adults or children with albinism, awareness of the condition by almost all teachers, support for mainstreaming by all, and specific teaching suggestions from teachers. (DB)

Parents (n=52) of blind and partially sighted infants and preschoolers were surveyed concerning the frequency of occurrence and stability of the children's stereotyped behaviors. Stereotyped behaviors frequently observed in blind children proved to be stable, whereas other stereotyped behaviors were less stable. Age of child and frequency of…