Intercountry Adoption of Children with Visual Impairments: An Exploratory Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-247
Author(s):  
Paula Wenner Conroy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Adopted Children ◽  
Intercountry Adoption ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments

Introduction Although there is much research related to the adoption of children with disabilities in general, there is none that focuses specifically on the experiences of parents who have adopted children with visual impairments (that is, who are blind or have low vision) from outside of the United States (also called “intercountry” or “international” adoption). Methods Fifteen parents of children who were adopted from outside the United States and had visual impairments were interviewed in this exploratory study. The participants all lived in the United States following the adoptions and volunteered to participate in this study in 2015. Research questions focusing on pre-adoption (why and who), challenges, and supports framed the open-ended interviews. The interviews were transcribed and themes emerged through the process of coding. Results Parents shared their personal experiences through interviews. All 15 parents had similarities in the process of adoption. Parents adopted in order to begin or enlarge their families, but did not necessarily go into the process desiring to adopt a child with a visual impairment. Challenges were experienced in the areas of medical, educational, and social-emotional needs. Parents agreed that supports were necessary before, during, and after the adoption process. Discussion The need for supports throughout the entire process of inter-country adoption of a child with a visual impairment was made clear through this study. Adoption agencies and agencies for visually impaired individuals are in a good position to set up support networks and mentorship programs. Implications for practitioners This study only scratches the surface of the topic of intercountry adoption of children with visual impairments. By sharing experiences, attention can be given to issues, and systems can be put into place to better support families in raising internationally adopted children with visual impairments.

The Effects of Ecologically Valid Intervention Strategies on the Locomotor Skills of Children With Visual Impairments

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Brian ◽  
Laura Bostick ◽  
Angela Starrett ◽  
Aija Klavina ◽  
Sally Taunton Miedema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Education Teachers ◽  
Physical Educator ◽  
Schools For The Deaf ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments

Children with visual impairments often exhibit difficulties with locomotor skills (e.g., the ability to move one’s body from one place to another), warranting the need for ecologically valid interventions with conditions that attempt to match the real world in a variety of settings. Parents and physical education teachers are the ones choosing to provide movement opportunities for children with visual impairments and must be included in any ecologically valid intervention strategy. This was a descriptive-analytic study. To support the greatest diversity in settings, the authors recruited 94 participants (blind = 44 and low vision = 50; Mage = 13.01 years, SD = 3.26) from schools for the deaf and blind in the United States (teacher led, n = 17) or Latvia (teacher led, n = 57), through an online LISTSERV throughout the United States (parent led, n = 10), and a control subgroup (n = 10). At the pretest, no participant’s motor development met age expectations. Children with visual impairments from multiple locations and cultures significantly improved compared with controls who did not. Results were most favorable when the physical educator was the interventionist. However, further research is needed to replicate these findings.

scholarly journals Estimates of Incidence and Prevalence of Visual Impairment, Low Vision, and Blindness in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany Chan ◽  
David S. Friedman ◽  
Chris Bradley ◽  
Robert Massof
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
The United States

The National Sports Education Camps Project: Introducing Sports Skills to Students with Visual Impairments through Short-term Specialized Instruction

2005 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  
pp. 685-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul E. Ponchillia ◽  
Jennifer Armbruster ◽  
Jennipher Wiebold
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Western Michigan University ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sports Skills ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments ◽  
Sports Activities

The National Sports Education Camps Project (NSEC), a joint partnership between Western Michigan University and the United States Association of Blind Athletes, provides short-term interventions to teach sports to children with visual impairments. A study comparing 321 students with visual impairments, ranging in age from 8 to 19 years, before and after they participated in the camp found that they knew more about sports, were able to jump and throw farther, held more positive attitudes, and were more likely to become involved in local sports activities. Benefits of short-term specialized programming and implications for practice were also examined.

Current Trends in the Education of Children with Visual Impairments in Australia

1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Pagliano
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Special Education ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
International Trends ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
History Of ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments

The education of children with visual impairments in Australia has a long history of innovations which have been at the forefront of special education. Educators in Australia and the United States often face similar philosophical concerns and issues. Differences which do occur in Australia appear to be mainly owing to the lack of national legislation and the absence of a strong research base. Decision-making in Australia has tended to be regional and primarily determined by a combination of demand, availability of human and material resources, and international trends. Support for these observations has been found by examining recent Australian developments, especially those relating to integration.

Schools’ Efforts to Involve Latino Families of Students with Visual Impairments

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (7) ◽  
pp. 389-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Milian
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Home Visits ◽  
The United States ◽  
Latino Families ◽  
School Programs ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments

This study found that Latino families thought that schools did well in providing information about their children with visual impairments and inviting families to school programs and poorly on encouraging families to volunteer at school, providing assistance to families in helping their children with self-care activities, and making home visits. The families’ ratings varied by the children's ages and reading modes, by the length of time the families had lived in the United States, and the languages the families spoke.

Two Exercise Programs for People with Diabetes and Visual Impairment

1993 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 365-367
Author(s):  
J. Dods
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Exercise Programs ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
Basic Model ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Exercise Regimen

This article describes two programs—one in Australia and one in the United States—that teach people with diabetes and visual impairment to incorporate proper diets and exercise into their daily lives and hence to gain better control of their blood glucose levels. It also presents a basic model of an exercise regimen that clients can perform at home.

The Expanded Core Curriculum Areas Experienced by Campers during Camp Abilities: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-41
Author(s):  
Lauren J. Lieberman ◽  
Katie Ericson ◽  
Maria Lepore-Stevens ◽  
Karen Wolffe
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Structured Learning ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Expanded Core Curriculum ◽  
Children With Visual Impairments

Introduction: The expanded core curriculum (ECC) refers to the generally accepted nine areas of instruction that children who are visually impaired (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) must learn through explicit instruction in order to live independently as adults. Children with visual impairments must experience immersion in the ECC in their daily lives throughout the year rather than only being taught these skills during the school year by teachers of students with visual impairments. Therefore, this research was undertaken to determine whether athletes attending Camp Abilities, a sports camp for children with visual impairments, experienced new ECC skills or practiced previously learned ECC skills and if so, how. Method: Researchers chose to interview 10 athletes from a purposeful sample of 30 children who had previously attended camp. The 10 coaches who worked with these athletes one-on-one participated in focus group discussions at the end of the weeklong camp. In addition, all athletes and coaches attending camp listed their thoughts on posters describing how all athletes attending experienced areas of the ECC. Finally, researchers documented observations of athletes’ opportunities to practice ECC content throughout the weeklong program. Researchers transcribed interviews and focus group discussions and reviewed for themes relating to ECC areas that were part of the students’ lived experience during camp. Results: Three major conclusions emerged from reviews of the interviews, discussion group transcripts, posters, and observations: (1) athletes and coaches were initially unclear about what the ECC areas were and how the athletes experienced the ECC in their everyday academic and home activities; (2) following clarification of the ECC areas, the athletes came to recognize how they learned and applied ECC skills during the camp experience; and (3) a more structured instructional approach to applying the ECC at camp may further enhance their experiences. Discussion: The youth participants were not able to list and describe all of the ECC areas when interviewed at the end of camp. However, adult participants (coaches) listed most ECC areas and described how athletes experienced the ECC during camp in their focus group discussions. Once researchers clarified ECC areas for athletes, they identified self-determination, recreation and leisure, social interaction, and independent living as the areas of the ECC most often experienced during camp. Implications for practitioners: Practitioners need to pay attention to structured learning of the ECC areas and consider articulating for students which areas overlap in their everyday lives, so that they are fully aware of the multiple skills they are acquiring. Camp Abilities is a functional way for youths with visual impairments to experience all areas of the ECC.

So you want to work in sports? An exploratory study of sport business employability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Finch ◽  
Norm O'Reilly ◽  
David Legg ◽  
Nadège Levallet ◽  
Emma Fody
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sport Management ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Analytical Thinking

PurposeAs an industry, sport business (SB) has seen significant growth since the early 2000s. Concurrently, the number of postsecondary sport management programs has also expanded dramatically. However, there remain concerns about whether these programs are meeting the demands of both employers and graduates. To address these concerns, this study examines the credential and competency demands of the SB labor market in the United States.Design/methodology/approachResearchers conducted an analysis using a broad sample of employment postings (N = 613) for SB positions from two different years, 2008 and 2018.FindingsResults support that a complex set of SB qualifications exist, and the credentials and competencies included in SB employment postings have evolved over the past decade.Originality/valueA noteworthy finding is that meta-skills are found to be particularly important for employability, including items such as communication, emotional intelligence and analytical thinking and adaptability.

Effects of a Disability Simulation Activity on the Achievement, Efficacy, Attitudes, and Interests of Preservice Professionals

2021 ◽  
pp. 0145482X2110466
Author(s):  
Alexandra Hollo ◽  
Carla B. Brigandi ◽  
Casey M. Jelsema ◽  
Mingming Shi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Low Vision ◽  
Visual Impairments ◽  
Cluster Randomized Trial ◽  
Single Class ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Disability Simulation ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction: Disability simulation activities are commonly used for various purposes in higher education; however, instructors may be unaware of controversies regarding their use. The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of an activity using low vision goggles to simulate visual impairment in the context of an undergraduate course in special education. We highlight the need for instructors to consider the appropriateness of disability simulation activities given possible countertherapeutic effects. Methods: In this cluster-randomized trial, 11 classes (248 students) of preservice education and related services professionals were randomized to experimental (lecture + simulation) or control (lecture only) conditions. During a single class session, all students received basic information about visual impairment and watched a video on being a human guide. Students in the experimental group then practiced guiding and being guided while wearing low vision goggles. At the end of class, students completed three Likert-type surveys and later completed a quiz using publisher-developed materials. Results: Results showed individuals in the experimental group reported higher levels of interest and enjoyment than those in the control condition; however, there were no statistically significant differences in attitudes toward persons with visual impairments, confidence or self-efficacy for working with students with visual impairments, content knowledge, or perceptions of activity usefulness. Discussion: Findings of positive engagement in the absence of harmful effects indicate that disability simulation activities should be neither promoted nor denigrated wholesale; instead, instructors must weigh carefully potential benefits and drawbacks. Discussion includes considerations for professional education programs in using such simulations to promote skill acquisition via positive and respectful learning experiences. Implications for practitioners: Instructors who use disability simulation activities are encouraged to consider whether to discontinue this practice or incorporate principles recommended by the disability community and assess outcomes to ensure they are not perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

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