Spatial Representation in Blind Children. 1: Development Compared to Sighted Children

1980 ◽  
Vol 74 (10) ◽  
pp. 381-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet F. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Cognitive Map ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Model Room ◽  
Blind Students

Studies of the development of spatial representation have led to blind children being characterized as deficient, inefficient, or different when compared to sighted children. The study described in this article involved 68 blind and blindfolded sighted students who explored a real or model room, either freely or guided along a predetermined route. The subjects then were questioned about the position of furniture in the room. Some questions could be answered from memory of the route traversed; others required the formation of a cognitive map for their solution. Data were analyzed in terms of the proportion of each type of question correctly answered by each age group. As a group, sighted students performed better than blind students. However, some blind students performed as well as the sighted students. The results of the study show the deficiency theory to be untenable, but do not provide conclusive support for either the inefficiency or difference theories.

Spatial Representation in Blind Children. 3: Effects of Individual Differences

1981 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet F. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Blind People ◽  
Light Perception ◽  
Early Vision ◽  
Retrolental Fibroplasia ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
Better Than

Theories of spatial representation in blind people have focused on the type of representation of which they, as a group, are capable. This approach overlooks an important issue, namely, the differences among individual blind people and the effects that these differences have on the way spatial information is represented. Data from another article by the author on the same study of spatial representation in blind children were subjected to two step-wise regression analyses to determine the relationships between several subject-related variables and responses to “map” (cognitive map) and “route” (sequential memory) questions about the position of furniture in a recently explored room. The independent variables accounted for 70 percent of the variance on map questions but only 46 percent of the variance on route questions. On map questions, general intellectual ability correlated positively with performance (p < .01), children with visual acuity better than light perception in the first 3 years of life performed better than those with less early vision (p < .05), and children who became blind from retrolental fibroplasia performed more poorly than those whose blindness was due to other causes (p < .05). Fewer independent variables contributed to the variance in performance on route questions. Again children with visual acuity better than light perception in their first 3 years performed better than those with less early vision.

Variability in Age and Experience among Blind Students Using Basal Reading Materials

1980 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 147-150
Author(s):  
Hilda Caton ◽  
Earl Rankin
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Programs ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Basal Reading ◽  
Basal Reader ◽  
Significant Variability ◽  
Grade Levels ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
Blind Students

This study was designed to identify various problems encountered by children who read braille and use conventional basal reading programs transcribed into that medium. It was hoped that this information could be used to improve methods of teaching blind children to read and to help design more suitable reading materials for them. The results showed educationally significant variability in chronological age, years in school and grade level for blind children using basal reader materials designed for sighted readers at specific grade levels.

scholarly journals Neuropsychological Differences Related to Age in Dementia with Lewy Bodies

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Nagahama ◽  
Tomoko Okina ◽  
Norio Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Dementia With Lewy Bodies ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Lewy Bodies ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Recent Memory ◽  
Better Than

Background/Aims: To examine the influence of age on neuropsychological performances in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. Methods: We examined memory, executive, and visuo-constructional performances in 202 DLB patients and 236 AD patients. We divided the subjects into three age groups (65–74, 75–84, and 85–95 years old), and evaluated the differences in neuropsychological performances. Results: Recent memory in the DLB group was significantly better than that in the age-matched AD group when comparing the age groups 65–74 years and 75–84 years; however, memory impairment in the DLB patients in the age group 85–95 years was comparable with that in the age-matched AD patients. In contrast to recent memory, the other assessed neuropsychological performances, such as visuospatial and executive functions, showed no significant change in differences between the DLB and AD groups with advancing age. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the nature of memory impairment in DLB patients changes according to age. DLB patients in the young-old and old-old age groups showed significantly better memory performance than the age-matched AD patients, whereas memory performance of the DLB patients in the oldest-old age group was similar to that of the age-matched AD patients. This may be associated with the increased rate of coexisting AD pathology in DLB patients with older age.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 transmission across age groups in France and implications for control

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Tran Kiem ◽  
Paolo Bosetti ◽  
Juliette Paireau ◽  
Pascal Crépey ◽  
Henrik Salje ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Targeted Intervention ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
Better Than

AbstractThe shielding of older individuals has been proposed to limit COVID-19 hospitalizations while relaxing general social distancing in the absence of vaccines. Evaluating such approaches requires a deep understanding of transmission dynamics across ages. Here, we use detailed age-specific case and hospitalization data to model the rebound in the French epidemic in summer 2020, characterize age-specific transmission dynamics and critically evaluate different age-targeted intervention measures in the absence of vaccines. We find that while the rebound started in young adults, it reached individuals aged ≥80 y.o. after 4 weeks, despite substantial contact reductions, indicating substantial transmission flows across ages. We derive the contribution of each age group to transmission. While shielding older individuals reduces mortality, it is insufficient to allow major relaxations of social distancing. When the epidemic remains manageable (R close to 1), targeting those most contributing to transmission is better than shielding at-risk individuals. Pandemic control requires an effort from all age groups.

Use of Black Light in Training Retarded, Multiply Handicapped, Deaf-Blind Children

1983 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 347-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald H. Potenski
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Light Environment ◽  
Black Light ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
Normal Light ◽  
Better Than

One group of severely or profoundly retarded, multiply handicapped, deaf-blind children were given a training program using a black light environment which allowed for the removal of all distracting stimuli and for exaggeration of the critical features from which the children learn. Another group was given training under normal light. The children trained under black light performed the task they had been taught significantly better than the children trained under normal light.

Self-Corrected Reaching in a Three-Location Delayed-Response Search Task

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Steven Reznick ◽  
J. J. Fueser ◽  
Michelle Bosquet
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Search Task ◽  
Chance Level ◽  
Delayed Response ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cause Of Error ◽  
Better Than

Infants watched an experimenter hide a toy in one of three wells and then attempted to retrieve it after a brief delay. Seven-month-olds performed at chance. Nine-month-olds reached correctly on 43% of trials, which is significantly better than chance. After an incorrect reach, infants were allowed to choose between the two remaining locations. Seven-month-olds responded at a chance level on their second reach, but 9-month-olds chose correctly more often than would be expected by chance despite a 10- to 20-s delay between hiding and search. One cause of error on the initial reach was a profound bias toward the center well. In Experiment 2, the wells were covered simultaneously, and the infant's spatial orientation was disrupted during the delay; this procedure eliminated the centripetal bias. Nine-month-olds still responded correctly more often than would be expected by chance on their second reach. These findings suggest that 9-month-olds sometimes have a more durable working memory for location than is generally reported for that age group.

Spatial Representation in Blind Children. 2: Effects of Task Variations

1981 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet F. Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Spatial Representation ◽  
Or Efficiency ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Free Exploration ◽  
Room Size ◽  
Spatial Tasks ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Reported Study

In the literature on spatial representation in blind people, several parameters of spatial tasks have been used as controlled variables without due consideration of the effects they might have on the type or efficiency of subjects’ spatial representation. Two such variables are the size of the object or environment to be represented and the degree of freedom allowed subjects in their exploration of these objects or environments. Data about the blind subjects of the author's previously reported study on spatial representation in blind children were further analyzed using a three-way repeated-measures design to determine the effect of room size and exploration mode in response to questions about the position of furniture in a room. Neither variable produced a significant main effect. The responses of subjects in the free-exploration condition were further analyzed to determine the effect on performance of the actual exploration strategy. In the first trial of the task, the exploration route that corresponded to the route previously used to introduce subjects to the empty room was the most successful strategy. By the final trial, the differences among strategies had decreased. Organized strategies, however, were found to be more successful than random movement.

Development of Chinese preschoolers’ understanding of biological phenomena: Growth and aliveness

2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liqi Zhu ◽  
Fuxi Fang
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Biological Phenomena ◽  
Classification Tasks ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

Chinese preschoolers’ understandings of the biological phenomena “growth” and “aliveness” were investigated. Seventy-two 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old subjects with equal numbers of boys and girls in each age group were selected from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The same children participated in the three experiments reported in this study so that both individual and intra-individual differences could be explored. Multiple methods, including picture-choice, retrieval, and classification tasks were used. The results show that 6-year-old children could distinguish living and nonliving things on both the growth and aliveness tasks, even when tested by different methods, whereas 4- and 5-year-olds’ performance varied across tasks and methods. Children whose parents had higher levels of formal education performed better than their counterparts, but the difference declined as age increased.

Effect of Salat Prayer and Exercise on Cognitive Functioning of Hui Muslims Aged Sixty and Over

2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1739-1747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Bai ◽  
Ping Ye ◽  
Caifang Zhu ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Jinfu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Physical Exercise ◽  
Older People ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Alternative Type ◽  
Type Of Exercise ◽  
Better Than

We compared the cognitive functioning of Hui Muslims aged 60 and over who practiced salat prayer (SP) and/or did physical exercise (PE) with individuals in the same age group who did not engage in such practices. Our sample comprised 205 ethnic Hui Muslims aged between 60 and 86 years who completed the Scale of Cognitive Functioning in Older People (Hong, 1990) and it was found that those in the group of participants who practiced SP or did PE demonstrated a similar level of cognitive functioning which was better than that of individuals who neither exercised nor prayed regularly. SP may be considered as an alternative type of exercise for older Muslim adults who cannot do strenuous PE.

scholarly journals Modern Aspects of Contents Adaptation in Teaching Literary Reading to Blind Elementary School Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Elena Vadimovna Zamashnyuk ◽  
Tamara Aleksandrovna Kruglova
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Literary Reading ◽  
School Students ◽  
Blind Children ◽  
State Educational ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Visually Impaired Children ◽  
Blind Students

The article is focused on the problem of teaching blind elementary schoolers in literary reading lessons in elementary school. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to bring into compliance the content of the education of children with severe visual impairments with the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standards for blind students (option 3.2). At the present time, teachers of schools for blind children continue to experience difficulties in adapting the content of education in this subject. The aim of the article is to analyze and summarize the existing typhlopedagogical experience of teaching this group of children and to determine the directions for adapting the content of teaching literary reading to blind elementary students. Methods used in this study include analysis, description, and comparison. An analysis of the typhlopedagogical heritage suggests that teaching reading to blind elementary schoolers has a number of peculiarities due to the negative impact of visual impairment on their speech and cognitive development, motivation for activity; this can be overcome by adapting the content of education. In their turn, the directions of adaptation can be reached by adjusting the contents of textbooks, enriching the children’s sensory experience, developing their speech and thinking, and using a differentiated approach in teaching by redistributing educational material and developing assessment criteria that are appropriate for the blind students’ needs. The results of this study have important meaning for employees of schools for visually impaired children because they allow to implement a differentiated approach in teaching and to adapt the contents of the Literary reading school subject according to the special educational requirements of children.

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