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~ ..•.. There are two types of Oxford Filter; blue filters enhance short wavelength light and yel,low enhance long wavelength light. These filters have previously been shown to improve reading performance, vergence eye movements and perception of visual form and motion. In this thesis the effects of such filters were examined in both an unselected primary school population, and in a clinical population of children with identified visual and/or reading difficulties. A school based visual screening study established that just over 40% of children identified a filter as beneficial when viewing text. These children reported a significantly higher number of visual symptoms and had significantly reduced convergence and accommodation eye movements compared to non-filter choosers. A further trial of filter use revealed that those using blue filters made significant improvements in accommodative function and in spelling ability. A cross-over, randomised controlled trial was conducted in the clinical sample with psychometric, orthoptic and psychophysical assessments administered before and after filter use. Poor readers made significant improvements in reading following filter use, but a smaller dyslexic group were not found to improve their reading. Performance on a Matrices task significantly improved after using yellow filters specifically. There was also evidence that children with reduced saccades improved their spelling with the use of yellow filters, but had reduced spelling following blue use. Although filters impacted upon both orthoptic and literacy measures these improvements appear not to be causally linked. A random dot kinematogram task (RDK) revealed a correlation between magnocellular functioning under blue and yellow lighting conditions and reading; lower reading was associated with poorer RDK thresholds. This association was specific to reading and not evident in relation to dyslexia. Visual search accuracy was also shown to improve significantly after the use of blue and yellow filters. Together these findings have implications for the treatment of orthoptic abnormalities and literacy performance.

This study explored the experience of disability as recounted by school aged, visually impaired adolescents. The primary aim was to explore the manner in which these adolescents thought about, understood and coped with their disability. A second aim explored the extent to which participants’ experiences mirrored those reported in the literature. The design of the study was qualitative with an orientation toward social constructionism. Nine partially sighted and seven blind adolescents comprised the two cohorts of participants who participated in the study. One of the most notable findings supported the argument that disability is a socially constructed phenomenon. Some insights, drawn from psychoanalysis, were also found to be useful. Other findings, a critique of the study, and suggestions for future research are also provided. One of the most important of these involves evaluating the negative and positive consequences of inclusive education.

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die doel met hierdie studie is om 'n kurrikulum vir die onderwys van swaksiende kinders vanui t 'n makroperspektief te ontwerp. Van die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings waartoe in hierdie studie gekom word, dui daarop dat die kurrikula, leerplanne en -opleidingsprogramme wat in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika vir kinders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes (wat die onderwys van swaksiende kinders insluit) voorsien word * dikwels nie toereikend is om leerlinge vir suksesvolle indiensplasing voor te berei nie; * oorwegend akademies georienteerd is; * en nie altyd tred hou met die veranderende behoeftes, eise en tendense in die arbeidsmark nie. Swaksiende kinders is as groep hoogs heterogeen en het besondere en uiteenlopende onderwys- en opleidingsbehoeftes. Ten einde 'n relevante kurrikulum vir swaksiende kinders te on twerp wat genoemde leemtes ondervang, moes hulle uni eke behoef tes sowel as die eise van die moderne arbeidsmark in aanmerking geneem word. Die voorgestelde kurrikulum is op die onderwys van swaksiende kinders in af sonderlike skole vir gesiggestremde kinders en in skole in die hoof stroom van die onderwys van toepassing en maak * enersyds voorsiening vir die effektiewe implementering van die kurrikulum wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysowerheid op nasionale (en moontlik ook op provinsiale) vlak vir die onderwys van normaalsiende kinders voorgeskryf word, en * andersyds vir die ontsluiting en bemeestering van die noodsaaklike kompensatoriese persoonlikheids- en karaktereienskappe en algemene vaardighede, waaroor swaksiende kinders behoort te beskik ten einde hulleself na skoolverlating in die volwasse sosiale en beroepslewe te kan handhaaf. Die kurrikulummodel wat die basis vorm vir die ontwerp van hierdie kurrikulum, is sodanig aangepas dat dit uitdrukking gee aan die essensies van 'n Christelik-wysgerige perspektief op opvoeding en onderrig. / The aim of this study is to design a curriculum for the education of partially sighted children from a macro perspective. some of the most important conclusions arrived at in this study indicate that the present curricula, syllabi and training programmes which are being offered to children with special education needs (including the education of partially sighted children) in the Republic of South Africa * are often not adequate to prepare learners for successful placement; * are predominantly academically orientated; * and do not always keep track with changing needs, demands and tendencies in the labour market. Partially sighted children as a group are highly heterogeneous and have particular and diverse education and training needs. In order to design a relevant curriculum for partially sighted children which intends to eradicate the mentioned deficiencies in the present provision of education to them, their unique needs as well as the demands of the modern labour market have to be considered. The proposed curriculum is directed at the education of partially sighted children who are accommodated in separate schools for the visually impaired as well as in schools in the mainstream of education and provides * on the one hand for the effective implementation of the curriculum which is prescribed normally sighted children by for the education of the South African education authorities on national (and perhaps also on provincial) level and * on the other hand for the unlocking and mastering of the essential compensatory personality and character qualities and general skills which partially sighted children should possess in order to maintain themselves in the adult social and vocational life after leaving school. The curriculum model which formed the basis for the design of this curriculum was adadapted in such a way that it expresses the essence of a Christian philosophic perspective on education and teaching. / Teacher Education / D.Ed.

Graduation date: 2005

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die doel met hierdie studie is om 'n kurrikulum vir die onderwys van swaksiende kinders vanui t 'n makroperspektief te ontwerp. Van die belangrikste gevolgtrekkings waartoe in hierdie studie gekom word, dui daarop dat die kurrikula, leerplanne en -opleidingsprogramme wat in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika vir kinders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes (wat die onderwys van swaksiende kinders insluit) voorsien word * dikwels nie toereikend is om leerlinge vir suksesvolle indiensplasing voor te berei nie; * oorwegend akademies georienteerd is; * en nie altyd tred hou met die veranderende behoeftes, eise en tendense in die arbeidsmark nie. Swaksiende kinders is as groep hoogs heterogeen en het besondere en uiteenlopende onderwys- en opleidingsbehoeftes. Ten einde 'n relevante kurrikulum vir swaksiende kinders te on twerp wat genoemde leemtes ondervang, moes hulle uni eke behoef tes sowel as die eise van die moderne arbeidsmark in aanmerking geneem word. Die voorgestelde kurrikulum is op die onderwys van swaksiende kinders in af sonderlike skole vir gesiggestremde kinders en in skole in die hoof stroom van die onderwys van toepassing en maak * enersyds voorsiening vir die effektiewe implementering van die kurrikulum wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysowerheid op nasionale (en moontlik ook op provinsiale) vlak vir die onderwys van normaalsiende kinders voorgeskryf word, en * andersyds vir die ontsluiting en bemeestering van die noodsaaklike kompensatoriese persoonlikheids- en karaktereienskappe en algemene vaardighede, waaroor swaksiende kinders behoort te beskik ten einde hulleself na skoolverlating in die volwasse sosiale en beroepslewe te kan handhaaf. Die kurrikulummodel wat die basis vorm vir die ontwerp van hierdie kurrikulum, is sodanig aangepas dat dit uitdrukking gee aan die essensies van 'n Christelik-wysgerige perspektief op opvoeding en onderrig. / The aim of this study is to design a curriculum for the education of partially sighted children from a macro perspective. some of the most important conclusions arrived at in this study indicate that the present curricula, syllabi and training programmes which are being offered to children with special education needs (including the education of partially sighted children) in the Republic of South Africa * are often not adequate to prepare learners for successful placement; * are predominantly academically orientated; * and do not always keep track with changing needs, demands and tendencies in the labour market. Partially sighted children as a group are highly heterogeneous and have particular and diverse education and training needs. In order to design a relevant curriculum for partially sighted children which intends to eradicate the mentioned deficiencies in the present provision of education to them, their unique needs as well as the demands of the modern labour market have to be considered. The proposed curriculum is directed at the education of partially sighted children who are accommodated in separate schools for the visually impaired as well as in schools in the mainstream of education and provides * on the one hand for the effective implementation of the curriculum which is prescribed normally sighted children by for the education of the South African education authorities on national (and perhaps also on provincial) level and * on the other hand for the unlocking and mastering of the essential compensatory personality and character qualities and general skills which partially sighted children should possess in order to maintain themselves in the adult social and vocational life after leaving school. The curriculum model which formed the basis for the design of this curriculum was adadapted in such a way that it expresses the essence of a Christian philosophic perspective on education and teaching. / Teacher Education / D.Ed.

Orientador: João Batista Martins / Banca: Claudia Aparecida Valderramas Gomes / Banca: Marta Regina Furlan de Oliveira / Resumo: Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar se a prática pedagógica de professores especialistas, que trabalhavam com crianças deficientes visuais, se organizava de modo que contribuísse com o desenvolvimento dos processos imaginativos e criativos de tais crianças. Os processos criativos emergem em atividades lúdicas, nos desenhos e na produção de narrativas na infância. De acordo com a teoria sócio histórica de Vigotski, assim como qualquer outra função psicológica superior, a imaginação e a criação têm sua origem no social e se modificam ao longo do desenvolvimento humano. Elas não surgem de repente, mas lenta e gradualmente, desenvolvendo-se do mais simples para formas mais complexas. Constroem-se a partir dos materiais captados do mundo real e estão diretamente relacionadas com a riqueza e a variedade das experiências acumuladas pelo homem. A presente pesquisa, fundamentada pela teoria sócio histórica, observou e analisou o trabalho de quatro professoras do Instituto Roberto Miranda, localizado na cidade de Londrina, que atende pessoas com deficiência visual. Foram realizadas entrevistas e observações em sala ao longo de cinco meses. Com os dados coletados, pôde-se perceber que não houve nenhum trabalho intencionalmente pensado com o objetivo de desenvolver nas crianças a imaginação e a criação, mas que, por outro lado, as professoras tinham como característica desenvolver suas propostas pedagógicas por meio de atividades lúdicas, então, consequentemente, tais processos e... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The aim of this research was to investigate whether the pedagogical practice of specialist teachers working with visually impaired children was organized in such a way as to contribute to the development of the imaginative and creative processes of such children. Creative processes emerge in playful activities, in the drawings and in the production of narratives in childhood. According to Vygotsky's socio-historical theory, like any other higher psychological function, imagination and creation have their origin in the social and change throughout human development. They do not arise suddenly, but slowly and gradually, developing from the simplest to more complex forms. They are constructed from materials captured in the real world and are directly related to the richness and variety of experiences accumulated by man. The present research, based on socio - historical theory, observed and analyzed the work of four teachers of the Roberto Miranda Institute, located in the city of Londrina, which serves people with visual impairment. Interviews and observations were carried out in the room during five months. With the data collected, it was possible to perceive that there was no intentionally thoughtful work with the objective of developing in children the imagination and the creation, but that, on the other hand, the teachers had as characteristic to develop their pedagogical proposals through playful activities, Then, consequently, such processes were being stimulated. In addition, it should be emphasized that didactic pedagogical work also contributes to the development of imagination and creation, because as we said, they depend on the appropriations that children make of the world, so the more they know about it, the greater their ability to imagine And create. We can conclude that the activities... (Complete abstract electronic access below) / Mestre

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