Consideraciones históricas sobre el sistema braille / Historical Considerations on the Braille System

El sistema braille no es solo una técnica de escritura adaptada para ciegos, es el sistema gracias al cual estos pueden guiar, instruir, educar, aprender, conectar con el entorno y recibir toda información escrita. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en la literatura científica, con el fin de localizar artículos y publicaciones sobre la técnica de escritura adaptada para ciegos. El objetivo fue exponer aspectos relacionados con el desarrollo histórico del sistema braille y su valor como medio de comunicación. Lo que permitirá ampliar los conocimientos sobre este sistema de comunicación de las personas invidentes, para estimular y promover su inclusión en todos los ámbitos de la sociedad(AU)

The braille system is not only a writing technique adapted for the blind, it is the system thanks to which they can guide, instruct, educate, learn, connect with the environment and receive all written information. A systematic search of the scientific literature was carried out in order to locate articles and publications on the adapted writing technique for the blind. The objective was to expose aspects related to the historical development of the Braille system and its value as a means of communication. This will allow to expand the knowledge about this system of communication for blind people, in order to stimulate and promote their inclusion in all areas of society(AU)

Promoción de la autonomía personal y discapacidad visual: revisión bibliográfica / Promotion of personal autonomy and visual impairment: a bibliographic review

OBJETIVOS: conocer la efectividad del modelo de atención centrada en la persona en la rehabilitación visual. MÉTODO: se seleccionaron artículos publicados entre 2010 y 2019, recogidos en PUBMED y Web of Science. Se incluyeron aquellos dedicados a la terapia ocupacional y rehabilitación visual de personas con discapacidad visual desde un enfoque de atención centrado en la persona. Finalmente se incluyeron 14 artículos para esta revisión. RESULTADOS: de la búsqueda en PubMed se obtuvieron un total de 490 artículos y de Web of science 40, alcanzando un total de 530 artículos. Después de realizar la lectura del título, se seleccionaron 126 artículos. Tras la lectura de los resúmenes y/o el contenido completo, se excluyeron 112 por no cumplir los objetivos del estudio; resultando elegidos 13 artículos. Las diferentes investigaciones recopiladas justifican que la rehabilitación visual y la terapia ocupacional basadas en el modelo de atención centrada en la persona contribuyen a mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con baja visión y su autonomía personal. CONCLUSIÓN: son necesarias más investigaciones que evidencien cómo la terapia ocupacional desde una atención centrada en la persona produce resultados positivos en la rehabilitación de personas con baja visión

OBJECTIVE: To know the effectiveness of the person-centered care model in visual rehabilitation. METHOD: Articles published between 2010 and 2019, collected in PUBMED and Web of Science, were selected. Those dedicated to occupational therapy and visual rehabilitation of people with visual disabilities from a person-centered care approach were included. Finally 14 articles were included for this review. RESULTS: A total of 490 articles were obtained from the PubMed search and 40 from Web of science, reaching a total of 530 articles. After reading the title, 126 articles were selected. After reading the abstracts and / or the full content, 112 were excluded because they did not meet the study objectives; resulting in 13 articles chosen. The different studies collected justify that visual rehabilitation and occupational therapy based on the person-centered care model contribute to improving the quality of life of people with low vision and their personal autonomy. CONCLUSION: More research is needed to show how occupational therapy from a person-centered care produces positive results in the rehabilitation of people with low vision

A music- and game-based oral health education for visually impaired school children; multilevel analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Visually impaired children encounter some challenges for their oral health. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of oral health education using Audio Tactile Performance (ATP) technique alone, ATP combined with oral health education for mothers, and ATP along with art package on the oral health status of visually impaired children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cluster, randomized trial, included visually impaired children from preschool to 10th grade (32 classes, n = 200), in Tehran, Iran, in 2018-2019. A questionnaire was filled out through face to face interviews at baseline regarding age, gender, status of visual impairment, and place of residence. The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP) were examined afterward. Classes were randomly assigned to three groups through simple randomization: 1. Art group (ATP, game-based, and music-based education (11 classes, n = 66); 2. Mothers group (children received ATP and their mothers received education by telephone (10 classes, n = 73); and 3. Control group (children received ATP (11 classes, n = 61). Children received reinforcement after 1 and 2 weeks. Follow-up oral examinations were performed after 1 and 2 months by a blind calibrated examiner. Descriptive statistics were performed using Chi-Square, and ANOVA tests by SPSS (version 22). In analytic statistics, two-level mixed-effects models for BOP and OHI-S were fitted using the Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) version 9.4. Both models fitted with the grouping variable and time (baseline, 1, and 2 months after interventions) as the fixed effects. RESULTS: The mean age (SD) of the children was 12.29 (3.45) years (range: 6-17). Male children (67%) more than female children (33%) participated in the study. Also, 35.5% were blind, and 12% resided at the dormitory. The art and mothers groups had no statistically significant difference compared with the control group, in terms of OHI-S (P = 0.92, and 0.39, respectively) and BOP (OR = 0.64, and 0.66, respectively). The time effect was statistically significant in both BOP and OHI-S models (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: ATP technique is an effective method to improve the oral health status of visually impaired school children. Oral health promotion programs can be done using this method to tackle oral hygiene problems in visually impaired children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (https://www.irct.ir/trial/34676: Nov 29th, 2018).

On being a pathologist: a pathway to pathology practice; the added value of supplemental vocational training and mentoring in college and medical school.

Traditionally, vocational training and liberal arts (and premedical) curricula have been separate education tracks. This personal profile describes a program that evolved from the partial fusion of vocational training and a premedical education track. My personal health issue, visual impairment, which presumably resulted as a complication of congenital toxoplasmosis, hampered my ability to read in grammar school and necessitated my placement in remedial reading classes until eighth grade. My father created an independent home-based vocational training program that ran in parallel to my traditional school education all the way through college. In this case study, I provide an overview of this hybrid education program, which we refer to as the Vocational Training/Medical College Curriculum of the Future (VTMC). This term implies that the education of a student from K-12 school through medical college is a continuum. I find it useful to conceptualize a single education continuum beginning with vocational training and ending with medical education, with a large overlap area in the middle. In this paper, I describe a set of my work experiences that leveraged and reinforced my didactic education experiences. Mentors who supported aspects of the VTMC program have included a college president, a US Congressman, a Nobel Laureate, and a Massachusetts General Hospital leader in academic pathology. Elements of this innovative VTMC program have been used in K-12 public schools and in nonmedical graduate school programs.

Ayudas ópticas y no ópticas en la baja visión / Visual and not visual aid in low vision

Este estudio se propone conocer la ayuda visual mejor aceptada por pacientes de visión baja, para lo cual se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el fin de contribuir al ejercicio optométrico. Se revisaron un total de 28 artículos del año 2007 a la fecha actual. En las diferentes patologías en estudio se encontró que la ayuda visual mejor aceptada para la visión cercana fueron las lupas, y para la visión lejana eran más usados los telescopios(AU)

The aim of this study is to determine which is the most frequent visual aid use in low vision. Twenty-eight articles were consulted in a period from 2007 until now. It was observed that for near vision the hans spectacles were the best aid and for far vision telescope were more used(AU)

Ayudas ópticas y no ópticas en la baja visión / Visual and not visual aid in low vision

Este estudio se propone conocer la ayuda visual mejor aceptada por pacientes de visión baja, para lo cual se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el fin de contribuir al ejercicio optométrico. Se revisaron un total de 28 artículos del año 2007 a la fecha actual. En las diferentes patologías en estudio se encontró que la ayuda visual mejor aceptada para la visión cercana fueron las lupas, y para la visión lejana eran más usados los telescopios(AU)

The aim of this study is to determine which is the most frequent visual aid use in low vision. Twenty-eight articles were consulted in a period from 2007 until now. It was observed that for near vision the hans spectacles were the best aid and for far vision telescope were more used(AU)

Virtual environment navigation with look-around mode to explore new real spaces by people who are blind.

BACKGROUND: This paper examines the ability of people who are blind to construct a mental map and perform orientation tasks in real space by using Nintendo Wii technologies to explore virtual environments. The participant explores new spaces through haptic and auditory feedback triggered by pointing or walking in the virtual environments and later constructs a mental map, which can be used to navigate in real space. METHODS: The study included 10 participants who were congenitally or adventitiously blind, divided into experimental and control groups. The research was implemented by using virtual environments exploration and orientation tasks in real spaces, using both qualitative and quantitative methods in its methodology. RESULTS: The results show that the mode of exploration afforded to the experimental group is radically new in orientation and mobility training; as a result 60% of the experimental participants constructed mental maps that were based on map model, compared with only 30% of the control group participants. CONCLUSIONS: Using technology that enabled them to explore and to collect spatial information in a way that does not exist in real space influenced the ability of the experimental group to construct a mental map based on the map model. Implications for rehabilitation The virtual cane system for the first time enables people who are blind to explore and collect spatial information via the look-around mode in addition to the walk-around mode. People who are blind prefer to use look-around mode to explore new spaces, as opposed to the walking mode. Although the look-around mode requires users to establish a complex collecting and processing procedure for the spatial data, people who are blind using this mode are able to construct a mental map as a map model. For people who are blind (as for the sighted) construction of a mental map based on map model offers more flexibility in choosing a walking path in a real space, accounting for changes that occur in the space.

Perception of Complete Visually Impaired Children to Three Different Oral Health Education Methods: A Preliminary Study.

AIM: To evaluate the perception of visually impaired children to three different methods of oral health education. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty total visually impaired children were divided into three groups of 20 children each. Children in group-I received oral health education through a lecture. Children in group II received Demonstration on a Model by Tell and Touch method (DMTT) and children in group III were self trained on oral hygiene skills. All children received written instructions in Braille. Their knowledge and practice of oral hygiene methods were recorded by a questionnaire and their method of brushing and rinsing was assessed during a personal interview. Data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: Children in group II were able to brush and rinse significantly better (p <0.05) as compared to the other groups. Demonstration on a Model by Tell and Touch method was found to be the most preferred method of oral health education. CONCLUSION: Oral health education given through DMTT method was perceived well by the visually impaired children.

Hábitos alimentarios, actividad física y estado nutricional en escolares en situación de discapacidad visual y auditiva / Dietary habits, physical activity and nutritional state of school children with visual and hearing impairment

Objetivo: Identificar hábitos alimentarios, actividad física y estado nutricional de escolares con discapacidad visual y auditiva. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal realizado en niños del Instituto de Ciegos y Sordos de Cali. La muestra se seleccionó por muestreo intencional. Participaron 113 escolares, 34 con discapacidad visual y 79 con discapacidad auditiva. Los instrumentos: cuestionario de Frecuencia de Ingesta Alimentaria, entrevista de hábitos alimentarios, cuestionario de actividad física y medidas antropométricas. Resultados: Edad promedio 6,4 años (DE ± 2,6). Los menores consumen a diario: arroz blanco (87 por ciento), verduras cocidas (22 por ciento), ensaladas (42 por ciento), leguminosas (19 por ciento), frutas (65 por ciento), huevo (59 por ciento), pollo (49 por ciento), pescado (7 por ciento), leche entera (70 por ciento) y gaseosas (10 por ciento). El 15 por ciento de los menores come solo, el 26,6 por ciento es obligado a comer y el 30,9 por ciento se salta comida. El 88 por ciento de los niños realiza actividad física. El 22 por ciento presentó desnutrición global (peso/edad), el 20,3 por ciento retardo del crecimiento (talla/edad), el 37,1 por ciento sobrepeso y obesidad (IMC/edad). Los niños con discapacidad visual tuvieron mayor porcentaje de desnutrición y retardo del crecimiento, también mostraron mayores porcentajes de sobrepeso y obesidad, comparados con los de discapacidad auditiva, que tenían estado nutricional normal (diferencias estadísticamente significativas, p< 0,000). Conclusiones: Los niños con discapacidad visual registran desnutrición leve y riesgo de sobrepeso y obesidad. La mayoría de los menores realiza actividad física de forma regular(AU)

Objective: To identify dietary habits, physical activity and nutritional state of schoolchildren with visual and hearing impairment Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in children from the Institute of Blind and Deaf People in Cali, Colombia. The sample was selected by intentional sampling. The participants were 113 students, 34 visually impaired and 79 hearing impaired. The evaluation instruments were frequency of food consumption questionnaire, interview on dietary habits, physical activity questionnaire and anthropometric measurements. Results: Average age of 6.4 years (SD ± 2.6). The daily food consumption of children consisted of white rice (87 percent), cooked vegetables (22 percent), salads (42 percent), legumes (19 percent), fruits (65 percent), eggs (59 percent), chicken (49 percent), fish (7 percent), whole milk (70 percent) and soft drinks (10 percent). Fifteen percent of children can feed by themselves, 26.6 percent are forced to eat and 30.9 percent skip some meal. Eighty eight percent of children are physically active, 22 percent had global malnutrition (weight/age), 20.3 percent growth retardation (height/age) and 37.1 percent overweight and obesity (BMI/age). Visually impaired children showed higher percentages of malnutrition and growth retardation and also higher percentages of overweight and obesity than those with hearing disabilities, who had normal nutritional status (statistically significant difference, p< 0.000. Conclusions: Children with visual impairment show mild malnutrition and risk of obesity and overweight. Most of children do regular physical activity(AU)

The effectiveness of the computerized visual perceptual training program on individuals with Down syndrome: An fMRI study.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Computerized Visual Perception Training (CVPT) program on individuals with Down syndrome (DS, mean age=13.17±4.35years, age range: 6.54-20.75 years). All participants have mild intellectual disability classified by the standard IQ measures (mean=61.2, ranges from 55 to 68). Both the Test of Visual Perceptual Skill- Third Edition (TVPS-3) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were used to evaluate the training outcomes. Results of TVPS-3 and fMRI showed that DS group had visual perceptual deficits and abnormal neural networks related to visual organization. The results showed that DS intervention group had significant improvements on TVPS-3 after intervention. The fMRI results indicated more activation in superior and inferior parietal lobes (spatial manipulation), as well as precentral gyrus and dorsal premotor cortex (motor imagery) in DS intervention group. The CVPT program was effective in improving visual perceptual functions and enhancing associated cortical activations in DS.

Understanding the Relationship Between Teacher Behavior and Motivation in Students with Acquired Deafblindness.

Because little is known about teacher-student relationships that involve students with acquired deafblindness, the authors performed a multiple case study with a multiple-method design to investigate the relationship between need-supportive teaching behaviors and student engagement. Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), they analyzed video observations of interactions. It was found that teachers' provision of structure, autonomy support, and involvement often cooccurs with higher levels of student engagement. Moreover, varying degrees of need support over time seem to result in varying levels of student engagement. Examples are provided of need-supportive teaching behaviors that can be used to foster the motivation of students with acquired deafblindness.

Analysis of Interaction and Attention Processes in a Child With Congenital Deafblindness.

Children with deafblindness need support to be able to understand the world and to have access to information. The authors analyzed a dyad consisting of a child with congenital deafblindness and a specialized teacher. The study included participant observations and audiovisual recordings. It was found that the child showed attention to the teacher in activities involving music and rhythm. As potential forms of nonverbal communication, the child presented vocalization, touch, body contact, body movements, facial expressions, and tears. The teacher's forms of communication were verbal, touch, visual, rhythm, and sign language. It was concluded that a significant communication partner is essential to identify, interpret, and respond to attention and communicative behaviors. Use of other forms of communication must comply with individual characteristics so that the child with deafblindness can receive information from the environment through these senses and thus be guaranteed access to the world.

Increasing Self-Regulation and Classroom Participation of a Child Who Is Deafblind.

Self-regulation has been identified as essential to school success. However, for a variety of reasons, its development may be compromised in children and youth who are deafblind. A single-case multiple-baseline study of a child who was deafblind examined the effects of three groups of evidence-based interventions on variables thought to be associated with self-regulation. The dependent variables were (a) frequency and duration of behaviors thought to indicate dysregulation, (b) active participation in school activities, and (c) time from onset of behaviors indicating dysregulation until achievement of a calm, regulated state. The interventions, which included provision of meaningful, enjoyable, and interactive activities, anticipatory strategies, and calming strategies, significantly influenced the dependent variables and are described in detail.

La piedra mágica / No disponible

"La piedra mágica" es, un videojuego que se ha diseñado como herramienta educativa dirigida al alumnado con Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo y, en particular, a personas con síndrome de Down. Pretende incrementar las habilidades comunicativas de estas personas a través de una mejora de su prosodia (entonación, fluidez, entre otras propiedades) y, consecuentemente, favorecer su inclusión social y laboral. Una de las principales novedades de 'La piedra mágica' es su diseño interdisciplinar, ya que en este proyecto hemos colaborado lingüistas, psicolingüistas, ingenieros informáticos, pedagogos y filósofos para conseguir un entorno educativo complejo y adaptable. Es una herramienta que puede ser empleada de manera autónoma o supervisada y que almacena un historial de seguimiento de cada jugador, de manera que los profesionales pueden acceder a los datos de cada alumno y observar su desarrollo fomentando aquellas carencias más destacadas en cada perfil. Uno de los aspectos más originales de la herramienta es que el jugador se comunica con el resto de personajes del videojuego con su propia voz, lo que le motiva y ayuda a mejorar su capacidad comunicativa. Tras realizar una primera prueba piloto se ha comprobado que más del sesenta por ciento de los alumnos ganan naturalidad y fluidez en su elocución

"La piedra mágica" is a video-play designed as an educational tool for students with special needs, including children with Down syndrome. It is aimed at enhancing communication skills by improving prosody (fluency, tone, etc.), which leads to social and vocational inclusion. It has been created by the interdisciplinary collaboration of people specialized in linguistics and psycholinguistics, informatic engineers, educators and philosophers

Engagement with school in students with special educational needs

Student’ engagement with school is a strong predictor of both positive and negative academic trajectories indicators. Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are at increased risk for experiencing cumulative academic-related difficulties which tends to have a negative significant impact on students’ engagement with school. Although some studies have described parceled dimensions of school in students with SEN, studies examining both the individual and contextual dimensions involved in students’ engagement with school are scarce. The objective of this study was to describe multidimensional engagement with school in students with and without SEN, and in students with different SEN. 388 students participated in this study (mean age 13.46; SD= 2.72): 150 with SEN. Students with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity did not differ from students without SEN; students with visual and neuromotor impairment registered higher scores on some cognitive and contextual indicators of engagement; and students with intellectual disability registered lower levels of cognitive and contextual indicators of engagement. These results have strong implications for educational policies and practices, specifically for the promotion of adaptive academic trajectories in students with SEN (AU)

No disponible

Supporting Blind Students in STEM Education in Austria.

Equal access to education will foster a knowledge society for all. In particular for the ICT based information society a benchmark has been set to raise the numbers of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) study courses by 15% (748.000) per year, asking for increased efforts in Europe (http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/index_en.htm). This holds even more true for people with disabilities who a) participate in and graduate from STEM at a much lower number and b) face a much higher unemployment rate, in particular in STEM related fields. This asks for sound and well-founded education - first and foremost in math - for people with disability and here especially for blind people.

Educational Applications for Blind and Partially Sighted Pupils Based on Speech Technologies for Serbian.

The inclusion of persons with disabilities has always represented an important issue. Advancements within the field of computer science have enabled the development of different types of aids, which have significantly improved the quality of life of the disabled. However, for some disabilities, such as visual impairment, the purpose of these aids is to establish an alternative communication channel and thus overcome the user's disability. Speech technologies play the crucial role in this process. This paper presents the ongoing efforts to create a set of educational applications based on speech technologies for Serbian for the early stages of education of blind and partially sighted children. Two educational applications dealing with memory exercises and comprehension of geometrical shapes are presented, along with the initial tests results obtained from research including visually impaired pupils.

Programa personalizado de ejercicios rehabilitadores para niños débiles visuales con retardo del desarrollo psicomotor / Personalized program of rehabilitation exercises for infants with impaired vision and delay of the psychomotor development

Fundamento: incorporar y mejorar socialmente el nivel de vida del niño débil visual con retardo del desarrollo psicomotor, es un reto para los profesionales de la rehabilitación física por ser esta una enfermedad discapacitante desde el punto de vista motor.Objetivo: analizar los resultados de la aplicación de una guía metodológica, para evitar la aparición de cursos atípicos del desarrollo en niños de 0-12 meses de nacidos con diagnóstico de baja visión, y así estimular el desarrollo psicomotriz a temprana edad en el contexto familiar.Métodos: se realizó un estudio cualitativo observacional de caso único, inclusivo y exploratorio, según Bogdan y Bicklen, mediante muestreo no probabilístico en un niño débil visual por coloboma del nervio óptico congénito y retardo psicomotor nacido en febrero 2011, al que se le aplicó un programa personalizado de ejercicios físicos rehabilitadores para débiles visuales con retardo del desarrollo psicomotor. Se seleccionaron 33 ejercicios, que se dosificaron de la siguiente manera: tiempo de trabajo, número de repeticiones, método y medios para realizar los ejercicios; según programa de educación física para lactantes.Resultados: el programa tomó como referencia la evaluación inicial y su desarrollo físico en el transcurso de las semanas sometido al tratamiento rehabilitador. Resultó novedosa la sistematicidad de los ejercicios. El niño dio los primeros pasos y exploró el medio circundante. Perfeccionó el desarrollo motor, habilidades manuales, lenguaje, aceleró su desarrollo cognoscitivo y comprensión del entorno.Conclusiones: el programa de ejercicios permitió evaluar la influencia terapéutica en la incorporación rápida del niño a la sociedad, con alcance pleno de su desarrollo psicomotor en el menor tiempo posible(AU)

Background: the integration and social improvement of the standard of living of infants with impaired vision and delay of the psychomotor development is a challenge for rehabilitation medicine specialists since this is a disabling disease from the motor point of view.Objective: to analyze the results of the application of a methodological guide to avoid the appearance of atypical courses of development in infants between the ages of 1 month and 12 months and newborns with the diagnosis of impaired vision, thus stimulating psychomotor development at short age in the family context.Methods: an exploratory, inclusive, qualitative, observational, only-case study, according to Bogdan and Bicklen was conducted by means of non-probabilistic sampling in an infant, born in February 2011, with impaired vision caused by congenital coloboma of the optic nerve and psychomotor delay. The patient was treated by means of a personalized program of rehabilitation exercises for infants with impaired vision and delay of the psychomotor development. Thirty-three exercises were selected according to the physical education program for infants and defined as following: work time, number of repetitions, method and means to perform the exercises.Results: the program took as reference the initial evaluation and the physical development of the patient during the course of the weeks on rehabilitation treatment. The systematic application of the exercises was completely new. The infant walked for the first time and explored the surrounding environment. The patient improved his motor development, manual skills and language and accelerated his cognitive development and comprehension of the environment.Conclusions: the exercises program gave the possibility of evaluating the therapeutic influence in the rapid integration of the infant to society with a full achievement of his psychomotor development in the less possible(AU)