My Voice Heard: The Journey of a Young Man with a Cerebral Visual Impairment

Macintyre-Beon, Catriona; Mitchell, Kate; Gallagher, Ian; Cockburn, Debbie; Dutton, Gordon N.; Bowman, Richard

doi:10.1177/0145482x1210600305

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Teaching staff members in this study felt that their students were more alert and better able to move through the class rooms' surroundings, and that the stu dents could concentrate on learning tasks for longer periods of time. This finding supports the views of Buultjens et al (2010), Dutton (2015a), andMacintyre-Beon et al (2012) that a reduction of visual information improves visual func tioning in children with CVI. This finding also highlights there being a possible link between clutter and student outcomes, again reinforcing Dutton's (2015c) con tention that children with CVI-more specifically, those with simultanagnosia, optic ataxia, visual field impairments, or apraxia of gaze-do not see the world in the same way as those without these dif ficulties.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Relating this condition to a classroom environ ment, children may have problems reach ing for objects or may seem clumsy and use exaggerated movements when mov ing around the environment (Lam et al, 2010). This kind of difficulty is height ened in cluttered environments and can cause frustration, which can lead to neg ative or disruptive behavior (Lam et al, 2010;Macintyre-Beon et al, 2012).…”

Section: Earn Ces Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reduced visual fields, especially in the lower field, are another common impair ment caused by damage to the white mat ter in the occipito-parietal brain areas (Ja cobson, Flodmark, & Martin, 2006;Kran & Mayer, 2015). Children with restricted visual fields may have difficulty with moving safely and efficiently in the envi ronment, and issues such as difficulty ne gotiating obstacles, frequent tripping, and missing low-lying objects are often reported (Fielder & Wright, 2015;Macintyre-Beon et al, 2012). Within a classroom environ ment, these kinds of issues could be prob lematic and could cause accidents, espe cially when the environment is extremely cluttered.…”

Section: Earn Ces Onlinementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is a complex visual condition that in recent times has become the most common cause of visual impairment affecting children in the developed world (Lam, Lovett, & Dutton, 2010;Macintyre-Beon et al, 2012). Each child with CVI may experi ence a variety of visual difficulties includ ing low visual acuities; abnormal visual fields; difficulty controlling eye move ment; accommodation disorders; difficul ties in perception of movement; concerns with visually guided movement; and dif ficulties with object recognition, visual attention, and visual perception (Goodale, 2013;Lueck, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Perspectives of Teachers and Paraeducators on the Relationship between Classroom Clutter and Learning Experiences for Students with Cerebral Visual Impairment

McDowell

Budd

2018

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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Introduction Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) typically affects children's overall functioning in visually cluttered environments. This study aims to consider whether the removal of classroom clutter ameliorates visual problems and the associated behavioral difficulties for these children. Methods Two classrooms at a special school were de-cluttered. Changes included: covering glass panels with thick black paper; hanging sheets over open shelving; creating areas of blank wall in front of the student to focus attention on work; removing unnecessary equipment and furniture; and taking down information on windows and walls, and that hanging from ceilings. Teachers, paraeducators, and students worked in these classrooms for two weeks, following typical daily routines. Observations by teachers and paraeducators of students’ behavior and learning experiences before and after de-cluttering were sought through interviews. Findings The perspectives of the teachers and paraeducators were that de-cluttering had a positive effect on the students’ learning experiences and behavior and also on their own functioning. They also considered the fact that creation of learning spaces lined with black paper resulted in greater attention and focus, but that students continued to be distracted by the noise and movement of others. Discussion The potential link between cluttered classrooms and students’ functioning and behavior indicates that visual clutter may amplify the visual difficulties associated with CVI and distract the students from learning activities, and is in line with current literature. Changes to classroom layouts that include specific areas for different learning activities, including “black hubs,” may therefore benefit students with CVI. Implications for practitioners This pilot study suggests that the elimination of classroom clutter and the creation of black hub learning spaces enhances functioning and merits further investigation. A study that compares specific behaviors and performances, before and after implementation of de-cluttering strategies, might also determine whether the positive effects described by the teachers can be further corroborated.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%