Perceptual training: Misdirections and redirections.

Abstract

The arguments presented in this paper are concerned with visual perception; while auditory perception is presently making its bid, apparently it is less easily commercialized as a separate trainable entity or composite of entities. The visual in this presentation is intended to include the visual-motor as well as the purely perceptual. While attempts have been made to differentiate one from the other, the visual perception approaches that are presently salient are those that are by implication, if not manifestly, motor in nature.

Learning Styles—Making Too Many “Wrong Mistakes”: A Response to Castro and Peck

“…In retrospect, there were special education researchers who early on cited problems with the learning styles concept (e.g., see Hammill & Larsen, 1974;Mann, 1970;Mann & Goodman, 1975). Originally, the notion of learning styles was embraced by professionals in the learning disabilities (LD) field (see Mann, 1971).…”

Use of the Frostig-Horne visual perception program in the urban school

“…This is supported by Cohen (1969), who suggested that instruction in reading was preferable to training in perception if improvement in reading is the goal, by Bibace (1969), who seems to question the assumption that perceptualmotor intactness is a prerequisite for scholastic achievement, and by Mann (1970), who challenges the theoretical and empirical foundations upon which perceptual training programs such as the Frostig-Horne rest. Therefore, the use of this program as a supplement to traditional readiness activities or as a method to facilitate the mastery of reading and arithmetic does not appear to be warranted.…”

Differential Diagnosis: Assets and Liabilities

“…Their approach grows out of the movement towards behavioral psychology in special education and employs task analysis and criterion-referenced measurement. The behavioral movement seems to result from a growing disenchantment with earlier perceptual-training approaches (Barsch, 1967;Frostig & Horne, 1964;Kephart, 1960) and research's failure to support their validity (Hammill, 1972;Mann, 1970).. , , Although it is not possible to differentiate between the learningdisabled and culturally disadvantaged with much accuracy on the basis of psychometric instruments, and although differential programming may not be appropriate at this time, attempts at differential diagnosis may still be valuable. It is possible that future research may turn up ways of making a more accurate diagnosis and may possibly provide remedial methods which are differentially effective for the two groups.…”