Suchergebnisse

When we consider technology, we usually have in mind applications made possible by findings in physics and chemistry. However, applications of the findings of perception and cognition also constitute a significant body of knowledge, and educators are the learning engineers who tend this body of knowledge. In this article the capacities of perceptual systems are reviewed, and there is a discussion of the information that, in the absence of visual perception, must be acquired in other ways by blind and visually impaired persons. An effort is made to show how the develop ment of blind and visually impaired infants and children can be guided by using knowledge of the perceptual and cognitive processes available to them. The closing argument is that the blind and visually impaired persons whose development has been shaped by wise applications of the findings of perception and cognition are the ones who are prepared to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by technology - as it is ordinarily understood. The article is in two parts.

The Blind Adolescent Life Skills Center provides both individual and group instruction in mobility, living skills, communication, recreation, and social relations. The program does not take place in a traditional classroom setting but tries to provide real experiences in independent living by housing the students in an apartment complex and offering services on an "on call" basis. Instruction is meaningful because it is related to daily activities. Participants acquire skills that enable them to select life styles that will be satisfactory to them when they leave the center.