An Evaluation of a Clinic-Based Low Vision Device Lending Library.

As the efficacy of low vision service provision is facilitated by clients' access to and proper use of low vision devices, the objective of this study was to evaluate an outpatient clinic-based low vision device lending library program and the functional and psychosocial impact that device use had upon clients. Twenty individuals borrowed portable video magnifiers during the study period. Line items from the Revised-Self-Report Assessment of Functional Visual Performance and the Reading Behavior Inventory were analyzed before and after device loan at two months. The Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale-10 and a semi-structured interview were also completed at two months. Reported improvements in reading performance and satisfaction levels on the Reading Behavior Inventory were significant (p<.001). The Revised-Self-Report Assessment of Functional Visual Performance indicated improved independence in reading medications, bills and labels. Higher scores in happiness, independence, sense of control and adaptability on the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale-10 indicated device retention at two months. Qualitative themes included improved independence, time needed to acclimate to the device, personal appraisal impacting motivation and challenges specific to low vision. This article provides occupational therapists a model to facilitate access, person-device fit and successful use of low vision devices to promote therapy outcomes.

Feeling Old, Body and Soul: The Effect of Aging Body Reminders on Age Identity.

OBJECTIVES: Although changes in body functioning and appearance signal the aging process to ourselves and others, studies give limited attention to the effect of bodily experiences of aging on age identity. Our study examines the effect on age identity of 3 categories of aging body reminders: everyday body problems, body repairs, and body aids. METHODS: Hierarchical linear models are run using 5 waves of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (2011-2015). Models predict the effect on age identity of change in the count of everyday body problems (e.g., pain), body repairs (i.e., surgeries and medications), and body aids (e.g., hearing aids). RESULTS: Increases in everyday body problems and body repairs (in particular, medications) predict older identities, with the strongest average effect found for everyday body problems. These results are observed in models controlling on health, suggesting that body reminders exert independent effects. DISCUSSION: Our study reveals a realm of aging experiences-bodily experiences-that influence age identity. Avenues for further research include examinations of other aging body reminders, as well as variation across individuals.

Sensory substitution: Using a vibrotactile device to orient and walk to targets.

This study investigates how active exploration helps users of sensory substitution devices (SSDs) to detect action-relevant information. A vibrotactile SSD was developed that generates stimulation that is contingent on the users' movements. Target direction was specified by the location of the vibratory stimulation, and target distance by the size and intensity of the pattern of stimulation. A series of experiments was performed with blindfolded participants. In Experiments 1a to 1c, participants used the SSD to align their central body axis with prespecified targets. These experiments differed in the number of actuators that were used and whether online perception-action coupling was present. In Experiment 2, participants approached targets with forward locomotion along a straight line. Experiment 3 combined the previous experiments and studied the concomitant walking and steering toward targets. Oscillatory movements, which facilitated information pickup, were observed in all experiments. The exploratory oscillations were shown to depend on the online perception-action coupling and were related to cases of hyperacuity, for which absolute errors were found to be smaller than the areas of sensitivity of the actuators. It is concluded that, to improve the utility of SSDs, future research with SSDs should pay more attention to the role of active information detection. (PsycINFO Database Record

Using WatchMinder to Increase the On-Task Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study assessed the use of WatchMinder™, a vibrating prompt watch, and self-graphing on the on-task behavior of students with autism spectrum disorder in an elementary special education setting. Using a multiple baseline across subjects design, results showed an immediate increase in on-task behavior when the intervention was introduced. Participants maintained high levels of on-task behavior during the follow-up phase. Implications for expanded self-monitoring treatment packages are discussed.

Cortical activation during Braille reading is influenced by early visual experience in subjects with severe visual disability: a correlational fMRI study.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on blind adults resting and reading Braille. The strongest activation was found in primary somatic sensory/motor cortex on both cortical hemispheres. Additional foci of activation were situated in the parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes where visual information is processed in sighted persons. The regions were differentiated most in the correlation of their time courses of activation with resting and reading. Differences in magnitude and expanse of activation were substantially less significant. Among the traditionally visual areas, the strength of correlation was greatest in posterior parietal cortex and moderate in occipitotemporal, lateral occipital, and primary visual cortex. It was low in secondary visual cortex as well as in dorsal and ventral inferior temporal cortex and posterior middle temporal cortex. Visual experience increased the strength of correlation in all regions except dorsal inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortex. The greatest statistically significant increase, i.e., approximately 30%, was in ventral inferior temporal and posterior middle temporal cortex. In these regions, words are analyzed semantically, which may be facilitated by visual experience. In contrast, visual experience resulted in a slight, insignificant diminution of the strength of correlation in dorsal inferior temporal cortex where language is analyzed phonetically. These findings affirm that posterior temporal regions are engaged in the processing of written language. Moreover, they suggest that this function is modified by early visual experience. Furthermore, visual experience significantly strengthened the correlation of activation and Braille reading in occipital regions traditionally involved in the processing of visual features and object recognition suggesting a role for visual imagery.

The impact of hearing impairment on television viewing in the UK.

Just under one in 10 of a nationally representative sample of UK television viewers said that they experienced difficulty with their hearing. These hard-of-hearing viewers were found to report much greater difficulty watching programmes (mean difficulty rating = 32%) than elderly viewers with no reported hearing difficulty (mean difficulty rating = 10%), or those viewers generally who said they had no hearing problems (mean difficulty rating = 3%). Using a similarly constructed rating for reported enjoyment of different television programmes, hard-of-hearing viewers were found to exhibit a small reduction in enjoyment across the majority of programmes types. While it might have been anticipated that a greater proportion of those with impaired hearing owned a teletext television set giving them access to subtitling, this was not found to be the case. Across the sample as a whole, teletext ownership was shown to be 45%, but was lower than this (38.5%) amongst the hard-of-hearing. The findings corroborate what has been shown in another study, namely that teletext ownership is lower among older viewers. Hearing impairment, if it is not congenital or of early childhood origin, is a condition associated with increasing age. Thus, those whose viewing and appreciation of programmes might be enhanced by subtitles, in the main, do not have access to them. Among hard-of-hearing viewers who did have access to the teletext subtitle service, two thirds of those aged 51 years and over felt that subtitles assisted their understanding of television programmes. As one might expect, of those owning teletext, hard-of-hearing viewers reported greatest use of subtitles. Thirteen per cent of those with hearing difficulty and aged over 51 years said they used subtitles for all programmes watched and a further 26% of the over fifties with hearing difficulty reported regularly using subtitles for selected programmes. These data advocate that there are many hard-of-hearing viewers whose viewing could be enhanced by subtitling. Effort should be made to promote public and professional awareness of the availability of teletext subtitling and additional resources will be needed to combat the technophobia which may hinder older people from initially purchasing a teletext television set, or making effective use of one they already own.