rebecca l. renshaw, med, coms nclvi fellow, university of pittsburgh george j. zimmerman, phd, coms...
TRANSCRIPT
Rebecca L. Renshaw, MEd, COMS
NCLVI Fellow, University of Pittsburgh
George J. Zimmerman, PhD, COMS
Associate Professor, University of Pittsburgh
This poster discusses the use of a tactile map of a large outdoor space (garden and play area) used to teach a four year old student with minimal light perception about the spatial location of various landmarks (specific play area) within the space. Data regarding accuracy of spatial judgments and retention of spatial layout knowledge will be presented.
Map Dimensions - 11” X 17” Map Materials
Foam Board = BaseFelt = GrassVelcro = ConcreteDollhouse Bricks = PaversAluminum Foil = FountainFoam = PlaygroundWooden Popsicle Sticks = Song Bench and
PillarsPuff Paint (shapes) = Picnic Area and Swing
Outdoor large-scale play environmentCreated specifically for exploration for children who
are blind and visually impaired in an approved private school
LandmarksEntrance GatePlayground AreaSwingSong BenchFountain
Sensory cuesAuditory: water fountain, song bench, playground areaTactile: playground area, grass, brick, railingProprioceptive: slope of brick area
Guided and self-exploration of mapGuided and self-exploration of gardenTime Period:
Spring = 16.5 hoursFall = 12.75 hours
Two dependent measures:Tactile Map Time Data = time to tactually
locate landmarks on mapRoute Travel Time Data = time to travel to
landmark in the Garden
Participant improved on measures of time when locating landmarks on the tactile map. Entrance Gate – 10.88 seconds to 2.07
secondsPlayground – 3.30 seconds to 2. 36 secondsSwing – 25.11 seconds to 10.05 secondsSong Bench – 45.27 seconds to 3.155 secondsFountain – 20.18 seconds to 2.07 seconds
Participant improved on measures of time when locating destination in the Garden. Entrance Gate – 26.1 seconds to 22.1 secondsPlayground – 24.7 seconds to 10.4 secondsSwing – 2:07.2 minutes to 49.3 secondsSong Bench – 2:52.3 minutes to 1:38.3
minutesFountain – 2:20.4 minutes to 33.4 seconds
Data Collection – Collected over nine sessionsEach session lasted approximately one hour
Tactile Map –Time needed to locate landmarks on the map
decreasedRoute Travel –
Time needed to locate landmarks in the Garden decreased
Single subject design limits the generalizability of the results
Repeated exposure to same sequence of the routes may have caused the decrease in time
Before each lesson, the O&M specialist traced the routes on the tactile map using hand over hand assistance rather than allowing the student to review the route independently.