Does enhancing visual perception in mild intellectually disabled children transfer to other skills?

Abstract

This work examines the effectiveness of two training programs (teacher-assisted versus computer-based) to enhance the visual perception of mild intellectually disabled children native Arabic children in Egypt. Subjects were randomly assigned to three groups: control group with treatment as usual (n=12), traditional/teacher-assisted training (n=12) and a computerized training (n=12). Groups were matched for socio-demographic variables controlling for age, gender, and the education of parents. The success of the different training procedures was evaluated by Frosting Developmental Test of Visual Perception and its transfer to other skills in the same modality (List of Reading Readiness Skills) and general improvement in cognitive abilities (The Stanford-Binet Test). Both programs significantly improved performances of the experimental groups compared to the control group. Yet, no significant differences were found between the two active training groups, suggesting that a computerized trainings may be an option to assist challenged children, particularly when there are no specialized teachers available for the highly time consuming trainings. These findings are discussed in terms of neurological plasticity as well as recommendations for integrated training programs.