Chapter
5

Barraga Visual Efficiency Evaluation Tools

This chapter is designed in black and white so the Barraga evaluation tools can be photocopied easily. The tools that require a write-in response are also available online: https://barraga.aphtech.org/.

Visual Skills Chart

Category Skills Media Function
Visual examining behaviors
  • Fixate
  • Track
  • Localize
  • Shift gaze
  • Scan
  • 3D objects
  • 2D pictures and symbols
  • Locate
  • Detect a line of travel
  • Identify
  • Compare
Visually guided movements of the body
  • Head and body alignment
  • Body to object alignment
  • Object to object alignment
  • 3D objects
  • Obtain
  • Manipulate
  • Place

Developmental Sequences Chart1

Emergence Maturity
Awareness Attention Understanding
Lights People Objects
Fixating Tracking Scanning
Near Far
Peripheral Central
Familiar Novel
Large Small
High contrast Low contrast
Part Whole
Black and white Colors
Simple Complex
Outer edges Internal details

Perceptual Skills Chart

Objects Pictures Graphic Symbols
  • Identification
    • color, shape, size, and internal detail
    • Visual closure
    • Figure-ground
    • Visual memory
    • Constancy
    • Part/Whole
  • Identification
    • color, shape, size, internal detail, and outline
    • Visual closure
    • Figure-ground
    • Visual memory
    • Constancy
    • Part/Whole
  • Identification
    • color, shape, size, and internal detail
    • Figure-ground
    • Visual memory
    • Constancy
    • Part/Whole

Activity Inventory

This inventory is available online: https://barraga.aphtech.org/.

Regularly occurring activities Need for Instruction Comments
Low need Medium need High need

Intervention Guide

Priority Activities Media/Objects affected by poor visual efficiency Related visual developmental sequences (V)
and/or
Related perceptual skill deficits (P)
Intervention
Accommodation (A)
Skill (S)
Strategy (St)

Perceptual Skills Evaluation–Instructions

Part 1: Objects
Presentation Action by teacher Teacher says,

O.1 Skill: Match color

O.2 Skill: Match shape

O.3 Skill: Match size

O.4 Skill: Match internal detail

O.5 Skill: Match whole and partially obscured objects

O.6 Skill: Match objects on patterned background

Point to sample object.

Pass hand over array objects.

Point to sample object at end of question.

Look at this object.

Look at these three objects.

Which one is the same as the first object?

O.7 Skill: Name missing object

Pass hand over four objects.

Hold a board over the presentation page to obscure the objects from the student’s view and remove one object.

Pass hand over the three remaining objects.

Look at these four objects. Name each object.

Which object is missing?

O.8 Skill: Match objects in different orientations

Point to sample object.

Pass hand over array objects.

Point to sample object at end of question.

Look at this object.

Look at these three objects. Which one is the same as

the first object?

O.9 Skill: Match object to embedded object

Point to sample object.

Pass hand over array objects.

Point to sample object at end of question.

Look at this object.

Look at these three objects. Which object is part of the

first object?

Part 2: Pictures
Presentation Action by teacher Teacher says,

P.1 Skill: Match object to picture

P.2 Skill: Match color

P.3 Skill: Match shape

P.4 Skill: Match size

P.5 Skill: Match internal detail

P.6 Skill: Match fully drawn picture to partially drawn picture

P.7 Skill: Match pictures on patterned background

Point to sample picture.

Pass hand over array pictures.

Point to sample picture at end of question.

Look at this picture.

Look at these three pictures. Which one is the same as

the first picture?

P.8 Skill: Name missing picture

Place cover over the array of three pictures.

Pass hand over array of four pictures.

Hold a board over the presentation page to obscure the pictures from the student’s view and move the cover from the array of three pictures to the array of four pictures.

Pass hand over array of three pictures.

Look at these four pictures.

Name each picture.

Which picture is missing?

P.9 Skill: Match pictures in different orientations

Point to sample picture.

Pass hand over array pictures.

Point to sample picture at end of question.

Look at this picture.

Look at these three pictures.

Which one is the same as the first picture?

P.10 Skill: Match item in scene to single item

Point to the picnic scene.

Point to picture symbol.

Look at this picture.

Find this picture in the picnic scene picture.

Part 3: Graphic Symbols
Presentation Action by teacher Teacher says,

G.1 Skill: Match solid shaped symbols

G.2 Skill: Match outline shaped symbols

G.3 Skill: Match size

G.4 Skill: Match manuscript symbols

G.5 Skill: Match cursive symbols

G.6 Skill: Match symbols on patterned background

Point to sample symbol.

Pass hand over array symbols.

Point to sample symbol at end of question.

Look at this symbol.

Look at these three symbols.

Which one is the same as the first symbol?

G.7 Skill: Name missing symbol

Pass hand over array of four symbol.

Hold a board over the presentation page to obscure the symbols from the student's view and cover one symbol with a white card.

Pass hand over array of three symbols.

Look at these four symbols. Name each symbol.

Which symbol is missing?

G.8 Skill: Match symbols in different orientations

Point to sample symbol.

Pass hand over array symbols.

Point to sample symbol at end of question.

Look at this symbol.

Look at these three symbols.

Which one is the same as the first symbol?

G.9 Skill: Match symbol to embedded symbol

Point to sample symbol.

Pass hand over array symbols.

Point to sample symbol.

Look at this symbol.

Look at these three symbols.

Find the symbol that is part of the sample.

Performance Record Summary

This summary is available online: https://barraga.aphtech.org/.

Performance Record Summary: Objects
Objects Perceptual Skill 1 Color Tri-Color
O.1 Skill: Match color Identification
O.2 Skill: Match shape Identification
O.3 Skill: Match size Identification
O.4 Skill: Match internal detail Identification
O.5 Skill: Match whole & partially obscured objects Visual closure
0.6 Skill: Match objects on patterned background Figure-ground
0.7 Skill: Name missing object Visual memory
0.8 Skill: Match orientation Constancy
0.9 Skill: Match object to embedded object Part/Whole
Performance Record Summary: Pictures
Pictures Perceptual Skill 1 Color Tri-Color Outline
P.1 Skill: Match object to picture Identification (3D to 2D)
P.2 Skill: Match color Identification (2D to 2D)
P.3 Skill: Match shape Identification
P.4 Skill: Match size Identification
P.5 Skill: Match internal detail Identification
P.6 Skill: Match fully drawn picture to partially drawn picture Visual closure
P.7 Skill: Match pictures on patterned background Figure-ground
P.8 Skill: Name missing picture Visual memory
P.9 Skill: Match pictures in different orientations Constancy
P.10 Skill: Match item in scene to single item Part/Whole
Performance Record Summary: Graphic Symbols
Symbols Perceptual Skill Single letters & numbers Words & numbers sequences
G.1 Skill: Match solid shaped symbols Identification
G.2 Skill: Match outline shaped symbols Identification
G.3 Skill: Match size Identification
G.4 Skill: Match manuscript symbols Identification
G.5 Skill: Match cursive symbols Identification
G.6 Skill: Match symbols on patterned background Figure-ground
G.7 Skill: Name missing symbol Visual memory
G.8 Skill: Match symbols in different orientation Constancy
G.9 Skill: Match symbol to embedded symbol Part/Whole

References

Bender, W. N. (2008). Differentiating instruction for students with learning disabilities: Best teaching practices for general and special educators (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Joint publication with Council for Exceptional Children.

Ferrell, K. A. (2010). Visual development. In A. L. Corn & J. N. Erin (Eds.), Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives (2nd ed.) (pp. 299-338). New York: AFB Press.

Ferrell, K. A. (2011). Reach out and teach: Helping your child who is visually impaired learn and grow (2nd ed.). New York: AFB Press.

Hatton, D., Bailey, D. B., Burchinal, M., & Ferrell, K. A. (1997).

Developmental growth curves of preschool children with vision impairments. Child Development, 64, 788-806.

Leguire, L. E., Fellows, R. R., Rogers, D. L., & Fillman, R. D. (1992). The CCH vision stimulation programs for infants with low vision: Preliminary results. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 86, 33-37.

Lerner, J. W. (2000). Learning disabilities: Theories, diagnosis, and teaching strategies (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Lueck, A. H. (2004). Overview of intervention methods. In A. H. Lueck (Ed.), Functional vision: A practitioner’s guide to evaluation and intervention (pp. 257-276). New York: AFB Press.

Mamer, L. (1999). Visual development in students with visual and additional impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 93, 360-369.

Swanson, H. L., Hoskyn, M., & Lee, C. (1999). Interventions for students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis of treatment outcomes New York: Guilford Press.