The reading and spelling performance of visually impaired Dutch elementary schoolchildren

The oral word reading and word spelling achievement of 147 visually impaired elementary school children was compared with that of their normal vision peers. On average, the literacy development of the visually impaired children appeared to be hampered by their visual defects. A disproportionate number of them performed in the lowest 10% class estimated for the general population. Being visually impaired, however, does not necessarily preclude someone from being a good reader or speller since 10-27% of the visually impaired children scored in the uppermost performance quartile. The between-groups difference for spelling was relatively small and approached zero towards the end of elementary school, suggesting that visual impairment only interferes with the acquisition of orthographic knowledge for a limited period of time. This, and the pattern in the reading data, indicate that the cause of the discrepancy is not so much in knowledge as well as in factors limiting handling speed. Using questionnaire data provided by the teachers, it was found that of the frequent negative conditions of the visual system, only the presence of visual field restrictions - central field restrictions in particular - had a significant inordinate effect on literacy performance