An Intensive Differential Diagnosis of Partially Seeing Children to Determine the Implications of Education

N o one person has exerted a greater influence on programs for the partially seeing than Winifred Hathaway, who was an outstanding leader in this field. Her book, Education and Health of the Partially Seeing Child, is generally used as a text in training programs. for teachers of the partially seeing. Consequently, programs throughout the country are conducted very much in accordance with her recommendations. The recommendations made in the four editions of this book are largely based on experienceand observation. Few have been validated through research. Educators have been led to believe that providing partially seeing children with special equipment and materials of instruction will enable them to follow the curriculum of the regular school program and work at a level commensurate with their intellectual abilities. There is not sufficientknowledge at this time regarding the psychological processes and achievement of partially seeing children to be assured that these children need no special methods or techniques of instruction. It is interesting to note that of the 192 pages in the 1954 edition of Hathaway's book, only four and one-eighth pages are devoted to a discussionof methods and techniques of teaching the partially seeing child. The logical explanation for this is that there has been little or no research to indicate that partially see-