| Summary: | Thesis (MOccTher (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Occupational Therapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. === According to the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2002), the objective of occupational
therapy is to help people to participate in activities of daily life which are purposeful and meaningful to
them and in which they are expected to participate. According to educators, learners are increasingly
experiencing problems with performing academic tasks, and learning barriers, especially with regard to
visual perception, are on the increase. Various external factors, such as educational policy pertaining
to inclusive education and a younger age for school admission, as well as internal factors, such as
learning readiness, may contribute to the occurence of learning barriers that can restrict the academic
progress of learners.
Learners are increasingly being referred to occupational therapists. Occupational therapists also
provide guidance to learner supporters. Occupational therapists refer learners with visual perception
problems with possible eye tracking problems for vision therapy, after which occupational therapy is
resumed. Meanwhile, learners still have to function in the school environment, which means that
incorrect capturing of information processing can take place. According to literature, the promotion of
eye movements is regarded as part of occupational therapy services in the USA. In South Africa the
proposed model by Fishman-Hellerstein and Fishman (1999: 148) of cooperation between
optometrists and occupational therapists is followed. In this approach eye movements are regarded
as underlying building blocks of visual perception and the effect of eye movements on the academic
performance of learners is clearly described (Green, 2001). There is a shortcoming in the literature
where eye movements are promoted as integral to a visual perception programme. Occupational
therapy needs to investigate effective methods of intervention that are time and cost effective in order
to address the growing problem, especially in South Africa.
A clinical experimental field trial with a convenience sample was used to investigate the effect of
occulomotor exercises in combination with a visual perception programme on the visual perception of
seven-year-old learners with visual perception problems.
The study population was seven-year-old learners with visual perception learning barriers from
neighbouring schools with foundation phase education. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied.
Sifting procedures included questionnaires to parents and educators, “Beery-Buktenica Developmental
Test of Visual-Motor Integration” 4th edition of Beery (1997) for visio-motor integration, and a screening
test by an optometrist. A visual perception programme was presented to the control groups and the
experimental groups over ten sessions. An eye exercise of 15 minutes was included with the experimental groups. The Developmental Test of
Visual Perception, 2nd edition, by Hammill, Pearson and Voress (1993) was used as measuring
instrument in the pre-test and post-test to determine effectiveness, which was statistically indicated by
using the repeated measures ANOVA.
The results indicated no significant difference between the visual perception programme with eye
exercises and the one without. Two tests of the sub-ability of visual perception showed a tendency
towards improvement. The educators indicated that the learners benefited functionally from the
programme and that it made a difference in academic performance. Behaviour and emotional events
may have influenced the results of the study because of external factors.
It is recommended that the study be repeated with a larger sample and a longer programme presented
over six months to a year.
Occupational therapists can include eye exercises integral to activity participation by adapting
activities and through the optimal use of space for activities so that the learner would have to adapt to
it visually.
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