The Assessment of Perceptual Therapy Study (APTS): Effect of Home-Based Computer Perceptual Therapy on Academic Performance in Children with Below-age Level Visual Perceptual Performance
Purpose: The objective of this research was to evaluate whether children with below age-level visual perceptual skill who perform home-based visual perception therapy using the Perceptual Therapy System II: PTS II iNet (PTS II) would show improvements in performance on standardized tests of academic achievement, attention and memory and/or reported problem behaviors. Methods: Children 6 to 13 years of age with below age-level performance on a standardized test of visual perception (the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, 5th Edition [VMI], the Beery VMI supplemental test of Visual Perception [VP], or the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills, 3rd Edition [TVPS-3]) were invited to participate. Children with a score of 80 or below on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, 2nd Edition (KBIT-2) were excluded. Children received the PTS II and were prescribed home therapy for 20 minutes a day, 5 days per week, for 16 weeks. Testing at baseline and outcome consisted of The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Second Edition (WIAT-2) Reading and Mathematics subtests (Word Reading, Reading Comprehension, Pseudodecoding, and Numerical Operations), the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) Attention and Figure Memory subtests (Expressive Attention, Number Detection, Receptive Attention, and Figure Memory), and the Conners’ Parental Rating Scales-Revised (S) (Conners’). One sample t-test analysis was used to compare baseline and outcome test scores to published normative values. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test analysis determined if significant changes occurred between baseline and outcome test scores. Linear regression was performed to examine the effect of compliance. Results: Twenty-five children enrolled and twenty children (mean age 9.61 years) completed the study. At baseline, children scored on average significantly below the published normative means on CAS Expressive Attention and Number Detection (p = .003 and .029, respectively), the composite CAS Attention standard score (p = .001), and the WIAT-2 Word Reading, Pseudodecoding, and Numerical Operations subtests (p = .006, .001, and .002, respectively). Baseline scores were significantly above the published normative mean on the Conners’ Cognitive Problems/Inattention (p < .01), Hyperactivity (p = .043), and ADHD Index (p < .01) subscales (more reported problem behaviors). Children who completed the study performed an average of 69.5 therapy sessions (range: 11.75 - 104 sessions) on the PTS II. On average, outcome testing occurred at 19.3 weeks (range: 15.57 – 28.14 weeks). At outcome, a significant improvement on CAS Expressive Attention (p = .0358) and a significant decrease in reported frequency of problem behaviors on the Conners’ Cognitive Problems/Inattention (p = .0024) and ADHD Index subscales (p = .0024) were observed. No other significant changes in academic achievement or reported problem behaviors were found. Conclusion: Children with below age-level performance on a standardized test of visual perception who performed home-based visual perceptual therapy using PTS II showed increased performance in CAS Expressive Attention and a decreased frequency of parent-reported problem behaviors on the Conners’.
Ophthalmology, Visual perception, attention, home-based visual perception therapy
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations