VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Visual Literacy Supports for Learners with Special Needs

Emily Pickering
University of West Georgia

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Visual literacy supports are important to the instruction of all learners, especially those
with special needs. These supports may be used to aid in classroom management or to enhance
instruction in a variety of content areas. I have located and analyzed three studies focusing on
the usage of visual supports with learners with special needs.
Title and Brief Description
The title of the first article I am reviewing is The Use of Visual Supports to Facilitate
Transitions of Students with Autism by Sarah Dettmer, Richard L.Simpson, Brenda Smith Myles,
and Jennifer B. Ganz. As is typical with reports written to convey research, the title is quite
descriptive and helpful in alerting the reader to the topic(s) at hand. The study was designed
when it was noticed that students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were showing minimal
internalization of transitional skills when presented with verbal and physical prompts. This led
to the authors of this study to research the effectiveness of visual supports in teaching transition.
Summary of the Review of Literature
The article begins by discussing the difficulty that individuals with ASD have
organizing their environments and thoughts and in processing auditory stimuli (Dettmer,
Simpson, Smith-Myles, & Ganz, 2000, p. 163). Temple Grandin, a well-known author and
advocate for individuals with ASD, clarifies this in her 1995 autobiography entitled The
Learning Style of People with Autism when she explains that people with autism are visual
thinkers (as cited in Dettmer et al., 2000, p. 163). The authors emphasize that while visual
supports are widely used to aid children with autism in a variety of ways, the effectiveness of
said visual supports has not been thoroughly researched. This article seeks to declare the
effectiveness of visual supports in aiding transitions for children with ASD.

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Analysis of Methodology
This study was completed using single-study reversal designs. In other words,
interventions were provided in an ABAB fashion. Latency between verbal prompts and the
students initiating action towards the next required activity was recorded during four sessions.
Sessions one and three, represented by A in the aforementioned pattern, were conducted without
the intervention of visual supports. Sessions two and four, represented by B in the
aforementioned pattern, were conducted with visual supports. The subjects of this study were
two boys, Jeff (age 7) and Josh (age 5), both with ASD. Jeffs transitions were observed in
community settings in a metropolitan area, completing a variety of activities. Joshs transitions
were observed in a one-on-one instructional setting with an instructor that came to his home.
The visual supports provided for both boys were quite similar. For each of them, visual
schedules were designed using simple line drawings to represent each activity in their routines.
Each of their schedules were attached with Velcro to a foam strip. Jeffs schedule stayed
primarily in his car, while Joshs schedule was designed to travel with him from one activity to
the next. To aid with the wide variety of places he could visit with his instructor, Jeff was also
given a visual schedule in an easily-portable photo album, comprised of the same pictures in the
same order as his car schedule. As part of his schedule, Josh was also given sub-schedules for
each work task. Joshs play time was also visually supported with a timer that displayed ten
minutes in a field of red that shrank as time passed. The simple usage of these elements of visual
literacy created powerful visual supports for these two young men.
Summary of Results

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

These visual supports were effective as is shown by Figures 1-4 in the article. During the
intervention phases, latency was less. While Josh never required physical transition to a new
event by a caregiver, Jeff required less than normal during intervention phases. Both boys
requested the visual supports during the second baseline phase, and Josh showed distress and
greatly increased latency from the first baseline to the second baseline.
My opinion on the Research
I think this study provides quality contribution to the limited research that exists on the
effectiveness of visual supports in aiding transition for individuals with ASD. This study is
somewhat unique in that it simultaneously implemented more than one visual technique during
intervention (Dettmer et al, 2000, p. 168). I agree with the authors that while visual supports
did show to be effective, more research needs to be done on the effectiveness of specific visual
supports. I also would like to see this study extended into mainstream inclusion classrooms.
What I Learned
I have learned that visual supports for students with ASD can be so much more than a
mere schedule of the day posted somewhere on a wall. Schedules should be portable, and subschedules can be used to update smaller tasks within part of a daily routine. I have learned to
keep visual supports simple and to focus not only on the element of color but also of line.
Title and Brief Description
The title of the second article I am reviewing is Teacher and Student Use of Gesture and
Access to Secondary Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities: An Exploratory
Study by Casey Hord, Samantha Marita, Jennifer B. Walsh,Taylor-Marie Tomaro, Kiyana
Gordon, and Rene L. Saldanha. The article opens by discussing the increased pressure for
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VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

students with Learning Disabilities (LD) to learn and use mathematical content that results from
various changes in US educational policy in recent history. The effectiveness of using visual
representations and gesturing in the teaching and learning of secondary math skills is examined.
Summary of the Review of Literature
As the idea of gesturing in mathematics learning is introduced, the authors of this study
cite a hypothetical situation where a speaker might say, I ran all the way upstairs while moving
her index finger upward in a spiral. It is through the speakers gesture, and only her gestures,
that the listener knows the staircase is spiral (Goldin-Meadow, Nusbaum, Kelly, & Wagner,
2001, p. 516 as cited in Hord et al., 2016, p. 191). The visual literacy principle of motion is
evident in that the motion of the index finger is responsible for the idea being communicated.
The study goes on to focus on analysis of the gesturing used in mathematics instruction and
learning by teachers and peers.
Analysis of Methodology
The exploratory, qualitative analysis is done in one-on-one and in small groups across the
span of six instructional sessions. There were four participants in the study, all AfricanAmerican, with three males and one female. The students were all school-identified LD and in
the eighth grade in an urban secondary school. The analysis was conducted in three phases, the
first of which consisted of the studys lead author taking audio recordings of the instructional
sessions while also noting gesturing done by the tutors and by the students. The second phase
involved the lead author transcribing the situations where gesturing was used, with these
situations being sorted by the research team into two primary categories: gesturing by students
and gesturing by tutors. The purpose of gesturing was also examined as to whether or not it was

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

being used to represent a mathematical process or a mathematical relationship. The third phase
of the study is where the entire research team analyzed and discussed the results until all were in
agreeance, at which time results were taken to an external source, a local special education
teacher. After agreeing with the logic of the research team, the teacher noted the same tendencies
in regards to gesturing in mathematics in her own students with LD.
Summary of Results
Whether the gesturing was done by a tutor or a student, it seemed that the students were
typically able to receive and communicate mathematical understanding without the burden of
formalized math language. The gesturing also helped instructors to correct students word choice
when errantly describing operations involved in completing the mathematical process for which
they were receiving guidance. Even with gesturing, instructors still reportedly relied heavily on
diagrams and other visuals.
My opinion on the Research
While I am admittedly more comfortable with reading a quantitative versus a qualitative
report, this is probably the best reporting format for the study. The figures throughout the article
that depicted some of the analyzed gesturing were helpful but almost were lost in the necessary
verbosity of the report. The dialogue was excellent in demonstrating the lessened burden of
using and understanding math lingo.
What I Learned
It is a good thing that gesturing tends to come naturally to most educators, including me.
Gesturing is not to be considered an alternate form of communication but instead a potentially
crucial supplement to the math instruction and infographics I am already using. While
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VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

inadvertent gesturing can add value to a lesson, I do also need to look for ways to be deliberate
and consistent in my usage of gesturing during math instruction.
Title and Brief Description
The name of the third article I have chosen is Components of Visual Literacy: Teaching
Logos by Paul A. Alberto, Laura Fredrick, Melissa Hughes, Laura McIntosh, and David Cihak.
The article claims that literacy is often defined in overly-narrow terms. Visual literacy
contributes to literacy as it is defined by the general population. The study of teaching logo
recognition to students with moderate to severe disabilities is used to explain this contribution.
Summary of the Review of Literature
Early in the article, the authors make the claim that [v]isual literacy results from a
system for expressing, recognizing, understanding, and learning visual messages that are
negotiable by all people and should be considered as part of functional literacy, particularly for
learners with moderate to several intellectual disabilities (Alberto, Fredrick, Hughes, McIntosh,
& Cihak, 2007, p. 234). Picture reading and logo reading are then compared and contrasted,
with the value of each to teaching visual and functional literacy being discussed. As logos
provide information for identifying the location of goods and services in the community and
information about safety, mobility, and transportation, the authors of the study decide to focus
their research on time-delayed teaching of logo reading.
Analysis of Methodology
Six elementary and middle school students, ranging in age from nine to 14, participated
in the study. They were all receiving special education instruction and had IQs ranging
anywhere from 38 to 52. Parents of the subjects were given a collection of logos and asked to
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VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

reduce the collection to only those in the students respective neighborhoods. After this was
done, students were evaluated for recognition of logos, being asked to name each business and
something that could be purchased from it before an icon was considered read. Once a set of
twelve unknown icons per student were selected, students were taught the icons in whole-group
fashion with periodic individual checks. The students were quizzed on icons in a flashcard-style
manner.
Summary of Results
All students were able to demonstrate 100% mastery of logos in the classroom and were
generally able to read logos in community settings. This demonstrates the importance of
read[ing] nonverbal, essentially visual, languages to functional literacy. Interobserver
agreement for this study was high, indicating the validity of study results.
My opinion on the Research
The authors conducted quality research on a difficult topic. For some, including me
initially, making the connection between visual literacy and functional literacy is quite a task.
However, the authors clearly defined and connected the two types of literacy. They then
proceeded to investigate a seemingly-audacious claim that those with moderate to severe
disabilities can indeed read and comprehend. Data was provided to thoroughly support this
claim, and validity was demonstrated with high interobserver agreement on probe results. The
authors discussion of further research being needed into the contribution of motion pictures to
functional literacy is also an excellent point.
What I Learned

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

This study truly opened my eyes to the importance logo reading plays to visual literacy
and the subsequent importance of the role visual literacy plays in overall functional literacy.
Before this, I saw reading of environmental print as an important bridge to print literacy for my
young elementary students. However, I now see that it is paramount for students of all ages.
Logo reading could be the only type of literacy possible for a student.
Overall Reflection
Originally, I was going to focus solely on the creation of visual literacy supports for
students with disabilities. However, the research I located focused mostly on the utilization of
visual supports for students with disabilities. At first, this bothered me, as I felt I was straying
from a quality topic. After reading and analyzing all three articles, I now see how what I have
reported can indeed contribute to the efficacy of the visuals I create for all students, especially
for those with special needs. I need to ensure I use the elements and principles of visual literacy
in creating quality visual supports. I also need to focus on the contributions of these visuals to
the functional literacy of my students.
As for the research, I found it simultaneously difficult and refreshing to analyze articles
that focused on particular studies, not just on helpful suggestions. I would get excited about an
article only to realize that it did not meet the research criteria for this assignment. I also was
surprised when the subject of interobserver accountability and reliability was discussed. As it
should be for any reported study, this number was always in the mid- to high-90s as far as
percentage goes. What startled me, though, was the fact that interobserver reliability was only
assessed for approximately 15-25% of the instances in the two quantitative studies. I presumed
this would be observed all the time.

VISUAL LITERACY SUPPORTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

References
Alberto, P., Fredrick, L., Hughes, M., McIntosh, L, & Cihak, D. (2007). Components of visual
literacy: Teaching logos. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22(4),
234-243. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com
Dettmer, S., Simpson, R., Smith-Myles, B. & Ganz, J. (2000). The use of visual supports to
facilitate transitions of students with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental
Disabilities, 15(3), 163-169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/108835760001500307
Goldin-Meadow, S., Nusbaum, H., Kelly, S., & Wagner, S. (2001). Explaining math: Gesturing
lightens the load. Psychological Science, 12(6), 516-522.
Grandin, T. (1995). The learning style of people with autism: An autobiography. In K. A. Quill
(Ed.), Teaching children with autism: Strategies to enhance communication and
socialization (p. 35-52). New York: Delmar.
Hord, C., Marita, S., Walsh, J. Tomaro, T., Gordon, K., & Saldanha, R. (2016). Teacher and
student use of gesture and access to secondary mathematics for students with learning
disabilities: An exploratory study. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 14(2),
189-206. Retrieved from http://www.ldw-ldcj.org/

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