Intelligence Scale for children with visual impairment - professional version: performance by type and degree of disability

Abstract

This study aimes to search for validity evidence using a scale for evaluating the intelligence of visually impaired children. The instrument (Scale of Intelligence of visually impaired children - professional version, EPIC-DV) is composed of 29 phrases that evaluate the areas of verbal, logical, quantitative and memory reasoning), which must be judged by the professional within a scale Likert score of 5 points, according to the intensity of the behavior present in the child evaluated. The sample consisted of 10 professionals working in specialized institutions (M = 45.7 years, SD = 13.1), who evaluated 30 visually impaired children aged seven to twelve (M = 9, 76, SD = 1.81), of both sexes and different levels of schooling. Of these, 8 presented acquired deficiency and 22 of congenital type, being still 23 diagnosed with low vision and 7 with blindness. The results indicated that most of the areas evaluated did not present significant differences between the groups, according to the degree of disability. The influence of the variable type of disability was found only for verbal reasoning, with congenital deficiency children performing better. In general, the results suggest that the EPIC-DV can be used as a follow-up instrument, complementary, within a broader process and aimed at assessing the cognitive abilities of children and adolescents with visual impairment, independent of degree or type of disability. KEY WORDS : Visual Impairment, Vision Disorders, Cognitive Fitness, Validity of the Test, Measures, Psychological Evaluation. doi: 10.21703/rexe.20181733ccampos32