The impact of visual deprivation on spatial coding: Developmental trends and new evaluative and training procedures

Several evidences indicate that visual experience during development is fundamental to acquire long-term spatial capabilities. Specifically, it has been hypothesized that vision is crucial to acquire the ability to code space according to allocentric frames of reference, namely based on external landmarks compared to our own body. For instance, the first attempts of sighted children to code space by relying on allocentric landmarks have been reported at 8.5 months of age, with constant improvements throughout primary school years. On the contrary, developmental delays in the acquisition of allocentric spatial knowledge have been shown in absence of vision. Indeed, visually impaired children tend to rely on egocentric frames of reference until 12 years of age. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the use of auditory feedback to complement or substitute visual feedback of body movements might be effective in prompting the acquisition of allocentric capabilities, specifically for young individuals with visual disabilities. For instance, it has been shown that the use of a simple audio bracelet that provides sonorous feedback of body movements can improve spatial perception both in adults and children with visual impairment.
My work is focused on two main aims: a) increasing knowledge about the development of spatial capabilities in absence of vision, specifically in relation to the ability to switch from egocentric to allocentric frames of reference and to construct an auditory map of the surrounding space; b) developing and testing new training devices that can help visually impaired individuals to localize and recognize sonorous stimuli in space.