Visual Processing Disorders - Page 2

Visual Motor Processing

The Skill — Using feedback from the eyes to coordinate the movement of other parts of the body

Difficulties Observed

• Writing within lines or margins of a piece of paper
• Copying from a board or book
• Moving around without bumping into things
• Participating in sports that require well-timed and precise movements in space

Types of Helpful Strategies:

• Allow use of a computer.
• Allow use of a tape recorder for lectures.
• Substitute oral reports for written ones.
• Provide a "note buddy" to check that topic notes are clear and well-organized.

Visual Memory

The Skill— There are two kinds of visual memory:

• Long-term visual memory is the ability to recall something seen some time ago.
• Short-term visual memory is the ability to remember something seen very recently.

Difficulties Observed

• Remembering the spelling of familiar words with irregular spelling
• Reading comprehension
• Using a calculator or keyboard with speed and accuracy
• Remembering phone numbers

Types of Helpful Strategies:

• Provide handouts that are clearly written.
• Provide oral instruction to reinforce written directions.

Visual Closure

The Skill — The ability to know what an object is when only parts of it are visible

Difficulties Observed

• Recognizing a picture of a familiar object from a partial image. Example: A truck without its wheels
• Identifying a word with a letter missing
• Recognizing a face when one feature (such as the nose) is missing

Types of Helpful Strategies:

• Practice with jigsaw puzzles and rebus-type games.

Spatial Relationships 

The Skill — The ability to understand how objects are positioned in space in relation to oneself. This involves the understanding of distance (near or far), as well as the relationship of objects and characters described on paper or in a spoken narrative.

Difficulties Observed

• Getting from one place to another
• Spacing letters and words on paper
• Judging time
• Reading maps

Types of Helpful Strategies:

• Practice estimating distance with ball games and using a tape measure.
• Create maps and travel logs.
• Practice social skills that focus on judging appropriate physical proximity to others.