What is visual perception and how does it impact participation in the classroom?

Visual perception involves the brains ability to receive, interpret, and act upon visual stimuli.  There are seven areas of visual perceptual skills to include: visual discrimination, visual memory, visual spatial relationships, visual form constancy, visual sequential memory, visual figure ground, and visual closure. 

                     

Visual discrimination- The ability to recognize differences and similarities between shapes, objects, and patterns.  Visual discrimination can impact:

·         letter alignment on lines

·         proofreading skills

·         distinguishing between similar letters r/n/h/b/d

·         distinguishing between math symbols and angles

 

Visual memory- The ability to remember visual information.  It involves recalling or reproducing what is seen after viewing it for a short period of time.  Visual memory can impact:

·         letter and number recognition

·         learning sight words

·         reproducing numbers/letters/shapes without looking at a model

 

Visual spatial relationships- The ability to recognize forms that are the same, but may be in a different spatial orientation/directionality.  Visual spatial relationships may impact:

·         the ability to recognize letter and number reversals when reading and writing

·         graphing skills

·         lining numbers up in math

·         following a map or diagram

·         planning and organizing use of space on paper

·         right/left discrimination (following right/left directions on a map)

 

Visual form constancy- The ability to discern similar forms that may be different in size, color, or spatial orientation and to consistently match the similar forms. Visual form constancy may impact:

·         distinguishing between similar forms such as an oval/circle

·         recognizing letters in various writing styles

·         projecting the idea of a shape onto something familiar (i.e. a snow cone has a triangle, a door is a rectangle)

·         geometry, symmetry

 

Visual sequential memory- The ability to remember a sequence of pictures, shapes, letters or numbers.  The ability to recall or reproduce a sequence of visual information that is only seen for a short period of time.  Visual sequential memory may impact:

·         following multi-step directions

·         remembering the motor patterns for letter formation

·         spelling

·         copying from the board or a textbook

·         following classroom routines

·         remembering sequences (days of the week, months, alphabet, phone numbers)

 

Visual figure ground- The ability to visually locate a picture, shape, letter or number among a busy, competing background.  Visual figure ground may impact:

·         finding items in a desk or book bag

·         keeping one’s place when copying from the board or a textbook

·         completing a worksheet with a competing background

·         looking up words in dictionary or on a map

 

Visual closure- The ability to identify a picture or shape from a partially completed or disorganized presentation (including the ability to complete an incomplete drawing/letter/shape).  Visual closure may impact:

·         spacing between letters and words

·         letter formation

·         breaking words into syllables

·         accurately copying from near and far without omitting information

·         fractions

·         reading fluency

·         completing a drawing or letter if given part of it

·         visualizing end product when completing a construction activity

 

The occupational therapists at Thrive Pediatric Therapy have specialized training in visual perception and the remediation of visual perceptual skills.  If you have additional questions or concerns about your child’s visual perception skills, we would love to answer any of your questions!  

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