Visual Perception and Visual Motor

Visual Perception

Visual Perception is the cognitive process of obtaining and interpreting visual information from the environment.  Visual perception consist of the following skills.

Spatial relationships-the ability to orient one’s body in space and to perceive the positions of objects in relation to oneself and to other subjects

Visual discriminations-the ability to discriminate dominant features in different objects

Figure ground-the ability to distinguish an object from its background

Visual closure-the ability to identify incomplete figures when only fragments are presented

Visual memory-the ability to recall dominant features of one stimulus item or to remember the sequence of several items

Children with visual perception difficulties may confuse or reverse letters and have difficulty reading and writing.  They may have difficulty sequencing patterns or sentences.  

Visual Motor

Visual-Motor Integration involves coordinating the interaction of information from the eyes with body movement during an activity.  Many students have difficulty copying from the board, or a book.  Even if a child's visual perception is average, their visual motor skills may be below average.  A child might see something the way it really is, but not be able to draw it.  Occupational Therapist can administer standardized tests to evaluate a child's visual motor and visual perception skills.  

Occupational Therapists work with children who have impaired visual motor and perception skills.  An OT may work with the child on spacing, letter reversals, letter formation, pattern or shape recognition, crossing midline etc.  Slant boards can be given to improve their posture and bring work closer to them.  

Sometimes children have difficulty crossing the midline.  They may change hands when they have to cross from one side of the paper to another.  Click below to view a list of activities to improve a child's ability to cross the midline.

Activities to Enhance Crossing the Midline or Center of the Body