Visual Processing

Definition

Difficulty seeing or processing/understanding what is seen

Observable Behavior

• difficulty comparing and contrasting newly experienced visual information with each other or with known perceptions
• lacks speed in observing and understanding symbols on chalkboard, overheads
• may have trouble copying far point (on board) material into near point (notebook)
• confuses words that look alike-poor reader
• difficulty distinguishing object from its sensory background
• confusion when focusing on detail (i.e., painting, illustrations, statistical tables, slide presentation)
• part to whole relationship problems
• may have problem with small type or print or poor contrast (i.e., purple stencil-old manuscript)
• great difficulty when much information crowded into small spaces
• trouble labeling diagrams on test
• slow reader because she/he loses place on page
• difficulty with left/right orientation (i.e., following instructions in lab)
• clumsy, spills and bumps into things
• may have difficulty with math, knows rate computation, trouble with concepts
• poor alignment of numbers leads to careless mistakes
• poor spelling (i.e., same word spelled three different ways on the same page; unable to monitor own work)
• difficulty reproducing or recalling sequence of symbols (i.e., dosage of medication, phone numbers)

Strategies for Success

• check notes with someone else
• before class preview overheads, maps and diagrams
• study spelling of new terms
• ask questions when you are confused
• preview materials
• use pen not pencil
• when preparing illustrations or diagrams do a rough draft and have it checked
• read ahead
• use graph paper for math work
• use a code (i.e., elastic on left wrist)
• work slowly until entirely familiar with equipment; practice ahead
• use large pads of paper (18 x 24 inches) and draw pictures of math concepts
• write your own real life word problems for practice
• use different colors of pencils for each concept
• use flow charts for instructions
• make vocabulary list and practice spelling words