Boosting Visual Processing Skills at Home: Activities for Enhancing Your Child's Visual Sensory System
- Susan Donohoe
- Jun 22, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 14
Have you ever stopped to think about how incredible our visual sensory system is? It's a super-efficient machine that lets us see and understand the world around us in stunning detail. But what happens when this system gets a little glitchy? Well, it turns out that visual sensory disorders can throw a major wrench in the works, especially when it comes to learning.
Studies show that about 80% of what kids learn comes through visual processing. That means when issues like refractive errors or more serious conditions like amblyopia mess with a child's ability to process visual information, it can really impact their learning abilities. But here's the good news: there are ways to help!
By tailoring play and learning environments to support visual processing, we can make a world of difference for kids with visual sensory disorders. Think multisensory activities, specialized tools, and clever strategies to boost visual attention and tracking skills. In this article, we're diving deep into how these disorders affect learning, and we'll explore some practical tips for creating inclusive spaces where every child can thrive.
So, whether you're a parent, teacher, or just someone who cares about leveling the playing field for all kids, stick around. Because with a little knowledge and some creative thinking, we can help children with visual sensory disorders reach their full potential, both in and out of the classroom.
How Do Visual Sensory Systems Help Us Learn?
Simply put, the visual sensory system is responsible for processing what we see. It starts with light entering the eyes, triggering a signal to the brain's primary visual cortex. This signal is then converted into the images we perceive. The system doesn't include issues like nearsightedness or farsightedness, which affect vision but not processing. If there's a suspicion of sensory issues, eyesight must be evaluated first.
This system handles visual processing, perception, eye movements, and aspects like color and shape. It's crucial for learning, so disorders can lead to school and language difficulties. It's essential to address vision problems separately, as they can hinder information interpretation.
Understanding the visual system's role in learning highlights its importance. Occupational therapists trained in school settings can aid children in improving visual integration and learning across all activities. By addressing visual sensory disorders, we can help children thrive academically and beyond.
Better Understand Visual Processing By Unraveling the 8 Subtypes
Visual Discrimination Disorder
Struggle to differentiate similar-looking objects or symbols, leading to difficulties in reading, writing, and recognizing details in everyday tasks due to confusion or misinterpretation.
Visual Memory Disorder (long and short term)
Impaired ability to retain and recall visual information accurately, resulting in challenges with learning, following instructions, and remembering faces or locations consistently over time.
Visual Motor Processing Disorder
Difficulty coordinating visual information with motor skills, affecting tasks like handwriting, drawing, or sports due to inaccurate depth perception, hand-eye coordination, or visual tracking.
Visual Sequential Memory Disorder
Inability to remember and recall sequences of visual information accurately, impacting tasks such as reading, math, and following instructions, leading to confusion and errors in sequence-dependent activities.
Visual Spatial Processing Disorder
Struggle to understand and interpret spatial relationships, affecting navigation, organization, and understanding of maps or graphs, resulting in difficulties with spatial awareness and orientation.
Visual Figure Ground Disorder
Trouble distinguishing objects from backgrounds, leading to challenges in reading, searching, or focusing on a specific object amidst a cluttered environment, causing frustration and inefficiency.
Visual Form Constancy Disorder
Difficulty recognizing shapes consistently across different contexts, affecting tasks like reading, object recognition, and understanding visual information, leading to errors and confusion in shape-related activities.
Visual Closure Disorder
Inability to perceive complete images from incomplete visual stimuli, causing difficulties in recognizing objects or patterns when parts are missing, leading to frustration and inefficiency in completing visual tasks.
Read more here for further clarification on each subtype.
What Are Common Visual Processing Issues in School-Aged Children?
Difficulty copying from a white board
Nausea when trying to read in the car
Poor math skills
May complain of tired or hurting eyes
Tires easily, or could be fidgety
Difficulty with sports, gym class, etc.
Difficulty memorizing spelling, what they have read or what they have seen
Work performance is sloppy, child seems disorganized
Difficulty with eye-hand coordination activities in school or play
Reverses letter writing often when not developmentally expected, such as writing d instead of b, and/or reads words out of order
Difficulty finding objects in a busy background such as I spy or in the refrigerator, difficulty with puzzles, or trouble extracting certain information from a printed page
Difficulty reading and comprehending despite average or above average verbal comprehension
Unable to judge distances accurately, this can be displayed as bumping into things easily or trouble pouring liquids
Difficulty with fine motor skills such as cutting, art work, tracing, etc.
What Role Do Hyposensitivity and Hypersensitivity Play In Learning Disabilities?
Hyposensitivity and hypersensitivity are vital aspects to consider when addressing learning disabilities in children. Hypersensitive kids may avoid bright lights, eye contact, and struggle with headaches or nausea during certain activities. They might also experience increased anxiety, avoid group play, and find crowded spaces challenging. Meanwhile, hyposensitive children may also seem easily distracted by bright colors and engaging images, and they might engage in excessive movements while reading or doing tasks.
These sensory differences significantly impact learning, affecting focus, attention, and participation in various activities. When left unaddressed, they can lead to academic setbacks. Recognizing and addressing these sensory needs is crucial for creating supportive learning environments that cater to individual differences and promote academic success. By collaborating with educators, caregivers, and professionals, we can implement tailored interventions that help children overcome these sensory challenges and thrive in school.
Hypersensitive
Aversion to bright lights or certain colors
Avoiding eye contact
Headaches, nausea after reading, watching TV, or computer activities
Covering eyes
Bumps into things, people, or trips while walking
Increased anxiety or emotional behaviors
Avoids group play activities
Avoids crowded spaces
Hyposensitive
Stares into space, stares at objects or light
Looks unusually close at objects, or out of the side of their eyes
Enjoys bright colors and stimulating images to the point of becoming distracted
Shakes their head or engages in movement when reading or doing table tasks, thus increasing their vestibular stimulation
Constantly flicks their pencil or other objects back and forth in front of their eyes unwarranted
15 Home Activities To Improve Your Child's Visual Processing
Tracing
Tracing activities are a fun way to engage visual processing, enhancing focus and coordination.
Imitation Games
Engaging in imitation games encourages visual processing skills, promoting observation and coordination. These activities enhance learning and cognitive development in children.
Weaving and Sewing
Weaving and sewing activities strengthen visual processing by requiring attention to detail and hand-eye coordination.
Lego Building
Lego building enhances visual processing through spatial awareness and fine motor skills. It also prioritizes problem-solving, vital for cognitive development in children.
Scavenger Hunt Art Activities
Scavenger hunt art activities stimulate visual processing by encouraging observation, pattern recognition, and creativity, fostering essential skills for learning and cognitive development in children.
Puzzles
Puzzles improve visual processing by engaging pattern recognition and spatial reasoning. They enhance cognitive skills crucial for problem-solving and learning in children.
Balance Beam
Balance beam walking challenges visual processing by requiring focus, coordination, and spatial awareness. It strengthens cognitive skills essential for learning and physical development in children.
Origami
Origami enhances visual processing by requiring precise folding and spatial reasoning. It fosters fine motor skills and concentration, contributing to cognitive development in children.
I Spy
Playing "I Spy" sharpens visual processing by promoting observation, attention to detail, and pattern recognition. It's a fun way to enhance cognitive skills in children.
Badminton
Playing badminton improves visual processing through tracking the shuttlecock's movement, enhancing hand-eye coordination and reaction time, crucial for cognitive and physical development in children.
Following Cooking Instructions
Following cooking instructions enhances visual processing by requiring attention to detail, sequencing, and spatial awareness. It fosters cognitive skills essential for learning and daily life tasks in children.
Blowing Bubbles
Blowing bubbles engages visual processing through tracking moving objects and hand-eye coordination. It's a fun activity that promotes cognitive skills and sensory development in children.
Obstacle Course
Navigating obstacle courses boosts visual processing by requiring spatial awareness, depth perception, and quick decision-making. It enhances cognitive skills crucial for learning and physical development in children.
Whisper Down The Lane
Playing "Whisper Down the Lane" sharpens visual processing by promoting attentive listening, memory recall, and communication skills. It's a fun way to enhance cognitive abilities in children.
Kick Ball
Playing kickball improves visual processing through tracking the ball's movement, enhancing hand-eye coordination and reaction time, crucial for cognitive and physical development in children.
Visual Processing Activities Can Empower A Child's Learning Process
Providing tailored home activities is key to boosting the learning abilities of kids with visual processing disorders.
From tracing and puzzles to kickball and I Spy, there's a world of engaging options to explore. So, let's roll up our sleeves and create an environment where our little learners can thrive!
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