Visual perception is the term used to describe the way in which the brain processes visual information. There can be differences in the way that visual information is perceived, processed, organised and understood. This is different from the idea of 20/20 vision and being long sighted or short sighted.
We assume that when we show someone information visually on an interactive white board or a page in a book or a poster that they are seeing what we are seeing. We also assume that they will be able to readily pick out the information that they need from a visual source. For many children and adults this is not the case.
Good visual perception is important for all aspects of life. We need the ability to process visual information to make sense of the world around us. We need to be able to understand shapes, colours and distance. We use visual perception to develop our understanding of everyday concepts. For example: to know what a cup is, we need to see many cups and remember what are the key features that make a cup, as not all cups are the same. This understanding and visual memory will help us see that while a jug is similar to a cup it is not the same. We can mentally compare and realise that a jug has a lip for pouring that a cup does not.
Good visual perception is vital to learn to read and write. We need to distinguish letters and spaces between words. We need to remember spellings and organise words on a page. Visual perception should be one of the first things that is checked if a child is having difficulty learning to read or write.
It is not always easy to identify children who have difficulties with visual perception. Children usually don't realise that what they see is not what others see. It is also very hard to verbalise what we see or explain exactly what the problem is.
Some of signs to look out for are:
- difficulty remembering visually presented information
- difficulty with the order of letters and objects
- difficulty picking objects out from a busy background
- difficulty organising themselves or materials in space
- they may not realise that an object orientated differently is actually the same
- they may not notice big or small differences
- they may appear clumsy
Visual perception is complex and is made up of a number of skills.
- Visual memory
- visual sequential memory
- visual closure
- visual discrimination
- visual form constancy
- visual figure ground
- visual motor intergration
www.eyecanlearn.com is a very useful website for parents that explains both visual efficiency and visual perception clearly.
If you have any concerns use should consult a behavioral optometrist who can test these areas using standardised tests. Check these websites to find a suitably qualified professional http://www.babo.co.uk or https://www.covd.org
Over the next couple of weeks I will explain some of these areas in more detail and some strategies that can be used to help.
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