In this issue of NASET’s Parent Teacher Conference Handout focuses on understanding and diagnosing children with visual processing disorder. As a special education teacher there are times when a child in your class will be diagnosed with a learning disability. Since there are so many specific types of learning disabilities it would be helpful for parents if you could provide information on the type that their child is exhibiting. One of these areas of learning disabilities is visual processing disorders.
Definition
A visual processing, or perceptual, disorder refers to a hindered ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. This is different from problems involving sight or sharpness of vision. Difficulties with visual processing affect how visual information is interpreted or processed by the brain (National Center for Learning Disabilities).
Diagnostic Symptoms
Diagnostic symptoms of individuals with Visual Processing Disorders vary with age and grade level. Common symptoms include (National Center on Learning Disabilities):
Symptoms of Visual Processing Disorders in Early Childhood Include Difficulties in:
- Misunderstanding or confusing written symbols (example: +, x, /, &)
- Easily distracted, especially by competing visual information
- Writing within margins or on lines or aligning numbers in math problems.
- Judging distances (example: bumping into things, placing objects too close to an edge)
- Fluidity of movement (example: getting out of the way of a moving ball, knocking things over)
- Differentiating colors or similarly shaped letters and numbers (example: b, d; p, q; 6, 9 or 2, 5).
Symptoms of Visual Processing Disorders in School-Age Children Include Difficulties in:
- Organizing and solving math problems
- Finding and retaining important information in reading assignments or tests
- Writing coherent, well-organized essays
- Copying from board or books
- Sewing or other types of fine motor activities
- Writing neatly and quickly
- Reading with speed and precision.
Symptoms of Visual Processing Disorders in Adults Include Difficulties in:
- Accurately identifying information from pictures, charts, graphs, maps, etc.
- Organizing information from different sources into one cohesive document
- Finding specific information on a printed page (example: getting a number out of the phone book)
- Remembering directions to a location
Further Key Points
Interventions need to be aimed at the specific needs of the child. No two children share the same set of strengths or areas of weaknesses. An effective intervention is one that utilizes a child’s strengths in order to build on the specific areas in need of development. As such, interventions need to be viewed as a dynamic and ever-changing process. Although this may sound overwhelming initially, it is important to remember that the process of finding successful interventions becomes easier with time and as the child’s learning approach, style, and abilities become more easily seen (National Center for Learning Disabilities).
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