What is Visual Processing Disorder?
Visual Processing Disorder affects how the brain perceives and processes visual
information. Individuals with a visual processing disorder have normal sight but
have difficulty correctly interpreting and storing information they have seen.
Visual processing problems can interfere with many areas of a child's learning,
particularly reading and math, since both subjects use a lot of symbols (e.g.,
letters, numbers, punctuation marks, math signs). Some common problem areas may
include:
Spatial relations (the ability to perceive the position of objects
relative to other objects)
Visual discrimination (the ability to differentiate objects based on
specific characteristics such as color, size, shape, pattern and position)
Visual closure (the ability to recognize an object even when some of the
pieces are missing)
Object recognition (the ability to recognize familiar objects)
Whole/part relationships (the ability to perceive the connection between
the whole and the parts which comprise it)
Visual processing deficits may become more pronounced in certain settings, such
as when material is only presented visually. To maximize retention of visual
information, it helps to supplement written directions with reading them aloud.
For children with a visual processing deficit, it may be helpful to provide
print materials with a larger type size, and worksheets with clear lines and a
limited amount of material (e.g., more white space between words and problems).
Common signs:
The symptoms of Visual Processing Disorder vary from person to person. However,
some typical characteristics include:
Misunderstanding or confusing written symbols (e.g., +, /, x)
Easily distracted, especially by competing visual information
Difficulty lining up numbers in math problems
Clumsy behavior (e.g., bumping into things, missing the chair when sitting
down, placing objects too close to edge of counter or table)
Difficulty differentiating similarly shaped letters (e.g., b/d or p/q) and
numbers (e.g., 6/9 or 2/5)
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