Identifying Visual-Perceptual Difficulties in Children

Visual perception refers to our ability to process and organise visual information from our environment. Good visual-perceptual skills are important for many everyday skills such as reading, writing, cutting, completing maths problems and puzzles and dressing as well as many other daily activities. If your child has difficulty completing these tasks, he/she may struggle with their learning in the classroom and this could affect their self-esteem in the long run.

Signs of a visual-perceptual processing problem:

• Has trouble completing puzzles, dot-to-dot worksheets and copying words and 2D and 3D designs.
• Reverses numbers, letters and words when writing and reading.
• Has difficulty sequencing letters or numbers in words or math problems.
• Has confusion over similar words.
• Has difficulty with hidden picture activities or finding a specific item on a cluttered desk.
• Loses track of words when reading.
• Has trouble discriminating between the size of letters and objects.
• Has difficulty remembering left and right directions.
• Has eye-hand coordination difficulties (e.g., tying shoe laces, buttons, participating in sports activities).

Professional consultation with a psychologist, behavioural optometrist and/or occupational therapist may be necessary for further assessment and intervention. Activities and games such as completing mazes, dot-to-dot worksheets, puzzles, finding items in hidden pictures, memory games and copying shapes and designs can help to improve their visual-perceptual skills.