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Definition

As defined by the integrated learning academy, visual perceptual/motor deficit is a learning disability “that affects the ability to understand information gathered through visual means” (Integrated Learning Academy 2016) .With this disability “sensory data obtained through seeing may be compromised due to defects in the way a person’s eyes move. These kinds of ocular defects can impair reading comprehension skills, lead to short attention span, and negatively impact one’s ability to draw or copy information.” (Integrated Learning Academy 2016)

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People with this disorder have difficulty interpreting or processing information taken in through the eyes.

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The eyes of people with this disability struggle with performing the following functional motor movements. (Integrated Learning Academy 2016)

• Smooth Pursuits –the eyes ability to smoothly follow a moving object, people with this motor deficit have trouble driving or playing sports for example

• Saccades – the eyes ability to smoothly jump between two objects, people with this motor deficit may have trouble reading as they have to move from letter to letter within small print

• Convergence & Divergence – the eyes ability to focus on things nearby or far away, people with this motor deficit have problems with depth perception and causes several other visual perceptual issues

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Signs & Symptoms

The following are things that parents and teachers should look out for in order to identify a child with this learning disability. (Learning Disabilities Association of America 2018)

• Letter reversals (b & d) (p and q)

• Unable to copy notes accurately from textbook

• Struggles to cut or paste

• Complains eyes hurt and itch

• Rubs eyes

• Print blurs while reading

• Loses place frequently

• Closes one eye while reading

• Does not recognize and object or word if only part of it is available

• Holds writing utensil too tightly

• Breaks tips of crayons and pencils often

• Handwriting deficits – letters colliding, irregular spacing between letters, not writing on the lines

• Difficulty navigating around campus or school

• Bumps into things

• Cant remember phone numbers

• Skips lines when reading or reads lines over and over again

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Visual Processing Issues that arise with this learning disability (Arky 2014) (Integrated Learning Academy 2016)

• Visual Discrimination Issues: Difficulty seeing the difference between similar shapes, letters, or objects

  • Ex. Mixing up letters such as d and b, or p and q

• Visual Figure-ground Discrimination Issues: Struggle to distinguish a shape or letter from its background

• Visual Sequencing Issues: Difficulty telling the order of symbols, words, or pictures.

  • Ex. May skip lines when reading or read the same line over and over again

• Visual-motor Processing Issues:

• Long- or Short-term Visual Memory Issues: Trouble using what they see to coordinate with the way they move

  • Ex. Struggle to write within lines

  • Ex. Bump into objects while walking

• Visual-spatial issues: Difficulty telling where objects are in space in regard to how far/close they are from them and each other

• Visual Closure Issues: Difficulty identifying an object when only parts are visible

  • Ex. Not know a picture was a truck if the wheels are missing

  • Ex. Difficult to spell as letters are missing

• Letter and Symbol Reversal Issues: Switch letters or numbers when writing

  • Ex. M and W

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