People with visual processing disorder (VPD) encounter challenges in recognising shapes, letters, and objects. Individuals also may find it difficult to understand spatial relationships and distinguish foreground from background. These obstacles can significantly impact individuals’ daily activities and academic performance. Various types of visual processing disorders exist, each presenting unique symptoms. This blog addresses the distinct categories of visual processing disorders and the specific symptoms associated with each type. We aim to enhance awareness and understanding of these difficulties, fostering empathy and support for individuals.
What is a Visual Processing Disorder?
Visual processing disorder is a condition which affects a person’s ability to process visual information. Individuals with VPD may face difficulties in identifying shapes, colours and objects. It’s also common for people to have challenges with spatial processing and coordination. There are many different types of visual processing disorders, which have unique symptoms and challenges.
Individuals can adopt recommended steps to manage visual processing disorder to improve their daily functioning and overall well-being. Firstly, seeking room accommodations that cater to their specific visual needs can significantly improve visual comprehension and reduce potential challenges. Secondly, creating a personalised education and treatment plan in collaboration with professionals can help address individualised difficulties and foster tailored support. Lastly, participating in visual processing therapy can be highly beneficial, equipping individuals with valuable tools and strategies to cope with the condition.
It’s unknown what the cause of visual processing disorder is. However, research suggests VPD occurs when the brain cannot accurately receive and read visual input. It’s also important to note that VPD is not a visual impairment, and there are no problems with vision or the functioning of the eyes. People may have 20/20 vision but still be diagnosed with VPD and struggle to distinguish between two objects, identify letters or make sense of symbols on a page.
Symptoms and Signs of VPD
Every person is unique. The symptoms of VPD may manifest different challenges for each child or adult. However, some of the general symptoms and signs of the visual processing disorder include:
- Difficulty in copying words or drawings accurately
- Avoidance of activities like puzzles
- Challenges with inverted letters
- Difficulty with words when reading or writing
- Difficulty noticing the difference between similar numbers or letters
- Difficulty learning letters and numbers
- Challenges writing within margins or on lines
- Difficulty with spelling
VPD in Children
For parents and educators, it’s often difficult to notice signs and symptoms of a visual processing disorder in children. Visual processing disorder is frequently mistaken for dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, or ADHD.
Children with visual processing difficulties have challenges with visual memory, motor skills, and processing visuals. This can impact reading, writing and mathematics skills. It’s important to ensure that children with VPD receive the educational support they need to thrive.
There are different approaches to overcoming challenges, such as visual processing therapy, which provides tools and resources for visual processing and improving visual-motor skills.
VPD in Adults
Adults with visual processing disorder may face reading, writing and mathematics challenges. Individuals may experience challenges when filling in a form, difficulty distinguishing an oval from a circle, or needing help comprehending numbers and letters. However, tools and resources, such as visual processing therapy, make these challenges easier to manage and help individuals thrive.
Types of Visual Processing Disorders
There are several types of visual processing disorders, each with different characteristics. Below is a list of the different types of VDP:
Visual Discrimination
Visual discrimination difficulties encompass challenges recognising and differentiating between various visual elements, such as shapes, sizes, objects, colours, and patterns. This condition can manifest in several distinct ways, impacting an individual’s ability to perceive and interpret visual information accurately. For instance, people may encounter challenges when distinguishing between similar shapes, such as a circle and an oval, leading to potential confusion and misidentification. Additionally, they may find it difficult to discern similar letters, like ‘b’ and ‘d,’ potentially affecting reading and writing skills.
Another crucial sign of visual discrimination difficulties is the challenge of identifying an object from a complex image, making it difficult to navigate visual environments efficiently. Also, individuals with might face difficulty in recognising details, impacting their ability to grasp fine elements within visual stimuli.
Understanding and recognising these signs are crucial for early identification and intervention, as they enable individuals, family members, educators, and healthcare professionals to implement targeted strategies and support to address the challenges faced by individuals with visual discrimination difficulties. With the right guidance and assistance, individuals can enhance their visual processing capabilities and build confidence in their interactions with the world around them.
Visual Figure-Ground Discrimination
Visual figure-ground discrimination difficulties refer to the challenges individuals face when filtering relevant visual information from the surrounding background. This processing challenge can lead to difficulties in focusing on and differentiating specific visual details, such as shapes or letters, from their backgrounds. For example, a person may find it challenging to isolate a shape from a cluttered background, making it harder to identify and comprehend visual stimuli accurately.
Tasks like concentrating on books with small print can become difficult due to the isolating the relevant text from the surrounding content. Similarly, copying notes from a board can be a challenging task, as the individual may struggle to recognise the information they need to transcribe. Additionally, individuals with this condition may face challenges picking out essential details from images, leading to potential misunderstandings and reduced comprehension. These challenges can also manifest in slower reading comprehension, as the individual may take longer to process and interpret written information.
Early recognition and targeted interventions can help individuals with visual figure-ground discrimination difficulties build effective coping strategies and improve their visual processing abilities, thereby enhancing their overall learning and daily functioning.
Visual Sequencing
Visual sequencing difficulties include challenges with recalling and organising a sequence of objects or events accurately. This condition can significantly impact an individual’s ability to retain information in the correct order and impact their proficiency in various tasks requiring sequential processing. For example, individuals may face challenges when remembering the order of characters, such as understanding that 8 follows 7 or that D follows C. This difficulty can have implications for basic arithmetic, reading comprehension, and language skills.
Additionally, individuals with visual sequencing difficulties may experience obstacles in spelling words correctly. The ability to arrange letters in the right sequence is vital for accurate spelling, and when this aspect is affected, it can affect written communication and academic performance. Additionally, challenges in recognising and recalling patterns can manifest, making it harder to identify recurring sequences or follow complex instructions. As a result, individuals may find it more challenging to engage in activities that require pattern recognition, such as solving puzzles or completing certain types of tasks.
Identifying and addressing signs of visual sequencing difficulties early on can be instrumental in providing the necessary support and interventions. By implementing strategies to improve memory and sequencing skills, individuals can better navigate academic and daily life challenges.
Visual-Motor Processing
Visual-motor processing difficulties are characterised with challenges to interpret visual information and execute an appropriate motor response. This condition can affect an individual’s ability to coordinate their visual perception with precise motor actions. For example, participating in sports may become challenging due to reduced hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, making it difficult to perform tasks that require accurate and coordinated movements with hands or feet.
Challenges in copying information from a board may arise as the individual faces difficulties in accurately processing and replicating visual information. Also, difficulties staying within the lines when colouring or drawing can indicate obstacles in controlling fine motor movements and spatial awareness.
Individuals with visual-motor processing difficulties may also experience inconsistent handwriting, as the ability to translate visual information into precise motor movements is compromised. This can impact academic performance and self-esteem, as written communication is a fundamental aspect of learning and self-expression. Early identification and targeted interventions, such as occupational therapy and visual-motor skill development exercises, can help individuals improve their coordination and fine motor abilities.
Visual-Spatial
Individuals with visual-spatial difficulties face challenges when processing the spatial relationships between objects and symbols. This difference can significantly impact an individual’s ability to perceive and navigate the physical world effectively. For example, they may have difficulty understanding the spatial arrangement of objects in their surroundings, leading to potential clumsiness or difficulty finding their way in unfamiliar environments. Visual-spatial difficulties can also affect the perception of time, making it challenging to grasp how much time has passed, which can influence punctuality and time management skills.
Individuals may need help with tasks that involve understanding maps, as spatial orientation is crucial for interpreting and following directions accurately. Additionally, visual-spatial difficulties can affect academic performance, particularly in subjects that require spatial reasoning, such as geometry or physics.
Early intervention and tailored support can play a significant role in helping individuals overcome visual-spatial challenges. Strategies to improve spatial awareness and visual mapping skills can be implemented to enhance their ability to navigate the physical environment and understand spatial relationships more effectively.
Visual Closure
Visual closure difficulties refer to the challenges individuals encounter when identifying an object that is only partially visible. This can impact an individual’s ability to recognise familiar shapes or images when certain parts are obscured or missing. For example, identifying a smiley face as a face may become challenging when crucial features, such as ears and hair, are not visible, leading to potential confusion.
Individuals may face obstacles when trying to pull out a specific book from a stack, as the ability to quickly identify the book by its cover is impacted by incomplete visual cues. Games that involve a guessing element, like puzzles, can also present challenges, as individuals may find it harder to infer missing information and make accurate guesses. Similarly, locating an item when part of it is hidden can prove challenging, affecting tasks that require object recognition and retrieval. Slow reading can be a consequence of visual closure difficulties, as the individual may take more time to process and recognise words when certain letters or parts of the text are not entirely visible.
By understanding and addressing visual closure difficulties, educators, parents, and healthcare professionals can implement targeted strategies to support individuals in developing effective coping mechanisms.
Letter And Symbol Reversal
Letter and symbol reversal can significantly impact a child’s reading, writing, and mathematical abilities. It is common for children with visual difficulties to initially mistake similar letters, such as ‘b’ and ‘d,’ or words containing ‘w’ and ‘m.’ However, if these challenges persist beyond a certain age and impact their academic progress, it becomes crucial to consider an assessment for visual processing disorder.
Timely interventions can play a vital role in helping children develop effective strategies to overcome letter and symbol reversals, empowering them to achieve academic success and build confidence in their learning journey.
Long-or Short-term Visual Memory
Individuals may encounter difficulties with both long-term and short-term visual memory, which can impact their ability to remember letters and numbers. Additionally, they can significantly affect reading and spelling skills, as the ability to retain and retrieve visual information impacts the capacity to recognise and recall words accurately.
The impact of visual memory difficulties can be far-reaching, affecting various aspects of daily life and academic performance. Furthermore, the challenges with reading and spelling can lead to reduced self-esteem, as individuals may face difficulty in expressing themselves effectively through written communication.
Individuals can overcome challenges by employing memory-enhancing strategies and assistive technologies, empowering them to thrive academically and build a solid foundation for future success.
How Does VPD Affect Learning in Children?
Visual processing disorders impact the learning process for children. Children with signs of VPD cope with difficulties in focusing and may be overwhelmed due to too much information in their field of vision.
Early identification of the signs and symptoms of VPD is crucial to establishing a diagnosis and, based on that, developing plans for improvement and adjustments. Those personalised plans can help a child use their full potential at school towards successful accomplishments.
Parents should take notes of any symptoms of the visual processing difficulties they may notice in their children and communicate this with the school so adjustments can be made. If children have an official diagnosis of VPC, then the school must adjust the classroom or education material.
Can Children Outgrow Visual Processing Difficulties?
Research suggests that children do not outgrow visual processing difficulties. However, children with visual processing difficulties can develop or improve skills and live a successful life. The treatment plans for visual processing difficulties and the goals for development should be customised based on every child’s needs and challenges.
Living with VPD
Tailored plans designed specifically for individuals with Visual Processing Disorder play a crucial role in helping them unlock their full potential. These plans encompass a range of actions, including the provision of appropriate tools and resources, as well as adjustments to their physical environment. For plans to achieve positive outcomes, active involvement and collaboration from parents, educators, and employers are imperative, as they play a vital role in implementing and supporting the strategies.
One of the key elements in tailored plans is the use of large-print books and materials to facilitate easier processing of letters and visual information. Additionally, providing specially lined or dotted paper for handwriting can enhance legibility and writing proficiency. Breaking down instructions and schedules into numbered steps can aid comprehension and task completion. Employing techniques like writing things out in large letters, offering touch-type computers instead of traditional keyboards, or using colours for visual cues can also be highly beneficial for individuals with VPD.
Other essential recommendations include using tablets and devices with enlarged screens, using a finger, ruler, or other objects to guide the eyes during reading, and providing alternative options for written assignments, such as dictating. Additionally, seeking multi-sensory feedback, such as auditory feedback, whenever possible can further support individuals with VPD in their learning and daily activities.
It is vital to understand that every approach and plan must be tailored to suit the individual’s unique needs and challenges. By customising interventions and support, each person can thrive and maximize their potential.
How Does LD Network Support People With Visual Processing Difficulties?
LD Network provides person-centred support to individuals with visual processing difficulties and complex care needs, delivering proactive and compassionate care and helping individuals live fulfilled and meaningful lives.
Our humanised approach helps us provide person-centred care plans, which we design, implement and adjust according to each individual’s needs, preferences and desires.
To learn more about our proactive services, contact us today or visit our office in Bristol.
