Visual Processing Deficit

When your child passes the vision test at her checkup but doesn’t see the difference between a triangle and a square, her eyes aren’t the problem. The issue is her visual processing skills.

If your child has been diagnosed with visual processing issues, or you think she might have them, there are things you can do to help. While kids don’t outgrow visual processing issues, there are ways to help them compensate for their challenges.

What are Visual Processing Issues?

When people think of eyesight, they usually think about accuracy, as in 20/20 vision. But vision is much more than that. The brain, not the eyes, processes the visual world, including things like symbols, pictures and distances. Weaknesses in these brain functions are called visual processing disorder or visual processing issues.

Visual processing issues present lifelong challenges. They are not considered a learning disability, but they’re fairly common in kids who have learning issues.

These issues don’t just affect learning. They also impact the ability to do ordinary things like sorting socks or playing kickball. This can lead to problems with socializing, self-esteem, frustration, and withdrawal.

Brain vs. Eyes

It's not an eyesight problem. It is a brain processing problem involving symbols, pictures, and spatial relationships.

Eight Types of Visual Processing Issues

Visual processing issues are complex and often go undetected on standard vision tests. Scientists have identified eight different types:

Visual discrimination issues

Difficulty seeing the difference between two similar letters, shapes or objects. May confuse d and b, or p and q.

Visual figure-ground discrimination issues

Trouble pulling a shape or character from its background. Hard to find specific information on a page.

Visual sequencing issues

Difficulty telling the order of symbols, words or images. May struggle to write answers separately, skip lines, or reverse/misread letters.

Visual-motor processing issues

Difficulty using visual feedback to coordinate body movement. Writing within lines, copying from a book, and not bumping into things can be tough.

Long- or short-term visual memory issues

Difficulty recalling what was seen. Struggles with reading, spelling, remembering what was read, and using a calculator/keyboard.

Visual-spatial issues

Difficulty telling where objects are in space (distance, paper descriptions, maps). May struggle with judging time.

Visual closure issues

Difficulty identifying an object when only parts are visible. Hard to recognize words if a letter is missing, affecting spelling.

Letter and symbol reversal issues

Switching letters or numbers when writing. Substituting letters when reading (after age 7). Trouble with letter formation affecting reading, writing, and math.

Common Symptoms

It can be hard to recognize the signs, but knowing them helps you find the right strategies. Common symptoms include:

  • Doesn’t pay attention to visual tasks
  • Easily distracted by visual info
  • Restless during visual presentations
  • Lacks interest in movies/TV
  • Difficulty copying from a board
  • Reverses or misreads letters/words
  • Bumps into things
  • Difficulty writing within lines
  • Trouble spelling irregular words
  • Can’t remember phone numbers
  • Poor silent reading comprehension
  • Can’t remember facts read silently
  • Skips words or lines when reading
  • Complains of eye strain/rubs eyes
  • Weak math skills; ignores signs/steps
  • Fails to notice changes in displays
  • Below-average reading/writing despite strong oral skills

Skills Affected

Kids may not show signs of visual processing issues until they start school. But the longer they go without help, the greater the impact may be on a wide range of skills. Here are some of the areas visual processing issues can affect most.

  • Academic: Kids can have great difficulty with reading, writing and math. They may struggle to tell letters, numbers and symbols apart. They may also have a hard time remembering and recognizing what they read.
  • Emotional: As kids fall behind at school, their self-confidence can take a big hit.
  • Life Skills: Visual processing issues can make simple tasks hard, from matching socks to learning phone numbers.

Diagnosis

When your child starts struggling in school and it seems like it’s a vision problem, the first step is a trip to the pediatrician. Before you go it’s important to take notes on what you’ve been seeing in your child. The doctor will most likely give your child a vision test and look for any health issues with his eyes. If everything checks out the doctor may refer you to a specialist for further evaluation.

  • Pediatric ophthalmologist: Your child’s doctor may refer you to a pediatric ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who treats eye and vision problems in children. This specialist will likely perform a complete examination of your child’s eyes and vision to look for physical reasons for your child’s issues. If there are none there will be no further vision testing.
  • Pediatric optometrist: Instead of sending you to a pediatric ophthalmologist your child’s doctor may refer you to a pediatric optometrist. This is a health-care professional who provides primary eye care to children. In addition to prescribing glasses, optometrists can also evaluate patients for vision or eye problems.
  • Neuropsychologist: If everything checks out with your child’s vision and eye health, the eye specialists or your child’s doctor may refer you to a neuropsychologist. This is a psychologist who is trained to diagnose learning issues and weakness. The neuropsychologist may perform a series of tests to see how your child’s visual issues are affecting her development. The tests are designed to measure intelligence, academic skills, language skills, memory and attention abilities. The specialist also may interview you and your child’s teachers for more information. This is the specialist who can tell you if your child has visual perception issues.
  • Behavioral optometrist: This is an optometrist who, after ruling out physical issues, can provide something called vision therapy. This approach involves a variety of exercises using devices like prisms and lenses. There is no scientific evidence that vision therapy helps, however.

What can be done at home for visual processing issues?

What conditions are related to visual processing issues?

Visual processing issues aren’t a recognized learning disability on their own. But the symptoms often appear in kids with reading, writing and math issues. Some experts believe visual processing issues are risk factors for learning issues such as dyslexia. But a comprehensive report from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that visual processing issues are a result of that condition, not the cause.

Strategies for Home

Raising a child with visual processing issues takes extra patience and work. But there are many ways you can help your child improve skills. Here are some strategies you might want to consider:

Learn as much as you can.

The more you know, the more you’ll be able to help your child.

Observe and take notes.

Observe your child closely and take notes on problem areas. You’ll develop a better understanding of what he’s going through. Your notes will also be helpful when you’re talking to family members, your child’s doctor, teachers and anyone else helping your child.

Write out schedules or instructions clearly.

Break instructions into concise steps, and number each step. Write information in large, clear letters. Color coding can be helpful too.

Offer lots of practice.

Help your child hone his visual processing skills through fun activities. Try doing simple puzzles or reading the Where’s Waldo? books together. Play catch or roll a ball back and forth together.

Celebrate victories.

If your child has struggled with learning a specific spelling rule, and aces the latest test, be generous with praise. Your support and recognition for genuine achievement may give your child the boost he needs to keep striving.