Visual Perceptual / Visual Motor Deficit

What activates can help o improve Visual Perceptual?

• Hidden pictures games
• Picture drawing
• Review work
• Memory games
• Sensory activities
• Construction-type activities such as Lego or other building blocks.
• Flash cards 
• Word search puzzles
• Copy 3-D block designs
• Identify objects by touch

Strategies to help

Assessment Tools

• Avoid grading handwriting
• Allow students to dictate creative stories
• Provide alternative for written assignments
• Suggest use of pencil grips and specially designed pencils and pens
• Allow use of computer or word processor
• Restrict copying tasks
• Provide tracking tools: ruler, text windows
• Use large print books
• Plan to order or check out books on tape
• Experiment with different paper types: pastels, graph, embossed raised line paper

BEERY™ VMI: Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration

What other problems can occur when a child has difficulties with visual perception?

• Academic performance.
• Attention and concentration
• Self regulation
• Behaviour
• Frustration
• Avoidance
• Organisation

Ages: 2 through 100

Testing Time: 15 minutes

Administration: Individual

• The Beery VMI is among the few psychological assessments that provide standard scores as low as 2 years.
• These consist of basic gross motor, fine motor, visual, and visual-fine motor developmental "stepping stones" that have been identified by research criteria.
• Many examiners find the age norm information to be useful in helping parents better understand their child's current level of development. The manual also presents teaching suggestions.
• As culture-free, non-verbal assessment, the Beery VMI is useful with individuals of diverse environmental, educational, and linguistic backgrounds.

What is Visual Perceptual/ Visual Motor Deficit?

• The test presents the examinee with drawings of 24 geometric forms, arranged in developmental sequence, from less to more complex. The examinee simply copies these forms in the Test Booklet.
• The test can be individually or group administered in just 10 to 15 minutes. The Short Format, composed of 15 drawings, is often used with 2- to 8-year-old children.
• The Beery VMI was standardized on a national sample of 1,737 individuals age 2 to 18 years (2010) and 1,021 adults ages 19-100 (2006), and has proven reliability and validity.

A characteristic seen in people with learning disabilities such as Dysgraphia or Non-verbal LD, it can result in missing subtle differences in shapes or printed letters, losing place frequently, struggles with cutting, holding pencil too tightly, or poor eye/hand coordination.

Signs and Symptoms

References

• May have reversals: b for d, p for q or inversions: u for n, w for m
• Complains eyes hurt and itch, rubs eyes, complains print blurs while reading
• Turns head when reading across page or holds paper at odd angles
• Cannot copy accurately
• Loses place frequently
• Does not recognize an object/word if only part of it is shown
• Holds pencil too tightly; often breaks pencil point/crayons
• Struggles to cut or paste

• Retrieved June 01, 2017, from http://www.betterkids.co.nz/assessment-tools.html
• Fine Motor Skills. (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2017, from https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/fine-motor-skills/
• Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Therapeutic Recreation. (n.d.). Retrieved June 01, 2017, from https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/service/o/ot-pt/visual-motor-perception/

When children have difficulties with visual perception, they might also have difficulties with:

• Anxiety and stress in a variety of situations leading to difficulty reaching their academic potential.

• Difficulties completing busy work sheets or following visual instructions.

• Difficulties dressing independently and managing other self care tasks independently.

• Poor self esteem when a child compares their abilities with their peers.
• Poor handwriting skills.

Visual Perceptual / Visual Motor Deficit