Vision Training

Training Visual Perceptual Skills

Visual Spatial training is directed towards Directionality by building understanding and automaticity around coordinates in space. It uses symbols with movement, imitation and language to develop more concrete understanding of directions in space.

Visual Analysis training uses discrimination of similarities and differences to appreciate a shape, object or symbol. This can be done through exploring construction of these initially from a presented pattern, then from memory. Construction teaches us how the whole is made up of the parts and helps us understand the important features in a object, shape, design or symbol. Later matching can use construction from one medium such as a printed outline with shaped blocks. To develop visual imagery further the individual is challenged to manipulate the shapes in their mind before constructing their form if rotated or seen from a different perspective.

Visual Motor training encompasses eye-hand organisation, visualisation and representational thinking skills. Through optometry’s interest in Visual-Motor skills optometrists are aware how vision guides movement. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our ability to guide our hand in the making of shapes and symbols on the page. Through eye-hand co-ordination training and the development of the skills mentioned above optometrists are uniquely qualified to help children develop more appropriate skills in this area.

Visual Auditory Training works with non-language sounds and nonsense words, where the child codes and decodes written, verbal sounds and symbols for sounds. The purpose is not to teach language symbols but to develop the ability to use language to follow directions or written sentences. Later meaningful words rather than nonsense words are integrated with other thinking activities.