Visual Discrimination - The OT Toolbox (2023)

visual discriminationis just one of seven types of visual perception that have an impactvisual efficiency. While the word "discriminate" has many different meanings, visual discrimination refers to the ability to tell the difference between things. For example, someone with “distinct taste” can tell the difference between Heinz and off-brand ketchup.

This blog post is part of a highlight seriesVisual perception.

What is visual discrimination

Visual discrimination can be defined as the ability to identify and classify objects, symbols, shapes, etc. by differences in color, shape, size, texture, or orientation, or shape by eyes receiving visual information and analyzing that information.

Visual discrimination occurs through the eyes and brain recognizing differences in objects, using working and stored memory to determine distinct differences, or corresponding characteristics.

This visual ability is necessary for reading, writing, math skills, gaming, activities of daily living, and essentially every aspect of using visual information.

Visual discrimination is a skill that children need for many skills. From identifying and matching socks when dressing and doing laundry to spotting subtle differences in multiple choice problems, visual discrimination is a visual perception skill that allows children to stand out in literacy and numeracy difficulties!

To explain visual discrimination, it is important to understand its role in visual perception as part of the overall visual processing system. One aspect of visual processing is the visual component.visual motor skills. Visual motor skills include three main areas:

Visual motor skills are made up of several areas:

1. Visual Processing Skills-how the eyes move and gather information. Visual processing skills include visual tracking, convergence, saccades, visual fixation, and visual attention. A component of visual processing includesvisual efficiency.

2. Visual Perception Skills-ability to make sense of what we see.visual perception skillsare essential for everything from navigating our world to reading, writing and manipulating objects. Visual perception includes visual memory,optical shutter, constancy of form, visual spatial relationships,visual discrimination, visual attention, visual sequential memory, andground visual figure.

3. Hand-eye coordinationThrough the effective and efficient use of visual input with our hands, we are able to manipulate and manage objects and items. This area allows us to use visual information in a motor action. Hand-eye coordination requires fine motor dexterity, strength, shoulder stability, core stability, etc.

Why is visual distinction important?

Visual discrimination is critical to fluency in reading, writing, and other academic areas. It is also important in everyday life.

• Find matching pairs of socks in the drawer. The choice between navy blue and black tights
• Determine when a letter is reversed in handwriting or on paper. Read about hereletter inversionsand the role that visual distinction plays in letter reversal.
• Choose sugar instead of flour when cooking
• Use shampoo before conditioner if they are in similar bottles
• Reading a map to follow the direction of the roads
• Choosing the right items in the supermarket
• From a stack of 30 similar buttons, choose two identical buttons to sew on a shirt
• Searching through a pile of receipts to find the right one
• Find a phone number while scanning a page or ad

How is visual discrimination related to reading or dyslexia?

In order to read fluently, the brain groups letters into familiar words. There are tests that show the first two letters of a word while the rest is scrambled.

The brain is able to use contextual cues to read confusing text. The brain is also able to read upside down, backwards, and from different fonts. Perception takes place beyond the eyes.

The eyes are just the window or lens. The brain is responsible for perceiving or understanding what the lens saw.

To be able to read fluently, you need to be able to quickly distinguish fonts, distinguish between similar letters (b, d, p, q), group words, determine where a word begins and end, recognize familiar words, and have other decoding skills.

People with dyslexia are not easily able to tell the difference between these letters or similar words. They are able to "see" properly, but their brains often swap or mix up the letters and words, making decoding much more difficult. The good news is that the brain can be trained to understand what it is seeing.

Warning flags for visual discrimination difficulties

Once you've established that visual acuity is 20/20 or corrected for working vision, look out for these common signs of visual discrimination problems:

• Confusing letters and numbers
• Writing with reversal
• Difficulty reading correctly
• Dislikes activities like reading or puzzles
• It is not possible to select relevant information during open book tests or to scan a page to find an item
• Difficulty finding items in drawers or closets
• Slow or unable to find matching objects with minor differences
• Delayed or difficult acquisition of math and reading skills
• Poor Writing - Difficulties with font size, spacing, line placement, letter formation
• Mathematical Difficulties - Number inversions, loss of position in visual counting, difficulty arranging matching numbers

Fun fact!

According to theories, men have more difficulties with visual perception than their female counterparts. Males are genetically programmed to hunt, forage, and protect.

They weren't programmed to cook, clean, shop, combine items, etc. Men haven't evolved fast enough to meet the ever-changing challenges they face every day!

AccordinglyUniversity of Washington, Men can see movements and colors differently than women. This lends itself to the hunting/protection theory, but is also associated with autism spectrum disorders in males.

You can give the men in your life a break the next time they "can't find" that salad dressing in the fridge!

Visual discrimination tests

In the visual perception test, it is important to separate visual perception from motor skills. Having students type the answers instead of writing them down or saying the letters is a better measure of visual cognition.

The following is a partial list of popular reviews. The VMI subtest is more of a trigger than a true visual perception test.

• Free motor visual perception test
• Test of visual perception skills
• Test for the development of visual perception
• Visual motor integration perception subtest
• Comprehensive assessment of visual motor skills
• Jordan left-right reversal test

(Video) Occupational Therapy: Visual Perception Activities | Visual Perceptual Therapy

visual discriminationactivities

Visual discrimination activities take place every day through functional tasks. To work on these specific underlying visual processing skills, it is possible to target the development of visual discrimination through play, games, and activities.

There are also numerous visual discrimination worksheets, games, activities and resources available.

The good news is that visual perception skills can be improved with practice and brain training and combined with the specific interests and goals of the client or student.

• Sort - similar buttons, shades, toy types, box of 100 crayons per color, similar socks, cutlery by type or pattern, coins, dirty laundry, etc.
• Visual discrimination games like (Amazon Affiliate Link)find out– these games are very popular. OT Toolbox has quite a fewSpot It games too
• OT Toolbox has its ownvisual perception gamesAlso
• Jigsaw Puzzles - Teach context clues, sort pieces, notice differences
• chase words
• Printable worksheets like I'm spying, letter distinction, etc.
• Appropriate activities like thisSpace Matching Activity
• Handout – (Affiliate Link)Amazonashas some reliable features
• Toys/Games - if toys and games are more your thing, check this outList of visual perception toys

Game ideas for visual discrimination

The following visual discrimination activities support the development and refinement of the skills needed to process differences in shapes or objects.

• visual processing package- Contains printable visual discrimination activities and information to better understand visual processing skills.
• Free visual perception pack- Print these visual discrimination worksheets and use them with crayons, pencils, and hand materials like wiki sticks or string.
• Visual perception of sunlightActivity - This Google Slide Deck is a digital therapy activity that supports the development of visual discernment skills.
• Color matching activity Elmer- Use the children's book Elmer to break down the details of a book.
• Exercise of dexterity- This visual processing activity supports visual discrimination skills through hand-eye coordination along with the use of visual information.
• Practice "b" and "d" as sensory writing– Letter discrimination is an aspect of visual processing related to functional performance in reading and learning.
• Sort by color, shape, distinction- Sorting shapes by color or shape is a preliminary task that can be performed by babies and provides a foundation for honed skills.
• currency discrimination- Visual discernment skills are required to sort and use coins when paying for items or counting change.
• Real toy game I Spy– I Spy games are powerful visual discrimination skills. This activity uses real toys and can be repeated at home or in therapy sessions using items from home.
• Letters on the garage door- This gross motor visual discrimination task can be performed indoors or outdoors.

Visual discrimination or visual acuity

The most important testing tool you can use is the discard"visual acuity” Problems before visual perception. Vision plays an important role in learning, and visual discrimination is only one aspect of learning.see and learn.

Glasses are a much simpler and less complicated solution than years of visual perception training.

See a qualified eye doctor to check for vision problems. After exclusion, use one of the excellent test materials listed above to determine any visual perceptual deficits.

Victoria Wood, OTR/L, has been providing pediatric occupational therapy for over 25 years. She has worked in hospitals (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), schools, and outpatient systems in multiple states. She has treated hundreds of children with a variety of sensory processing disorders in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills, and self-care. Woman. Wood has also been a speaker at schools' employee development seminars, webinars and training sessions. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.