Compensations typically
develop as a result of inadequate visual perceptual skills and oculomotor
function. These deficiencies will continue without proper treatment and in some
cases have been known to develop after the student is submersed into academic
tasks such as reading.
While vision therapy is an effective treatment for poor
visual perceptual and oculomotor skills, it is not always enough in these
situations. In most cases, the person must also relearn the process of learning
on a visual level.
The visual learning
process is behavioral optometry integrated into the educational environment and
gives a cognitive finish to a vision therapy program. Visual learning
activities allow the student to adjust his or her learning style in an effort
to become more successful.
The visual learning
process incorporates three steps — stabilize visual perceptual function and
oculomotor function, develop visual thinking abilities, and learn to apply
these visual abilities to academics and other life tasks.
Oculomotor and visual
perceptual function is essential to
guarantee incoming visual data is correct. These skills must be obtained before
visual thinking and attention can be established.
Individuals with poor
gross and fine visual motor abilities must first remediate these problems in
order to develop the refined motor skills that are necessary prior to the
development of proper oculomotor function.
Visual thinking skill
development can
be improved once adequate oculomotor and visual perceptual skills have been
established. Visual awareness and
adequate visual calculation of physical knowledge through visual planning (time
and space) is essential for academic and social achievement. An individual must
master vision as an exploration tool prior to learning how to connect written
and spoken language.
Development of visual
awareness and the understanding of time and space naturally enhances the
ability to perform accurate eye movements. It also increases social awareness
while improving personalized organization of space and time. By understanding
one’s surroundings, the brain begins strong character growth. This allows the
person to consider actions and consequences and reduces self-centered actions.
Cognitive retraining is the last step of the visual learning
process. At this point in the program, most individuals have experienced
significant development in academic performance.
However, it is not uncommon
for individuals at this point to continue to maintain compensatory non-visual
learning strategies. Therefore, this step in the visual learning process is
designed to correct this problem through cognitive retaining in an effort to
bring imagery into a dominant position.
By enhancing these skills, the
individual creates a solid foundation for which to build upon strong reading,
social, math, language, and memory skills. Overall, visual learning has the
ability to improve an individual’s life as a whole, not just in academics.
To learn more about the visual learning process click here.
