Fifteen to 20 percent of children who have learning disabilities suffer from visual processing problems or deficits. A visual processing problem may be a result of either poor vision, or in other cases, something neurological. The neurological link is stronger in adults, as vision problems have usually been corrected by that time. Visual processing problems can be manifested in many ways, but always result in poor visual intake and comprehension of materials being learned. The child will be behind peers academically and will often become frustrated because of his visual processing problems. Often these children just give up trying to learn.
A child who has visual processing problems will manifest the difficulty in a number of ways. He will often have poor handwriting, will complain about words or lines skipping when reading, will often have poor spelling skills, and will avoid reading because of the fatigue associated with trying to keep words in order. Parents often notice that their child has poor hand-eye coordination, and is not adept at sports or physical activities.
Children who have visual learning problems will exhibit a number of specific learning disabilities. Not only will they have basic visual problems, but they will often have problems coordinating visual and auditory skills together. They often exhibit poor spatial skills, and have problems with shapes, and puzzles. The child might show problems with visual sequencing, or in skills where they are asked to place things in order. They sometimes exhibit directional issues, and often have problems finding their way around in a new location. They will show difficulty with sensory motor skills. This child might have problems with visual recall or remembering what is in a picture or on a map.
A doctor will check the child to see if the problem is simply poor vision. If so, this can be easily corrected. The doctor might want to do a cat scan or MRI to make sure there are no neurological or cranial abnormalities. If glasses do not correct the problem and no neurological issues are found, then the culprit might be an inherent visual processing problem . This would be more related to how the brain actually functions and processes information than what is actually seen by the eyes.
Teachers and parents can help the child learn how to adjust to, and potentially overcome, their visual processing problems. Accommodations can involve a change to the learning environment itself, or to special services the child might receive. Modifications might include reducing the amount of work required so the child's eyes won't get tired, or allowing the child additional time to complete a test. Accommodations would include having an oral test, allowing longer time to take tests, and computer-based reading systems. A child's teacher and parent will discuss which modifications and accommodations will help the child with a visual processing problem.
Certain education techniques might assist the child to learn better. Highlighting and underlining test work well for a child with visual processing deficits. Using flip charts with larger fonts for new words or difficult vocabulary is a solid strategy. As children get older, they can be taught how to use graphic organizers such as a web diagram. Using this type of strategy will make learning easier for the child.