Learning Skills 101 – Visual Processing

By colleen • January 29, 2010 • Brain Training to Improve Learning, Ezine Archive, Memory • Leave a comment

To Review:

So far, we have been discussing what learning skills are and how they impact a student on a daily basis. If you recall, we stated that learning skills are the underlying mental skills formally known as attention, visual/auditory processing, memory, processing, word attack and auditory analysis. Most of our children experience these skills through reading, writing, spelling, paying attention, remembering, recalling and how quick we can respond to a request.

Over the last few weeks, we have been discussing our learning skills. Selective, Sustained and Divided Attention, and Working Memory, Processing Speed and included Visual and Auditory Processing. Without these cognitive skills as strengths, the student has great difficulty within the classroom and in his life. Last week we tried an exercise from Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Up the Smart In Your Child. Dr. Gibson is the creator of Processing and Cognitive Enhancement (PACE) and Master the Code (MTC).

This week we will discuss visual processing in a bit more detail. Visual processing relates to the brain’s processing to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. This is different from the mechanics of the eye that would lead to glasses. Visual Processing issues usually impact a child so they will find anything requiring spatial relations (keep in the lines, ordering the math problems on a paper within the space, not bumping into objects when they walk, etc.) a big challenge.

Reading and math are two subjects where accurate perception and understanding of visual processing is important. For example, spatial relationships are very important. Both Math and Reading rely heavily on the use of symbols I Most students I work with have this area impacted to a point. Some students are more severe than others. Visual processing issues will impact the child’s reading ability and thus academics. Math and Reading are the two subjects that are directly impacted.

Examples of how difficulty with visual processing could pose a challenge would be discerning between the many symbols within both subjects. Within reading, words must be perceived as separate units, directionality in reading left to right, similarly shaped letters of “b”, “d”, “q” and “p”. The importance of being able to perceive objects in relation to other objects is often seen in math problems. To be successful, the person must be able to associate that certain digits go together to make a single number (14), that others are single digit numbers, that the operational signs (+,x,=) are distinct from the numbers, but demonstrate a relationship between them. The only cues to such math problems are the spacing and order between the symbols (LD Online, 2008). Additionally, just being able to space and shape the flow of the equations to the space on the paper can be a challenge for students where they require graph paper to complete the work.

When you have visual processing difficulties, visual motor integration is often a spillover effect. This is the ability to use visual cues (sight) to guide the child's movements (LD Online, 2008). This refers to both gross motor and fine motor tasks. Often children with difficulty in this area have a tough time orienting themselves in space, especially in relation to other people and objects. These are the children who are often called "clumsy" because they bump into things, place things on the edges of tables or counters where they fall off, "miss" their seats when they sit down, etc. This can interfere with virtually all areas of the child's life: social, academic, athletic, pragmatic. Difficulty with fine motor integration effects a child's writing, organization on paper, and ability to transition between a worksheet or keyboard and other necessary information which is in a book, on a number line, graph, chart, or computer screen.

A funny story with visual processing weaknesses goes back to when I became certified and licensed in Processing and Cognitive Enhancement (PACE). First, I have to give you the background to the story. When I arrived in Colorado Springs for my week of training, I admit that I was probably the biggest doubting Thomas in the room. I came to Colorado because I wanted help for my children, especially Shannon who sustained cognitive injury from her autoimmune disorder. The Gibson Family, creators of PACE and MTC, picked up on my doubts. Perhaps it was because all I kept asking was “where’s the data?”, “Where’s the Research?” So, the family brought in their GURU .. Dr. Ken Gibson himself to speak to all of us that came to learn and get certified. Anyway, Dr. Gibson recognizes that a.k.a. Brain Training is still in its infancy relative to being mainstream intervention but its not in its infancy relative to research and proven results. So what’s the best way to prove something works? Yep … you guessed it! Dr. Gibson used the program on me! LOL. What happened was the best trainers for this program are the Gibson Family. They literally visit learning centers around the country to train/monitor the PACE/MTC trainers. So, I volunteered at this point, to get this over with. Let’s just say after the fact, I found out no one wanted to volunteer and they were happy I did so. Okay, next is the funny part.

I get up in front of the room of people and sit in the middle with the trainer. Then, I ‘m instructed to stand with the trainer and the metronome begins echoing in the room. I have not done anything at this point with a metronome. First, I’m instructed to not only catch the ball being thrown to me but do so on beat. Next, the trainer starts saying a sentence to me and we have to each say a word in the sentence within beat on each throw of the ball. Finally, I begin to stumble because I am using all my skills at once. My visual processing to visualize the sentence she spoke to me, my auditory to process what she said, my processing speed to hurry up and get the info into working memory, my working memory to hold onto all these directions and finally attention to make sure I am able to use all my attention skills and be successful. Whew! What a wake up call that was for me! Just doing that exercise alone woke up my mental skills and kept me alert for a while.

Another exercise the team used me for was learning the President’s forwards and backwards. I knew this was going to be tough because I couldn’t remember the name of the President who came after Washington. After they stopped giggling in good jest, of course, they worked with me and sure enough, they strengthened my skills within one session and I remembered the Presidents. You can’t imagine how proud I was to tell my husband, the history buff, that I could state all the President’s forwards and backwards. He said, If they got you to memorize the President’s, then I’m sold! He was sold and so was I because I personally felt the power of this training program. By the end of the week, I had renewed confidence in my own abilities! All the students that I work with feel the same way I did. More importantly, the goal of this one exercise is not to remember the President’s but to begin strengthening your cognitive skills. Learning the President’s is an added bonus. I hope you can "see" how visual processing and all the learning skills are so important for learning successfully.]"

Visual Processing: If visual manipulation or visual imagery is poor then those tasks that require seeing in your heard (math word problems, and comprehension, etc.) will suffer.

Your child may be experiencing similar difficulties while learning because one or more cognitive skills are weak. The best way to find this out is to have your child’s cognitive skills tested. The good news is after a student works with the Student Transformation System, they will have strengthened all of their cognitive skills. ADHD symptoms, that are cognitive based, disappear to the point the teachers and family take notice. Recognize that there is hope and a solution. Call today for more information on your choices! Call me at (908) 285-8352.

We will delve into Auditory Processing next week because it too is such a core skill that will impact across all subjects and environments (home/school).

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