Visual Discrimination skill is the ability to identify the differences of similar looking objects. Child with poor visual discrimination skill often fails to notice the details of the picture. Children need adequate visual discrimination skills to function properly for reading and writing activities in school and at home. Visual discrimination skills are also important in many other areas of the school curriculum. Think about the learning that takes place throughout a school day as children observe their environment. Science experiments, demonstrations in physical education class, stories told with accompanying pictures to discuss and on and on!
Let’s find out how it can impact performance of a child in different areas:
Reading and Writing :
It is essential to identify and recognize the difference between the letters in order to read and write in school. For Example child may confuse between H, T, E, and F as these letters have same patterns of vertical and horizontal lines but the different placement of those lines. This might lead to incorrect reading. So there are chances that he might read the word HAT as FAT or EAT which will lead to further frustration and self doubt that what the sentence appears so meaningless to him or her. This will create further frustration about the inability to understand the words or sentences as like other classmates. It will also lead to further hesitancy to read or write.
Mathematics:
There are certain numerals which may appear confusing to the child who have poor visual discrimination skills. For example 6 and 9, 2 and 5, 3 and 8. So when child is asked what is 2 + 6, he may reply with correct answer orally but when asked in written he may come with wrong reply, as child may fail in understanding the difference between 2 and 5 or 6 and 9. Even the double digit numbers or even the triple digit numbers can be a great challenge to child with poor visual discrimination as child have to identify and process the correct number with given sequence to calculate the right answer. For example if the number 258 haven’t processed in correct sequence it will totally change the value of final value of calculation. Also the values with zeros can be visually confusing to a child with poor visual discrimination skills for example 10, 100, 1000 etc.
Other subjects like social studies, sciences and the languages subjects:
Any subject which requires copying from blackboard, or the creative writing following visual demonstration might pose a great challenge, as it requires to note out all the visual details from demonstrated model or situation.
Social Interaction and Navigating in School:
Smooth interaction with peer group requires the identification of the facial expressions and the body language. Also child have to identify his class accurately as all classrooms may have same settings.
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