Visual After injury

This tip card helps individuals who have experienced brain injury, their families, and caregivers ...

./ understand ./ examine brain processes involved ./ identify strategies to aid visual perception

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Alaska Brain Injury Network 121 W. Fireweed Lane, #175 Anchorage, AK 99503 Written by https://ala ska bra ininjury.net Kimberly S. Hutchinson, Ph .D. Lawrence S. Dilks, Ph.D. . ltem:VISP Copyright© 2017 by Lash & Associates Publishing!Training Inc. This material is copyrighted by Lash & Associates and cannot be reproduced in any form without permission. This tip card is part of a series on brain injury among children, adults and veterans. For an order form with prices, contact Lash & Associates Tel: (919) 556-0300 or visit our web site www.lapublishing.com Published by lASH &AsSOCIATES PUBLISHING/TRAINING INC 100 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 150, Youngsville, NC 27596-7761 lASH &AsSOCIATFS ~ING/IRAJNING INC ~ What is Visual Perception? D Visual determines what the see, such as Visual perception helps us understand our environment movement or . It requires alertness and filtering based on what we see and how we give meaning to what out distractions. Once the gives attention to an we see. There are two parts to visual perception. The first object or scene, the brain interprets the information. part is vision and everything we see. The second part is D Scanning allows the eyes to gather details about an how the brain interprets and manages all information. object or scene in an orderly way. Scanning is the path The brain translates information from our eyes and puts the eyes follow as they record information, such as up the information together with data from other . and down or side to side. Scanning works by focusing The combined data is used to give us information about on interesting or important information and ignoring what we see, where we are, or both. Once the brain has information that is less important, or a distraction. processed visual information, it can be used for tasks like making decisions or guiding actions. Visual perception is D Pattern recognition identifies important features important for activities like ... such as shape, size, color, or texture. Information such as shape, outline, and size form the basis of • identifying . object identification. Further information on details • getting dressed. such as depth, color, and texture are also important • . in identifying an object and deciding, for example, if something is a circle, a basketball, or a football. • recognizing objects. • finding your way to the grocery store. D Visual allows you to see an object, picture that object in your , store the object in memory, • figuring out whether something is close or far away. and then find it when you need it. Ifyou see a bright • noticing movement. , you can use attention to focus on the flower, • (is an object flat or three­ scanning to take in all the details, pattern recognition dimensional). to understand that it is a rose, and memory to see the rose in your mind when you think about it later. • identifying locations. Brain Activities Involved D Visual is the most complex part of visual perception. It is the ability to put all the information Visual perception is a complex process that is made up together in a way that makes . Visual cognition of a collection of brain activities which interact and build (thinking) interprets information from the eyes, upon one another. The following list includes some of the integrates it, puts it together with information from important activities involved in visual perception: visual other senses, and allows you to use the information attention, scanning, pattern recognition, , in a meaningful way. Visual cognition is important and visual cognition. for everyday activities such as reading, , or balancing a checkbook. Problems After Brain Injury Problems with visual integration may include ... After a brain injury, problems can occur anywhere in D difficulty putting parts of an together to make the visual perception process. Common problems can be a meaningful whole. placed into three groups: visual analysis, visual spatial D inability to see an object and it later. skills, and visual integration. D seeing a phone number and being able to recall it a Problems with visual analysis may include ... short time later. D having a short attention span. D being able to draw a design from memory. D being easily distracted. D writing a check or balancing a checkbook. D having difficulty recognizing letters or reading words. D reading a sentence and the meaning. D having trouble remembering and writing letters, D difficulty seeing objects or numbers in order and words, or numbers. recalling the order in which they were presented. D being unable to remember seeing an object when D using context to aid understanding, such as reading asked to recall it. an entire sentence to understand an unfamiliar word. D ignoring information on the left. D difficulty drawing a familiar object from memory, such D having poor depth perception. as the of a clock. D picking out a specific object while ignoring others. D inability to organize unstructured information. D not recognizing how things are similar or different. D inability to recognize objects even when eyesight is D blurred or double vision. not impaired. D losing vision in part of the visual field. It may affect D difficulty recognizing faces. one or both eyes. D misjudging distance and location. Problems with visual spatial skills (directions and locations) may include ... Strategies to Compensate for Problems or Improve Visual Spatial Abilities D confusing left and right. Some strategies will be useful in most situations, D understanding and following a request like, "go to while others will be based on the kind of problem, such as your left." neglect or a visual field cut. The effectiveness of any given D reversing letters or numbers. strategy will depend on the individual, since each person's D losing coordination or balance. situation is different. Try out a number of strategies, select the ones that seem useful. Practice will also improve the D lessening ability to use both sides of the body together (e.g., clapping, walking, running) or separately (e.g., usefulness. The strategies are suggestions and may be using both hands to type on a computer keyboard. modified to meet the needs of your situation. D reading a and finding your way. Tips to improve visual spatial abilities ... ./ Talk to yourself. List the features of an object or ./ Use larger font size and if necessary, use a larger describe the shape, size, color, and texture to aid screen for computers, tablets, phones, and television. pattern recognition, visual memory, and pull in the use of other senses such as touch and . ./ Use large print books. ./ Take pictures or use to aid memory and to aid ./ Use a magnifier. sequencing (putting steps for a task in the right order) . ./ Increase to aid vision and reduce eye strain. ./ Practice listing the similarities and differences ./ Get an eye exam to help correct other vision problems between objects. or address issues such as the use of to ./ Use technology such as apps on smart phones or tablets compensate for visual field cut. to assist with directions or tasks such as reading . ./ Remove distractions as much as possible. Conclusion ./ Complete one task at a time. For example, turn off the Visual perceptual problems after a brain injury are tv before trying to read the paper. common. Improving visual perceptual skills or ./ Limit the amount of information to be processed, new strategies to work around problems takes patience such as using an extra sheet of paper to cover written and practice. Daily practice improves the likelihood of material except for the sentence or paragraph you seeing changes and turning the use of strategies into habits. want to read. Take breaks when needed to manage ( ./ Use a brightly colored marker or sticky note to draw tired) and frustration. Remember to be supportive and attention to a specific item or to bring attention back encouraging of yourself and your loved ones during this to a task you were working on. time of transition and learning. ./ Use cues and reminders to help focus concentration References and re-direct attention. Hutchinson, K., & Dilks, L. (2015). Practical Guide ./ Take breaks in between tasks. to Cognitive Rehabilitation: Overcoming Cognitive Neurological Impairments. Youngsville, NC: Lash & ./ Break large tasks down into smaller steps, work on Associates Publishing/Training, Incorporated. one step at a time, and put aside any visual material Jutai, J.W., Bhogal, S.K., Foley, N.C., Bayley, M., Teasell, R.W., not needed for the step you are working on. & Speechley, M.R. (2003) Treatment of visual perceptual ./ In cases of left neglect, combine the use of a bright disorders post stroke. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation 10(2), p.77-106. color and reminders to help draw attention to the left side of the page or the left side of the environment. McLeod, S. A. (2007). Visual Perception . Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/perception-theories.htrnl ./ Study an object or image and then put it aside. Try to see the object in your mind and draw it from memory. This tip card is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Consult ./ Practice mindfulness. Make an effort to focus on the your health care professional regularly about matters concerning your health, particularly regarding symptoms that require diagnosis details of an object or image to aid or immediate medical attention. and recall.