Visual Processing Problems in literacy work

Eye care professionals are concerned with the health and functioning of the eyes. This includes near and distance vision, diseases of the eye, eye movement and coordination of the eyes.

Standard eye examinations are not designed to check for reading efficiency.

What is seen is processed into meaning in the brain and it is possible to have excellent eyesight but still have difficulties with perception of reading material.

Efficient reading and reading comfort requires an amount of stamina in the visual system to sustain functions over time: processes may function adequately for the purposes of an eye examination but may fatigue too quickly for continuous reading.

Effects on reading, literacy and learning in general

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMXQAr6oP-o

Visual/Visual Perceptual factors that affect Reading Ability

 Binocular vision  Eye movement control  Visual perception  Visual stress

Problems with any of the above will impair reading efficiency. Many adults with literacy difficulties have problems in more than one area. Problems, however, can be treated by exercises and/or lens treatment.

Because conditions will have been lifelong, individuals may be unaware that their experience of reading text is any different from normal and may not therefore report problems even during eye examinations.

For this reason, it is important that those working with adults with literacy difficulties are aware that such conditions may be contributing to difficulties and should be proactive in exploring that possibility.

Indications of Visual and Visual Processing Problems

Adults may be unaware of difficulties and questions and prompts can be used, along with the Sample Text, to find out about how the learner is seeing and how their eyes are affecting their ability to learn.

Examples of questions (not a checklist!):

Reading

Have you had an eye test? Adults who don’t read much may not be aware that they need reading glasses. Is there anything you enjoy reading? Is there anything you avoid reading? How does the writing look on the page? How close do you need to have the text when you’re reading? What size of text do you prefer – small or large? Is the writing clear? Is the writing still/does the writing move on the page?

School

How did you get on with reading/writing at school? Where did you sit in the classroom – front/middle/back? How did you manage copying from the board? Were you able to pay attention easily? For how long?

Stamina

How long can you read/ write/ work on the computer with ease? How do your eyes feel after reading to the end of the page?

Observation with Existing Learners

Certain features that suggest visual/visual perceptual difficulties may be more easily detected as you work with learners. Some characteristics may not be noticeable until the learner has been reading / writing for a short period of time.

The following are points that may suggest difficulties:

Lighting: does the learner cope with better/worse in particular lighting conditions? Eyes: does the learner rub his/her eyes; suffer from watery or irritated eyes when reading? Does the learner ‘squint’ at text or cover one eye when reading? Stamina: does the learner give up or lose concentration after working for a short period of time? Do you notice the following when the learner is working:

 losing place or missing words when reading;

 skipping lines;

 difficulties with finding words on the page? Sample texts These should be used to assist the learner to describe what they experience when reading. They are not offered as a comprehension exercise and the learner should not be asked to read them aloud.

Travelling in Scotland Most Scots live in the central belt, which spreads from Glasgow in the west to Edinburgh in the east. Public transport in the central belt is good and most places are easy to reach by train and bus. To the south and north of the central belt, it can be a different story: off the main routes, public transport is more scarce. This is particularly the case in remote parts of the Highlands and Islands.

With careful planning, however, almost everywhere can be reached. You should have no trouble getting to the main tourist destinations. In most parts of Scotland, especially if you take the back roads, the lack of traffic makes driving wonderfully stress-free.

Adapted from Visitscotland.com

Travelling in Scotland Most Scots live in the central belt, which spreads from Glasgow in the west to Edinburgh in the east. Public transport in the central belt is good and most places are easy to reach by train and bus. To the south and north of the central belt, it can be a different story: off the main routes, public transport is more scarce. This is particularly the case in remote parts of the Highlands and Islands. With careful planning, however, almost everywhere can be reached. You should have no trouble getting to the main tourist destinations. In most parts of Scotland, especially if you take the back roads, the lack of traffic makes driving wonderfully stress-free.

Adapted from Visitscotland.com