Jo: Are there any rules regarding how to help individuals with visual processing disorder manage the visual demands of the classroom? Copying from the board to paper is impossible and the teachers and administrators don’t believe there is an issue as vision is 20/20.
Say you have requested an assessment of Visual Processing. The report indicates deficits in virtually all areas. Low to very low scores. What would be some examples of appropriate related services?
Jo – Visual processing refers to how your child’s brain makes sense of what her eyes see. Dr. Melissa Farrall says “Visual processing is not the same as sight. If your child has a visual processing disorder, she may struggle to see the difference between similar letters, shapes, or objects.”
In Chapter 12 (p. 119) in Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments, Dr. Farrall describes how a child with 20/20 vision can struggle with visual processing. You’ll find out how visual processing is assessed and what types of tests to use. After learning more about this, you may want to consider requesting an assessment of visual processing.
20/20 means student can see 20 feet away. Acuity is only one part of vision. Eyes have to be able to work as a team, change focus quickly, there could be more going on visually. I recommend visiting a pediatric ophthalmologist. Rule out other eye problems like convergence insufficiency. If not, student could qualify under learning disability if he/she has trouble visually processing written language. Best of luck!
If you have not made a written request to the special ed department, you should do this to get your concerns on the record. There needs to be an educational need. You can find information on this issue on the homepage of this site.