Visual processing challenges can present as difficulty with reading, handwriting, sports, navigating a hallway, or may also be present in many other areas. Sometimes the issue can be a result of challenges with visual tracking. What does visual tracking look like in kids and what are some tips to improve it? Visual tracking occurs when the eyes move in order to follow moving objects in all directions. The following skills need to take place in order to track efficiently:
1. Visual Fixation- attending to a target
2. Saccadic Eye Movement- rapid movements that occur when we shift movement and present during reading
3. the ability for eyes to Converge-shifting eyes inward towards an object
4. Visual Spatial Attention-awareness and attention to the environment
Here are some signs that your child may have trouble with visual tracking:
-Difficulty with eye-hand coordination
- Difficulty with sports including those that use a ball or target
-Other noted or delayed developmental milestones
- Letter or Number reversals
-Misjudging distances and height
-Difficulty tracking an object
- Reading and Writing Challenges; skipping words or lines in a story
- Difficulty copying work from the board
-Difficulty navigating steps/walkways
-Difficulty drawing or coloring
If you suspect these challenges may be happening, ask your child's speech therapist or an occupational therapist for further information. It is important to determine what is keeping your child from reading!