Visual Spatial Skills

These skills are used in combination with thoughts and behaviors concerning our human development, motivation, and even past experiences. This combination is necessary for us to get the meaning of what our vision tells us.

Visual perceptual processing is also known as visual information processing, and is comprised of three subsets of skills: visual spatial skills, visual analysis skills, and visual integration skills. In this article, we will focus on the subskills that are known as visual spatial skills. Visual spatial skills are a group of skills that we utilize for the organizational through understanding directional concepts. This skills subset is one of the three components of visual perceptual processing.

Laterality

The skill of being self-aware of two sides of the body and perceiving them as different from one another is called laterality. Children who have poor laterality skill usually do not use their non-dominant hand for support. They may also rotate their body or switch hands so they don't cross over the midline of their body. These are deemed normal to all young children, but they indicate laterality problems if the child is already above 8 years.

Directionality

Another component of the visual spatial skills is directionality. From the word itself, this skill refers to the different directions or the combination of such in relation to one's position. Letter decoding is one application of directionality. This skill enables a person to differentiate "b" from "d" from " p" from "q". Depending on the font style, some people have problems differentiating an "a" from "e". Reversal problems are usually a result of poor directionality of a child. A person's visual skills have a tremendous influence over the development of his directionality and laterality skills. Eye movement skills must be efficient so excellent directionality skills may develop.

Bilateral Integration

This skill involves the use of both sides of the body simultaneously and/or separately. Riding a bicycle is an example of using both sides of the body at the same time. Typing using the keyboard is an example of using fingers of left and right hands separately but can be done at the same time. Multi-tasking is a skill that highly requires bilateral integration and other visual spatial skills.