When a child is unable to identify matching objects, has a hard time remembering something he or she saw, or has difficulty writing or drawing, he or she can benefit from visual perceptual and visual motor skills training. These skills allow children to absorb and make sense of what they see. Eye movement and hand-eye coordination play important roles in visual motor and visual perception skills.

An occupational therapist can provide visual perceptual and visual motor skills training. First, the child will go through an evaluation where the therapist can determine a plan of care. This plan will include some home exercises to further improve the child’s abilities.

Some activities in training might include practicing identifying numbers, drawing shapes or directions, writing between lines to assist with spatial coordination. He or she might also be asked to perform math problems, remember a sequence of numbers or letters, complete puzzles, and practice matching objects.

While working on visual motor and visual perception skills at home it’s important to try and keep the area the child is working at free of distraction and clutter. With the help of an occupational therapist, a child can benefit from visual perceptual and visual motor skills training with positive results affecting his or her school participation, athletic activities, and home-life.