Visual Perceptual Terms & Mental Functions

Question 1

Visual Discrimination

Answer 1

Ability to distinguish exact characteristics and distinctive features among similar objects and forms

**Distinguishing between similar words, “ran”/”run” or “was”/”saw”

Question 2

Visual Memory

Answer 2

Ability to recall and use visual information from the past; retained memory of objects when the visual stimulation is no longer present

**Children with poor visual memory may struggle with comprehension

Question 3

Visual Spatial Relationships

Answer 3

Determining the position of objects relative to each other and oneself

**An individual can judge distances, distinguish forms, and separate objects from surrounding background. Closely related to problem solving and conceptual skills required for higher level science and math.

Question 4

Visual Form Constancy

Answer 4

Recognizing forms and objects as the same in various environments, positions, and sizes

**This skill helps children distinguish differences in size, shape, and orientation. Children with poor form constancy may frequently reverse letters and numbers.

Question 5

Visual Sequential Memory

Answer 5

Ability to remember forms or characters in correct order

**This skill is particularly important in spelling. Letter omissions, additions, or transpositions within words are common for children who struggle with this skill. Recognizing and remembering patterns may also be a problem.

Question 6

Visual Figure Ground

Answer 6

Differentiating between foreground and background forms and objects

**This skill keeps children from getting lost in details. Children with poor figure ground become easily confused with too much print on the page, affecting their concentration and attention. They may also have difficulty scanning text to locate specific information.

Question 7

Visual Closure

Answer 7

Identifying forms or objects when given incomplete information or a partial picture

**This skill helps children read and comprehend quickly; their eyes don’t have to individually process every letter in every word for them to quickly recognize the word by sight; also help children recognize inferences and predict outcomes. Children with poor visual closure may have difficulty completing a thought. They may also confuse similar objects or words, especially words with close beginning or endings.

Question 8

Depth Perception

Answer 8

Determining the relative distance between objects, figures, or landmarks and the observer and changes in planes of surfaces

Question 9

Position in Space

Answer 9

Determining the spatial relationship of figures and objects to self or other forms and objects

Question 10

Topographical orientation

Answer 10

Determining the location of objects and settings and the route the location

Question 11

Stereognosis

Answer 11

Identifying objects through proprioception, cognition, and the sense of touch

Question 12

Body Scheme

Answer 12

Acquiring an internal awareness of the body and the relationship of body parts to each other

Question 13

Right-left Discrimination

Answer 13

Differentiating one side from the other

Question 14

Recognition

Answer 14

Identifying familiar faces, objects, and other previously presented materials

Question 15

Categorization

Answer 15

Identifying similarities of and differences among pieces of environmental information

Question 16

Generalization

Answer 16

Applying previously learned concepts and behaviors to a variety of new situations; skills and performance in applying specific concepts to a variety of related solutions

**A zipper is a zipper

Question 17

Concept Formation

Answer 17

Organizing a variety of information to form thoughts and ideas

Question 18

Sequencing

Answer 18

Placing information, concepts, and actions in order

Question 19

Motor Planning

Answer 19

Ability to organize and execute movement patterns to accomplish a purposeful task

Question 20

Spatial Operations

Answer 20

Mentally manipulating the positions of objects in various relationships

Question 21

Learning

Answer 21

Acquiring new concepts and behaviors

Question 22

Gustatory

Answer 22

Taste function

Question 23

Olfactory

Answer 23

Smell function

Question 24

Kinesthesia

Answer 24

Identifying the excursion and direction of joint

Question 25

Proprioceptive

Answer 25

Interpreting stimuli originating in muscles, joints, and other internal tissues that give information about the position of one body part in relation to another

Question 26

Praxis

Answer 26

Conceiving and planning a new motor act in response to an environmental demand

Question 27

Crossing the Midline

Answer 27

Moving the limbs and eyes across the midsagittal plane of the body

Question 28

Laterality

Answer 28

Using a preferred unilateral body part for activities requiring a high level of skill

Question 29

Motor Control

Answer 29

Using the body in functional and versatile movement patterns

Question 30

Oral-motor Control

Answer 30

Coordinating oro-pharyngeal musculature for controlled movements