VISUAL PERCEPTION:

The skills developed from experience - relating size, shape, texture, location and distances. It allows the interpretation of what is seen.

When assessing patients, particularly those with perceived learning delays, we need to know not only how well they see and how easily they move their eyes, we also need to know how well they process, store and utilise previously seen visual information.

A child is likely to have visual processing delays if they:

Present as being good verbally but poor with written information.
Are slow to learn new words
Can sound out words but not recognise them when seen again
Seem to be inaccurate copying
Have poor error recognition - despite checking their work
Lose their place reading
Have spatial / directional difficulties - reversals of letters and numbers, sequencing errors, lack of spacing when writing, poor size in writing.

Sight is the ability to see clearly.
Vision is the ability to use and manipulate that sight.
Visual perception is the ability to interpret and use the vision skills.
You can have good sight and yet difficulty concentrating and applying skills.
Reading and writing difficulties are not signs of intelligence. You can have good intelligence and poor ability to read and undertake written language tasks. Likewise, you can be of moderate intelligence and yet have the necessary processing skills to read and do written language tasks.

SPORTS VISION:

Many of Australia’s leading athletes are finding that to achieve international competitiveness they need better than 20/20 vision. Their eyes need to be as physically fit as their bodies.

Physical fitness for the eye is a concept that extends far beyond the traditional concepts of correcting eye defects through contact lenses or spectacles. Enhanced visual skills can give an athlete a competitive edge.

Studies carried out on professional athletes have found that they not only have superior body speed and coordination, but that they also have enhanced visual skills. These skills include eye coordination, speed of focus and depth perception. What is also significant for all athletes, from school students to amateur sports participants, is that these skills can be taught.

80% of all information processed by the brain in the playing of sport, was processed through the visual system. Studies had shown that improved visual processing capability could enhance an athlete’s judgement and hence reaction times.

Look for signs of visual-related factors in monitoring your sporting performance. Inconsistency, failing to reach their anticipated potential and performance deterioration over the period of a game were all typical signs he said.

If any of these problems occurred, then people should consider having a specialised sports vision examination. If you believe that you might have a problem, then you should tell your Optometrist what sport you play and the types of performance, reaction time or coordination difficulties that you are experiencing.