Sensory Processing: Sight
Sensory Processing is the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of Autism Spectrum Disorders. We understand the world around us through our senses. This blog will focus on sight: hyper-sensitivity and hypo-sensitivity
SIGHT
Hypersensitivity to Visual Input (Over-Responsive):
Hyposensitivity to Visual Input (Under-Responsive):
SIGHT
Hypersensitivity to Visual Input (Over-Responsive):
- Sensitive to bright lights; will squint, cover eyes, cry and / or get headaches from the light
- Has difficulty keeping eyes focused on task/activity he / she is working on for an appropriate amount of time
- Easily distracted by other visual stimuli in the room; i.e., movement, decorations, toys, windows, doorways etc.
- Has difficulty in bright colorful rooms or a dimly lit room
- Rubs his / her eyes, has watery eyes or gets headaches after reading or watching TV
- Avoids eye contact
Hyposensitivity to Visual Input (Under-Responsive):
- Difficulty with Tracking, Discrimination, or Perception
- Has difficulty telling the difference between similar printed letters or figures; i.e., p & q, b & d, + and x, or square and rectangle
- Has a hard time seeing the "big picture"; i.e., focuses on the details or patterns within the picture
- Has difficulty locating items among other items; i.e., papers on a desk, clothes in a drawer, items on a grocery shelf, or toys in a bin / toy box
- Often loses place when copying from a book or the chalkboard
- Difficulty controlling eye movement to track and follow moving objects
- Has difficulty telling the difference between different colors, shapes, and sizes
- Often loses his / her place while reading or doing math problems
- Makes reversals in words or letters when copying, or reads words backwards; i.e., "was" for "saw" and "no" for "on" after first grade
- Complains about "seeing double"
- Difficulty finding differences in pictures, words, symbols, or objects
- Difficulty with consistent spacing and size of letters during writing and / or lining up numbers in math problems
- Difficulty with jigsaw puzzles, copying shapes, and / or cutting / tracing along a line
- Tends to write at a slant (up or down hill) on a page
- Confuses left and right
- Fatigues easily with schoolwork
- Difficulty judging spatial relationships in the environment; i.e., bumps into objects / people or missteps on curbs and stairs