Visual: Under Responsive

  1. Student often misses objects in competing backgrounds or finds it difficult to name or match colours, shapes and sizes
  2. Student likes bright, reflective or spinning objects or lights
  3. Student has difficulty writing e.g. spaces between words, letter formation, letter size etc.

1. Student often misses objects in competing backgrounds or finds it difficult to name or match colours, shapes and sizes

Suggested Strategies:

  • Reduce visual distractions and keep classroom clutter free and organised
    • Limit the amount of visual material hanging from ceiling or walls
    • Reduce clutter
    • Seat student away from doors, windows and colourful displays
  • Provide visual structure for the student
    • Colour code books and timetable for each lesson
    • Use tape inside desk as a boundary marker for books and other school material or use picture templates of where items belong in places (i.e. desk, room)
    • Organise and label all materials to identify where they belong
    • Use visual reminders to aid organisation skills e.g.

Point to remember

  • Use a visual system to organise materials and belongings e.g. a colour coding system

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2. Student likes bright, reflective or spinning objects or lights

A student who is underresponsive to visual input may seek out increased amounts of visual stimulation to alert the brain.

Suggested Strategies:

  • Allow access to this type visual stimulation at certain times during the day e.g. before and after independent work. This will then help the student to maintain an adequate level of alertness and attention throughout the day.
  • Use visual resources in your teaching to gain student’s attention.

Point to remember

  • Allow student to access preferred visual stimuli at intervals during the day e.g. spinning objects, light toys, computer programmes

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3. Student has difficulty writing e.g. spaces between words, letter formation, letter size etc.

Suggested Strategies:

  • See the Middletown video on handwriting for more useful tips
  • Provide visual aids to facilitate copying from book or board:
    • Use a finger or ruler to mark where reading
    • Use a typoscope when reading (cut out a window in a piece of card and show only what is needed to be read)
    • Use a finger or spacer (e.g. a clean lolly pop stick) to help with spaces between words etc.
  • Practice writing with different mediums:
    • Try writing on different textured surfaces (sandpaper, plastic stitching material, on carpet, sidewalks with chalk, etc.)
    • Try writing with finger in different mediums (sand, water, paint, shaving foam)
  • Provide visual aids to prompt appropriate letter size e.g. lined paper, letters stencilled on paper etc.

Point to remember

  • Use a multisensory approach e.g. teach handwriting using tactile, movement, auditory and visual activities

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