Visual Motor Integration

Visual Motor Integration – the ability to  bring visual perceptual abilities and motor control together in order to perform a motor task,  is a vital skill needed for social, emotional, and academic independence.  Typically, parents and  teachers look to the emergence of  hand function as a measure of development of this skill.  Meanwhile, therapists look to the emergence of other key elements of visual motor integration such as:

  1. Core stability – the ability to hold the postural muscles of the trunk steady in anticipation of the movement to come
  2. Distal mobility – the ability to activate the more distant segments of the body (hands and feet, or fingers and toes)  in a step-wise fashion in order to manipulate an object once  the core has been stabilized
  3. Functional vision – the ability to take in and process visual information about:
    • Where we are in space in relation to the object to be manipulated
    • The position of the object in relation to the hand or foot that will be manipulating it
    • Imagining or visualizing  how the object will look after it has been moved

 

This youngster is demonstrating core stability as he prepares to arrange the stacking flowerpots
This youngster is demonstrating core stability as he prepares to arrange the stacking flowerpots

 

As he engages the task, one hand holds the swing steady, while the other hand is mobilized to move the flowerpots
As he engages the task, one hand holds the swing steady, while the other hand is mobilized to move the flowerpots

 

This youngster uses functional vision to determine exactly where the toy pieces are in relation to himself, and estimates the direction, force and timing needed stack the flowerpots
This youngster uses functional vision to determine exactly where the toy pieces are in relation to himself, and estimates the direction, force and timing needed stack the flowerpots

 

 

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