Visual Motor Integration

Visual motor integration is a complex skill set which encompasses many underlying skills such as visual perception, motor control, and eye-hand coordination.

Simply stated, it refers to the ability to translate a visual image, or a visual plan, into an accurate motor action.

About Visual Processing

Visual Processing is a big job, and includes three main areas that impact our ability to accomplish tasks:

  • Visual Skills
    Including oculomotor skills and acuity.

  • Visual Perceptual Skills
    Using visual information to understand how objects around us are related to one another and to ourselves.

  • Visual Motor Skills
    The integration of visual information with actions in order to complete tasks.

How You Can Tell Your Kiddo is Struggling

  • Letter reversal

  • Poor line awareness in handwriting

  • Poor margin use in written work

  • Difficulty copying written work

  • Trouble recognizing patterns and completing hands-on math problems

  • Difficulty catching or kicking a ball

  • Trouble with movement games like hopscotch.

  • Clumsiness

  • Difficulty with sports

  • Difficulty drawing and copying pictures or shapes

  • Difficulty copying block forms

  • Difficulty with puzzles

  • Poor pencil control when writing

  • Difficulty keeping place when reading and writing

Why Occupational Therapy Works On This

Common activities that require the use of visual motor skills include coloring within the lines, copying words/shapes, writing within the lines on a piece of paper, and participating in gross motor activities that require well-time movements such as catching or hitting a ball.

Completing mazes

Tracing letters, numbers and shapes

Pouring liquid from container to container

Activities To Improve These Skills

Helpful Links

Visual Motor Milestones

This resource includes visual motor skills by age and lists visual motor integration developmental milestones. From shaking a rattle and reaching for baby toys, to holding a pencil and writing letters, the developmental milestones are something to guide functional skill achievement!

Visual Motor Integration Activities

The visual motor integration activities on this page will help your child to learn to perceive and copy shapes, numbers and letters correctly to help with handwriting skills. There are some ideas on this page to help older kids as well!

Visual Motor Skills

Visual Processing is a big job, and includes three main areas that impact our ability to accomplish tasks: Visual Skills, Visual Perceptual Skills, and Visual Motor Skills. Here, you will find resources, tips, and tools to address all these components of vision.

Visual Motor & Visual Perception

At Cincinnati Children's, we have the environment and resources to provide developmentally appropriate treatment sessions and home programs to help your child develop visual perceptual and motor skills to promote optimal performance.

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