Session Number: 1847 “How do Visual Processing Skills

Affect
Speech-Language Learning Skills?”

Dana M. Merritt MS CCC-SLP

Merritt Speech & Learning

November 20, 2009

2:30 - 4:30

OUTLINE
1. What right do I have to inform you about Visual Processing Skills and Disorders?

2. Code of Ethics - relevant information

3. Description of SLP services

4. Overview of Eye Anatomy

5. Description of Visual Acuity Disorders

6. Description of Visual Processing Disorders

7. Development of Normal Visual Processing Skills

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8. Review of Current Literature

9. Resources

10. Review Questions and Answers

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Atkinson, Janette, 2000, The Developing Visual Brain, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press

Orfield, Antonia, 2007, Eyes For Learning, Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Education

Rizzolatti, Giacomo & Sinigaglia, Corrado, 2008, Mirrors in the Brain –How Our Minds Share Actions and
Emotions, Oxford New York: Oxford University Press

Scheiman, Mitchell, 2002, Understanding and Managing Vision Deficits: A Guide for Occupational Therapists,
Thorofare, New Jersey: Slack Incorporated
 Code of Ethics
Principle of Ethics I
Individuals shall honor their responsibility to hold paramount the welfare of persons they serve
professionally …

Principle of Ethics II
Individuals shall honor their responsibility to achieve and maintain the highest level of professional
competence.
Rules of Ethics
B. Individuals shall engage in only those aspects of the professions that are within the scope of their
competence, considering their level of education, training, and experience.
C. Individuals shall continue their professional development throughout their careers.

Principle of Ethics III

Individuals shall honor their responsibility to the public by promoting public understanding of the
professions, by supporting the development of services designed to fulfill the unmet needs of the public,
and by providing accurate information in all communications involving any aspect of the professions,
including dissemination of research findings and scholarly activities.

What is the definition of Speech-Language Pathology services?

According to the 2009 State of Florida statutes Title XXX11

Chapter 468 section. (7)(a):

"Practice of speech-language pathology" means the application of principles,

methods, and procedures for the prevention, identification, evaluation,
treatment, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and
research, relative to the development and disorders of human
communication; to related oral and pharyngeal competencies; and to
behavior related to disorders of human communication. "Disorders" are
defined to include any and all conditions, whether of organic or non-
organic origin, that impede the normal process of human
communication, including, but not limited to, disorders and related
disorders of speech, phonology, articulation, fluency, voice, accent, verbal
and written language and related non-oral/non-verbal forms of language,
cognitive communication, auditory and visual processing, memory and
comprehension, interactive communication, mastication, deglutition, and
other oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal sensory-motor competencies.

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 Eye Anatomy

http://www.allaboutvision.com/resources/anatomy.htm
Visual Processing Skills:
Disorders of visual acuity are treated by ophthalmologists and optometrists. The average eye

examination is designed to detect these conditions. But, weaknesses in visual processing skills are not

normally assessed during those procedures.

There are different types of Visual Processing Disorders, which in my opinion, are adversely

affecting the speech, language and learning skills of struggling students. There will be an explanation

of binocular disorders, accommodative disorders and ocular motor disorders. This will help you

understand how visual motor integration and visual perceptual skills are adversely affected. Visual

Acuity determines “how well your eyes see?” Visual Processing determines “How well your eyes use

the information it receives?”

Current research has proven that healthy infants use visual input to match vowel sounds to

facial presentations, but according to Elsevier, "the role of visual speech in language development

remains unknown." Come and learn about the development of visual processing and how to recognize

the signs and symptoms of poor visual processing skills. Review current literature including: "The

McGurk Effect in Infants," "Auditory-Visual Integration for Speech by Children With and Without

Specific Language Impairment" & “The Mirror Neuron System & the Consequence of its Dysfunction.”

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There are 3 components of Visual Processing:
I. Visual Gathering & Efficiency (red circle)
A. Eye Teaming (Binocularity)
B. Eye Focusing (Accommodations)
C. Eye Tracking (Ocular Motor)
II. Visual-Motor Integration (green circle)
Establish hand dominance
Crossing Midline
Letter & Number Recognition
Proper Letter & Number Formation
Establish a foundation for Phonics
Establish a foundation for Math
III. Visual Perceptual Skills (blue circle)
Visual Discrimination
Visual Memory
Visual Spatial Relationships
Visual Form Constancy
Visual Figure Ground
Visual Closure

Seven Studies Reviewed:

1. “Newborn Infants’ Preference for Attractive Faces: The Role of Internal and
External Facial Features” Infancy (2000) 1(2), 265-275, Slater, A., Bremner, G.,
Johnson, SP., Hayes, R. and Brown, E.

2. “Two-month Old Infants Match Phonetic Information in Lips and Voice”

Developmental Science (2003) 6(2), 191-196, Patterson, M.L. & Werker, J.F.

3. “Infants Use Multimodal Information to Imitate Speech Sounds” Infant Behavior

and Development (1990) 13, 343-354, Legerstee, Maria

4. “Visual Language Discrimination in Infancy” Science (2007) May 25; 316(5828):

1159, Welkum, W.M. Vouloumanos, A., Navarra, J., Soto-Faraco, S., Sebastian-Galles, N.,
and Werker, J.F.

5. “The McGurk Effect in Infants” Perception & Psychophysics (1997) 59(3), 347-357,
Rosenblum, L.D. Schumuckler, M.A. & Johnson, J.A.

6. “Auditory-Visual Integration for Speech by Children With and Without Specific

Language Impairment” Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research (2007) 50,
1639-1651, Norrix, L.W., Plante, E., & Vance, R

7. “The Mirror Neuron System and the Consequences of its Dysfunction”

Nature (2006) 7, 942-951. Iacoboni, M. & Dapretto, M.

Dana M. Merritt MS CCC-SLP

www.MerrittSpeech.com
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