Have you ever wondered why some visual tasks feel difficult? Or why your child struggles with reading despite having “good vision”? The answer often lies beyond visual acuity: it’s about visual skills. Seeing well involves focusing quickly, coordinating both eyes, and processing visual information effortlessly.
What are visual skills?
Visual skills are the abilities that allow us to use our vision efficiently. They include focusing, eye coordination, and how the brain interprets visual information. If these skills are not well developed, they can be mistaken for learning or attention difficulties.
Types of visual skills
1. Visual Efficiency Skills
These refer to the physical aspects of the visual system—how the eyes take in information from the environment.
Accommodation (focusing)
The ability to quickly switch focus between near and far objects.
Binocularity (eye coordination)
Allows both eyes to work together as a team, properly aligning to focus on the same object.
Eye Movements
- Tracking: the ability to smoothly follow a moving object.
- Saccades: quick, precise jumps between visual targets, essential when reading.
- Convergence and Divergence: the ability of the eyes to turn inward or outward depending on the distance of the object being viewed.
2. Visual processing or perceptual skills
Visual discrimination
The ability to see differences between visually similar objects, such as distinguishing a “b” from a “d” or a “6” from a “9”.
Visual memory
The ability to remember what has been seen.
Spatial relationships
Helps understand where objects are in relation to one another and to oneself.
Form Constancy
Recognizing an object even when it changes in size, position, or orientation.
Figure-Ground Perception
The ability to focus on a specific visual element without being distracted by the background.
Visual closure
The skill of identifying an object even when part of it is hidden or incomplete.
We assess and train your visual skills
At Enfoca’t, we evaluate these skills in both children and adults, identifying which areas need improvement. This allows us to design a personalized visual therapy program tailored to each individual’s needs.
Do you want to better understand your visual system and improve your performance? Book an appointment with us.
