Visual Processing Training With the Tachistoscope

Abstract

Diagnostic testing in kindergarten and the primary grades of children who are experiencing learning disabilities has revealed certain consistent perceptual deficiencies. Among these are poor figure ground relationships, poorly developed perceptual form constancy, inadequate spatial and directional relationships, immature visual motor development and finally, poor short term visual memory as measured with a tachistoscope. It is the purpose of this paper to establish a set of expected tachistoscopic responses using three digits at 0.1 and 0.01 seconds for children in the sixth month of grade one whose average age is six years, five months. Using a sample of 250 children, the mean, the median scores and a percentile scale have been developed so that a child in grades one, two or three who is experiencing a perceptual deficit can be compared to the grade one child. The coefficient of correlations between success in reading and tachistoscopic response at each speed has been calculated.