Visual Scanning Strategies of Perceptually Impaired and Normal Children Viewing the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test

Abstract

Eye movements of perceptually impaired and normal children were recorded as they examined selected cards of the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test. Clear quantitative and qualitative differences in visual scanning strategies were found between the groups and discussed with respect to differences between perceptually impaired and normal childrens' rates of encoding information and reliance upon visual memory. In addition, it was found that the correctness of verbal response on the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test was not a sufficiently sensitive measure of differences in perceptual abilities between the two diagnostic groups studied. The value of the use of eye movement data to supplement the diagnosis of visual perceptual deficiencies is discussed.