PAWPRINT : JULY 2025

Visual Perception: What Do We See Through the Mind's Eye?

By Zoe Mailloux, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Of the sensory systems that we discuss when we talk about sensory integration, visual perception (along with auditory perception) is one of the most familiar and commonly understood. Visual perception refers to the meaning that our brains give to the information that we see.

For example, if you look at the following design it may appear only as a series of lines with no real meaning:

The lines spell the word “Ivy” upside down. Now the lines have a meaning when you look at them. An optometrist checks our eyes to ensure they are working well to see the world around us. Visual perception allows us to make sense out of what we see. Good visual perception is needed to read, write, use scissors and draw. We also need visual perception to keep from bumping into things, to direct a ball toward a goal post on a soccer field and to follow a map to a desired destination. 

There are many functions related to visual perception. “Figure ground perception” refers to the ability to see something that is part of a bigger or confusing picture. For example, finding a roll of tape in a drawer or identifying your child among others who are climbing on the play equipment at the park requires figure ground perception...

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