The Efficacy of Occupational Therapy Intervention in Visual-Spatial and Visual Analysis Skills Development among Children with Learning Disorders

Objectives: The visual-motor skill is one of the major factors in the learning process. Visual-spatial and visual analysis skills are components of the visual motor skill. Any deficiency in Visual-Motor skills and their components often causes problem in writing and learning processes in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of occupational therapy (O.T.) intervention on visual-spatial and visual analysis skills in children with L.D. Methods: Fifty-eight children with learning disorder (L.D.) from “Learning Disorders Centers“ in Tehran were assessed in this study. Out of them, 23children were selected. They were in second, third and forth standard classes. They had normal I.Q and no visual or auditory problem. All of the children took the “Test of Visual Motor Skills-Revised“ (TVMS-R). They were divided into two groups: 11 in experimental group and 12 in control group. O.T interventions were performed for 16 sessions in the experimental group and finally all of the children were assessed with TVMS-R again. TVMS-R includes 8 categories and is designed based on copying some geometric figures. This test was standardized in Exceptional Children Institute, Tehran in 2002. Results: There was no significant difference of means between the pretest and the post test in the control group (P=0.10), but there was a significant difference of means in the experimental group based on paired t-test (P=0.000) Disussion: Results showed that the O.T. intervention had a statistically meaningful effect on visual-spatial and visual analysis skills in children with L.D