Prepared for MAER 04/25/13

Spatial perception is understanding the space we need to move through or manipulate objects within

Vision is the deriving of meaning and direction of action as triggered by light

So what if you can’t see? OR Can’t see like you used to?

Understanding Visual attention may be helpful!

Sight Vision We can have vision without eyesight

• As many in attendance can attest• Mobility work depends on spatial processing

in the brain not the eyes• Thinking in pictures (Visual thinking)

Sight loss (eyeball and eyeball wiring hardware) is rarely total

Development• Most are born seeing, but don’t understand

what we see (vision)• Vision is learned• Learned by bumping into reality with our

sensory systems • Vision is hands extended• Amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus

(wandering eye), and learning related vision problems are a lack of development

Congenital and acquired (had and lost) Loss of eyesight is not the loss of vision BUT vision without eyesight is not the

same “Not the same” is the key issue Change is never easy for anyone at

almost any time What has changed with the loss of

eyesight (hardware) is how you use eyesight as a part of the visual process

Even with full visual capacity you cannot attend to everything all the time!

Even true for hearing, smelling and feeling (shoes?)

Selective attention is an important concept

Changes to visual attention and how we use visual spatial processing is what is happening

A visual cure is making vision function like it used to

Many losses of eyesight have no cure, but vision is still present

It is not bad or unusual to look/hope for cures

It is not always realistic to expect cures for many loss of sight conditions in the immediate future

Hope to improve function with rehabilitation is more realistic

Getting used to changing the way you use vision is the key • Silverware drawer example• Practice over time• Effort/habituation/ease of use

Decreasing effort is the way to reduce eye strain (asthenopia)

Trying to use old software for changed (new) hardware is stressful and tiring

Learning to use what is left (pieces of eyesight, visual memory and spatial vision) with the least amount of effort is very important

Part of MAER’s mission

Purpose of Vision quotes

Where am I? Where is it? What is it? Communication (Language) Plus How

• Motor Planning• Visual Thinking

Importance of Anticipation• By the time the brain gets visual

information it is history

Sue Barry • One cannot pretend to have binocularity by

closing an eye• RAH: One cannot pretend to have altered

eyesight by closing your eyes• Once you have vision it is always with you!

Maybe not eyesight Maybe not all of vision either

Work/learn to use what you have, Work/learn to develop/work around what

is missing

Two approaches:• Limiting visual loss due to misuse or nonuse

is important Ex. peripheral vision

Circling the wagons Self limitation Lots of research on visual field restoration

• Learning to re-write software There is no substitute for hardware loss in any

sensory system There is a lot of brain plasticity research out there!

Look Hard Look Soft procedure• Ease eyestrain

Visual imagery/memory practice• What you remember things to look like• Visual closure-filling in the missing pieces

(anticipating?) If you think you can or you think you

can’t you are probably right! H Ford Hope and faith are important Acceptance of loss and getting support

• MAER• Support groups

Eyesight loss can cause one to feel unlucky, frustrated, anxious and/or depressed

There are no cures out there for many eyesight conditions

There may be rehabilitation treatments

You can do something! It is your choice

It is your software and attention

You are in charge of how you choose to use them

Thank you for your attention today