Following on from our introduction and discussion of the Fine Motor Skills App ‘Dexteria’, we will now explore a new app from the same developers, Dexteria VMI, which focuses on visual perceptual skills and visual motor integration.
Visual Motor Integration simply looks at how we perceive an image (visual perception) and then manage to manually ‘output’ what we perceive that image to be (motor integration). An example of this is copying a picture of a triangle:
- visual perceiving the shape as a triangle = perception part,
- then integrating how to draw this,
- then drawing the shape with a pencil = the motor output
The game has 2 components: The first, ‘Make this’ – which looks at making a shape/design (dragging the correct shapes) based on the example image. As per the image below, the design in the box at the top shows the target image, and the ‘starred’ shapes highlight the shapes required to build the matching design. a timer accompanies the game, keeping track of the speed it takes to build a correct match.
The designs get more complicated and have more similar shapes and sizes on the screen, requiring good visual attention and visual scanning in addition to perception. The latter levels omit colour difference, requiring a sounds knowledge of shapes and pattern formation.
The second game is ‘Match this’ – which also looks at matching a design, but just requires the visual perceptual component, where users must select the matching design.
As the levels increase, so to does the design matching complexity. Levels get to the stage that there are a number of similar shapes on the screen, and the ‘target’ image is only flashed on the screen briefly (requiring a level of visual memory in addition to perception).
Once you have completed a few attempts of a game or both games, you can go back to the menu page and select ‘REPORT’ in the bottom left, which will provide a report with the times and accuracy for each of the levels completed. This is a nice way to track progress made in areas of visual perception and visual motor integration.
One thing this app does is isolate the ‘visual motor integration’ skill so it does not take into account those that may have difficulty with ‘writing or drawing’, and focuses on specifically the way a person perceives and integrates that information. As such, if a child can match the shape of a triangle to an example, but cannot draw this, then we ca see that the integration and perception is sound, but the motor ourput (accuracy, formation) is more challenging. This app can certainly provide some more specific quantification of what areas of visual motor integration are more challenging for a child.
It would be nice if the app had an interactive ‘drawing element’, especially for simple shapes, to examine a child’s skills in perceiving and motor outputting through the use of a stylus on the tablet.
As this is another app in the series by Binary Labs, it comes with a good pedigree of addressing educational areas and motor components required for children in daily and academic tasks. Again, this is an app I highly recommend when working on improving fine motor skills and tasks required ensure success and competence in fine motor tasks.
*Note: OTFC has not received royalties or endorsing this app or product
