Visual - Sensory Processing

Behaviour you might notice:

• Dislike bright lights. Likes the curtains drawn.
• Dislikes busy environments where there is lots of movement around them.
• May avoid fast moving images.
• Dislikes pages that are visually busy with lots of information on them.

• Cover or visually block out information
• Organise drawers so it's easy to find what you're looking for
• Reduce background visual stimuli
• Wear sunglasses
• Periodically close your eyes to reduce stimulation 
• Declutter your environment
• You could try placing your desk against a blank wall or using a table separator to minimise distractions.
• Lower the lighting
• Allow yourself short scheduled breaks away from particularly busy environments and distractions such as windows.
• Ask others to warn you where possible of changes in the environment e.g. moving class
• You may find it beneficial to sit at the edge of the group, rather than within it.  Such as in a busy assembly hall or social gathering.
• Allow recovery time after visually busy activities/environments.  Give yourself space and time, such as taking a brief walk.
• Think about how work is presented, busy worksheets can be overwhelming

Try calming activities, 'heavy work'. Learn more about sensory modulation.

What you might notice:

• Seeks bright lights, flashing lights, or coloured lights
• May move toys, objects and / or hands fast in front of their eyes
• Prefers visual information.

• Provide additional light and visual stimulus where possible or reasonable
• Make important visual information clearer - use bright colours, contrast, or bold outlines
• Set agreed times for further visual stimulus
• Add movement or novelty to get attention, like moving images and gesturing
• Make sure workspace is organised, label trays to make it easier to see.