Basic visual perceptual processes in children with typical development and cerebral palsy: The processing of surface, length, orientation, and position

ABSTRACT

The present study aims to assess how the processing of basic visual perceptual (VP) components (length, surface, orientation, and position) develops in typically developing (TD) children (n = 215, 4–14 years old) and adults (n = 20, 20–25 years old), and in children with cerebral palsy (CP) (n = 86, 5–14 years old) using the first four subtests of the Battery for the Evaluation of Visual Perceptual and Spatial processing in children. Experiment 1 showed that these four basic VP processes follow distinct developmental trajectories in typical development. Experiment 2 revealed that children with CP present global and persistent deficits for the processing of basic VP components when compared with TD children matched on chronological age and nonverbal reasoning abilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Child
• development
• cerebral palsy
• visual perceptual processes
• length
• surface
• orientation
• position

Acknowledgments

This research was carried out thanks to the financial support of the “Marguerite-Marie Delacroix Support Foundation,” which allowed the analysis of the results and the writing of this article; the Belgian foundation “La Vocation”; the nonprofit organization ANAH (“Association Nationale d’Aide aux Handicapés”); and the associated Rotary Clubs, which assisted in the development of the battery of tests and the assessment of the children.

The authors also wish to thank the Centre for Cerebral Palsy (CIRICU), Belgium, for its support during the different stages of this research as well as all the children who participated in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was carried out thanks to the financial support of the “Marguerite-Marie Delacroix Support Foundation,” which allowed the analysis of the results and the writing of this article; the Belgian foundation “La Vocation”; the nonprofit organization ANAH (“Association Nationale d’Aide aux Handicapés”); and the associated Rotary Clubs, which assisted in the development of the battery of tests and the assessment of the children.