Chapter 12
Assessment of Perceptual Abilities
Brief Summary
Chapter 12 focuses on the importance of assessment of perceptual abilities in the special education
process. After reading this chapter, your students should understand the following:
▪ The purpose of perceptual evaluations
▪ Visual perception
▪ Assessment of visual perception
▪ Auditory perception
▪ Assessment of auditory perception
▪ Comprehensive measures of perceptual abilities
Lecture and Discussion Outline
I. Overview
A. The learning process
1. Step 1: Input of Information
2. Step 2: Organization of Information
3. Step 3: Expression of Information
B. Modalities
1. Auditory Modality
2. Visual Modality
3. Tactile Modality
4. Kinesthetic Modality
5. Gustatory Modality
6. Olfactory Modality
C. Processes that comprise the learning process
1. Reception
2. Perception
3. Association or Organization
4. Memory
5. Expression
II. Purpose of Perceptual Evaluations
A. Skills most often associated with visual perception:
1. Visual coordination
2. Visual discrimination
3. Visual association
4. Visual long term memory
5. Visual short-term memory
6. Visual sequential memory
7. Visual vocal expression
8. Visual motoric expression
9. Visual figure ground discrimination
10. Visual spatial relationships
11. Visual form perception
III. Diagnostic Symptoms for Visual Perceptual Disabilities
IV. Assessment of Visual Perception
V. Auditory Perception
A. Overview
1. Auditory discrimination
2. Auditory association
3. Auditory long term-memory
4. Auditory short-term memory
5. Auditory sequential memory
6. Auditory vocal expression
7. Auditory motoric expression
VI. Diagnostic Symptoms for Auditory Perceptual Disabilities
VII. Assessment of Auditory Perception
VIII. Comprehensive Measures of Perceptual Abilities
A. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-2nd edition (BOT-2)
B. Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitudes-4th Edition (DTLA-4)
C. Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities-3rd edition (ITPA-3)
D. Slingerland Screening Tests for Identifying Children with Specific Language
Disability
VIII. Conclusion
Essay Questions
▪ There are six types of modalities or channels that deliver information. Define each of these six
modalities.
▪ Discuss the purpose of perceptual evaluations.
▪ There are numerous assessment area skills most often associated with visual perception. Define
10 of these area skills.
▪ Discuss the various diagnostic symptoms for visual perceptual disabilities.