Dr. Kim Cornish – Cornish Research Team, McGill University

Visual-Spatial Development Across Childhood

In this study, we are employing a specially developed, novel battery that taps different types of visual-spatial abilities in young children. These tasks were chosen to reflect the different subcomponents that visual-spatial functioning encompasses and hopefully will tease apart unique age and gender differences.

A developmental study of this kind is important:

  1. in identifying the unique differences between age groups in the different ways age groups process visual-spatial information;
  2. in understanding children with developmental disorders who demonstrate proficiencies and deficiencies in this cognitive domain; and
  3. to apply what we learn about visual-spatial development to education by ensuring informed partnership and interaction.

This information is crucial for the differentiated instruction to accommodate age specific visual-spatial strengths and weaknesses to support children at school and home.