What visual-spatial activities can involve

A visual-spatial activity may ask the person to:

  • look across the whole scene
  • locate objects on the left, right, near, or far side
  • reach towards an object in space
  • place items in a target area
  • compare where objects are positioned
  • remember where something was placed
  • return to a missed area
  • follow a short route or sequence through a scene
  • organise objects according to a layout or rule

The activity becomes useful when it creates moments you can observe and discuss.

Activity ideas

Search the whole space

Set up a task where target objects are placed across different parts of a scene. The person needs to look around rather than focus only on one central area.

You can start with obvious objects and then vary position, distractors, and visual load.

Review questions:

  • Did the person explore the full scene?
  • Were some areas missed?
  • Did they turn or move attention enough to locate items?
  • Did prompts change the search pattern?

Place objects in relation to a target

Ask the person to move or place objects into a defined area, beside another item, above or below something, or into a category location.

This creates a spatial relationship demand, not only an object-recognition demand.

Review questions:

  • Was the target location understood?
  • Were objects placed consistently?
  • Did the person correct placement after a prompt?
  • Did the layout help or confuse the task?

Remember object locations

Place objects in a scene, ask the person to notice them, then ask them to return to or select items after a short delay or prompt.

Keep the task short at first. The goal is to create a useful activity moment, not overload the session.

Review questions:

  • Which locations were remembered?
  • Were items found by scanning or guessing?
  • Did the person return to the same areas?
  • Did reducing the number of objects help?

Follow a spatial sequence

A sequence can include moving attention between locations: first find one object, then another, then place or sort something. The person has to connect order with position.

Review questions:

  • Was the sequence followed?
  • Did location affect the next step?
  • Were some steps repeated or skipped?
  • Did prompts help the person return to the sequence?

What to vary

Visual-spatial activities can be adjusted through:

  • object location
  • number of search areas
  • distance between objects
  • object size
  • visual clutter
  • whether objects are central or peripheral
  • prompt timing
  • route length
  • layout complexity
  • seated or standing setup

Small changes can make a large difference. Moving an object from the centre of a scene to the edge may change the task more than adding another object.

What to observe

Useful observation points include whether the person searches the whole environment, whether they favour one area, whether they return to missed areas, how they reach or select, whether they understand position words, and how they respond when object placement changes.

Studio session review can help show view direction, object choices, prompts, retries, and task completion. These details can support discussion and notes, but they are not diagnosis, assessment, or clinical monitoring.

Why VR and AR can help with spatial tasks

A flat worksheet can create useful visual activity, but it cannot fully recreate the experience of looking around a space. In VR and AR, the person can turn, scan, reach, select, and respond in a scene that has direction and depth.

That can give you richer session material. The person is not just identifying something. They are interacting with where it is.

Session setup considerations

Visual-spatial activities need a little thought before the headset goes on. Consider whether the person will be seated or standing, whether they need to turn their head or upper body, how far objects appear from the starting position, and whether the activity can be paused quickly. A seated visual-spatial task may still be useful if it asks the person to scan, compare locations, and reach with the controller. The setup should support the activity, not become the activity.

It can also help to explain the spatial task in ordinary language before starting. For example: look around the scene, find the objects on both sides, and tell me when you think the task is complete. That gives the person a clear goal and gives you a clear review point.

Grading spatial demand

Visual-spatial challenge can be changed in small ways. Moving an object from the centre of view to the edge of the scene may be enough to change the activity. Adding depth, distance, left-right spread, or a need to return to a missed area can also alter the task.

Useful grading options include:

  • central to peripheral object placement
  • near objects before far objects
  • fewer search areas before multiple areas
  • larger objects before smaller objects
  • clear contrast before visually busy scenes
  • one location rule before several location rules
  • simple reach before reach and place

This kind of grading helps you keep control of the session. It also helps the person understand what is being asked.

Making spatial behaviour easier to discuss

Spatial tasks can be hard to describe if the only record is a general impression. In an immersive task, you may be interested in where the person directed their view, whether they checked both sides of the scene, whether they returned to a missed area, and whether object position changed their choices.

Studio can support this discussion by making parts of the activity easier to review. The useful detail is not just whether the task was completed. It is how the person moved attention through the space.

A review might include language such as: you found the objects in front of you quickly, but the items on the left were missed until the prompt; once you turned towards that area, you found the remaining objects; when we repeated the task, you checked that side earlier.

That language is practical and understandable.

Seated and standing spatial tasks

Visual-spatial activity does not always need a large room. Many useful tasks can be seated, especially when the demand is scanning, locating, comparing, or reaching with a controller. Standing activities may add more physical and environmental demands, so they should be chosen deliberately.

Before the activity, consider comfort, fatigue, balance, space, supervision, and whether the person can stop easily. The spatial task should fit the session conditions.

Avoiding over-complex scenes

A visually rich scene can look impressive, but it is not always the best starting point. If the activity includes too many objects, too much movement, or unclear instructions, the spatial demand can become hard to interpret.

Start with a task that has a clear goal and a small number of meaningful locations. Add complexity only when it makes the session material clearer or more useful.

Connecting spatial tasks to everyday activity

Visual-spatial activities become easier to explain when they are connected to ordinary situations. Finding objects across a scene can relate to looking around a work surface. Placing items in relation to a target can relate to organising a space. Returning to a missed area can relate to checking a room, shelf, table, or bag.

The Studio task does not need to recreate a real-life activity perfectly. It needs to create a structured spatial moment that can be discussed. The more clearly you can connect that moment to everyday task behaviour, the more useful the activity is likely to feel to the person in the session.

This also helps avoid technology-first language. You are not asking someone to experience VR for its own sake. You are asking them to work through a spatial task that gives you something practical to observe.

A simple progression

A spatial task can start with objects placed directly in front of the person, then move targets slightly to the side, then ask the person to check both sides before finishing. This keeps the activity familiar while gradually increasing the spatial demand.

Small spatial changes are often enough.

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CorteXR Studio provides configurable VR and AR activities for therapist-led sessions, including visual search, spatial tasks, sequencing, sorting, memory, and review.

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Studio note: CorteXR Studio is non-medical activity software for therapist-led sessions. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, monitor, prevent, or alleviate any disease, injury, or impairment.

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