Visual Vigilance

Watch a stream of symbols and respond every time the target pattern completes, for minutes at a stretch. A practice tool, not an assessment.

Presets (free)

Settings dialsPro

Unlock these dials with ProPlus unlimited rounds, PDF export, and every printable pack

ModeSymbols one at a time; respond when the pattern completesRun length: 2:00Pace: 1.0s per symbolTargets: 15% of symbolsPattern length: 2Near missesRuns one symbol off the target, which have to be checked and passed overFilled shapes tooSix symbols instead of three; filled and outline are differentTwo rulesTwo patterns, two buttonsShow the last two symbolsOff: the pattern has to be held in mind as it forms

Large-print modeThicker outlinesFor low vision

Prefer paper? The Visual Vigilance pack is in the worksheet library.

The target pattern

Symbols arrive one at a time; respond as each target completes

Preview: green marks the targets; near misses are left plain

About Visual Vigilance

Visual Vigilance is a cognitive stimulation exercise adapted from the Visual Vigilance pack in the worksheet library. The paper version has the person scan rows of circles, squares and triangles and circle every run that matches a target pattern, such as a triangle followed by a triangle, while passing over near misses. Rows mode keeps that format. Stream mode is what a screen adds: the symbols arrive one at a time for minutes at a stretch, and the person responds each time the pattern completes.

Sustained attention is about what happens late in a task, not early, and that is what the results show. The run is split into thirds with hits and reaction time for each, so a drop in accuracy or a creeping slowdown in the last third is visible in one line, something no worksheet total can reveal. Longer runs, rarer targets, filled shapes, a second rule, and hiding the previous symbols each raise the load in a different way. Rows mode also splits hits by left and right side of the page.

It is built for occupational therapists, caregivers, and anyone practicing sustained attention and visual scanning, and it runs in any browser with no setup. Visual Vigilance is a practice and cognitive stimulation tool, not a standardized assessment, and no patient information is collected or stored.