You suspect a patient has visual asymbolia. Before revealing the answer, decide how you would assess for this.

Present written words and ask the patient to read them aloud or explain their meaning, noting difficulty recognising them despite intact vision. Separately test comprehension of the same words when spoken aloud, since understanding is often preserved when words are heard rather than read. Ask the patient to copy a piece of written text, noting whether some capacity to copy is retained, which distinguishes this from agnostic alexia. Given its association with a more extensive underlying lesion, also assess for additional findings such as difficulty with numbers, spatial disorientation, and difficulty naming objects, and note any difficulty writing spontaneously despite preserved copying.