Irlen’s Syndrome – Just the Facts, Ma’am

By: Lis Johnston, Learning Services Consultant with HCOS

Do you know of someone who struggles with light sensitivities that affect their ability to deal with words? They may be bothered by sunlight or fluorescent lights, be bothered by a glare on pages, see words fuzzily, suffer from frequent headaches, skip words or lines, lose their place when reading and writing, or experience other complications. If so, it is possible that this person has Irlen’s Syndrome, otherwise known as Scotopic Sensitivity.

Surprisingly, Irlen’s Syndrome is not a problem with sight; instead, it is a problem with how the brain processes information.  Many people who have Irlen’s are misdiagnosed with ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and other issues that share the same symptoms.  To further complicate things,  about 65% of those with Irlen’s Syndrome also have dyslexia and it is possible that a large percentage of children who struggle with autism and Aspergers might also have Irlen’s.  It is important for educators to rule out Irlen’s Syndrome when dealing with children that struggle with reading, writing, attention, sensory, and behavioural issues.

Irlen’s Syndrome can cause reading problems that include tracking difficulties, skipped words, and other contributors to poor comprehension. It also tends to cause reluctance to read or a preference to read in dim light. Writers may struggle with writing in the proper space, improper letter formation, and weak spelling skills. Generally, the person may be irritable, distractible, and experience frequent headaches.

 

Irlen’s seems to run in families and it typically isn’t diagnosed by common medical and educational tests. The good news is that it can be treated with the use of colored overlays and/or glasses and proper lighting, as well as other resources. Diagnosis and treatment, including identifying the required colour of glasses and overlays, is done by a professional certified and trained in the Irlen Method.

Two self-administered tests:

http://www.irlen.com/long_self_test.php,

http://irlen.com/short_self_test.php

Websites/youtube clips for more information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N5qbMFtKQ4

www.Irlen.com

www.readingandwriting.ab.ca

www.irlencentre.ca

Dyslexia and Irlen’s : http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag59.html

List of Irlen’s Diagnosticians/Screeners: (this list is not complete)

Bonnie Williams, Kelowna, 250-808-6192, irlenbc@shaw.ca , www.irlen.ca, Diagnostician

Sylvia Lloyd: Langley, British Columbia, 604-454-8238

Russell Work: Oliver, 250-498-4350, r_work@telus.net, Screener

Pat Everatt, South Okanagan,  250-809-8098, peveratt@nethop.net

Beverly McKay, Victoria, 250-744-3302, bmckay@sd61.bc.ca