[Lisa]

My daughter has Aspergers, ADD and Dyslexia. She was diagnosed dyslexic in November by a clinical psychologist at a specialist dyslexia centre in London. He recommended she also see a behavioural optometrist. This had already been recommended by two occupational therapists the year before because she scored on the 10th percentile for visual tracking and scanning and showed difficulty judging distances.

We took her to the optometrist where it was discovered she was experiencing text moving, blurring and double vision when reading and focusing and although I haven't got the report yet Mears Irlen was mentioned. Is Mears Irlen a seperate diagnosis to dyslexia or is it part of dyslexia and do all dyslexics experience it? Should it be written into her statement that she has dyslexia, mears irlen and visual tracking and scanning difficulties or are they all the same thing?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Thanks.

Lisa

[Rhona]

I and my two sons have mears irlen and we are also dyslexic, however my understanding is that these conditions co-exist but are not exclusive to each other. I would make sure that people, educators, are aware of the condition as there are ways to reduce the problem. We all used coloured lenses in our glasses which have made a huge difference to us all.
Good luck with finding what helps.
Rhona

[Lisa]

Thanks Rhona.

She's using coloured overlays at the moment and they're working well so we have an appointment this week for her to be fitted for coloured lens glasses.

Lisa

[nick]

They are seperate items but both produce similar problems ( reading) its a bit like saying a blind man has trouble walking as does some one with one leg, the same out come but fro different causes.

see leink for irelens info
http://beingdyslexic...p?showtopic=669

[Lisa]

Thanks Nick

Lisa

[dolfrog]

Hi Lisa

Dyslexia is not a condition, it is only a set of symptoms.
Mears and Irlen, are 2 Reseashers who have been research the Visual Processing Problems that cause some to have the dyslexic symptoms.
There are other underlying cause of the dyslexic symptoms realted to other sensory related disorders or deficits.

Helen Irlen is the Australian lady who founded the Irlen dyslexic clinics, and was one of the first to suggest coloured lenses and acetates to help those who have visual processing issues. There is an Irlen web site and it allows you to select you own personal preference of tect ot font colour, and backgrounf colour combination.

best wishes

dolfrog

Lisa, on Jan 8 2007, 04:48 PM, said:

My daughter has Aspergers, ADD and Dyslexia. She was diagnosed dyslexic in November by a clinical psychologist at a specialist dyslexia centre in London. He recommended she also see a behavioural optometrist. This had already been recommended by two occupational therapists the year before because she scored on the 10th percentile for visual tracking and scanning and showed difficulty judging distances.

We took her to the optometrist where it was discovered she was experiencing text moving, blurring and double vision when reading and focusing and although I haven't got the report yet Mears Irlen was mentioned. Is Mears Irlen a seperate diagnosis to dyslexia or is it part of dyslexia and do all dyslexics experience it? Should it be written into her statement that she has dyslexia, mears irlen and visual tracking and scanning difficulties or are they all the same thing?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Thanks.

Lisa

[Rhonda Stone]

There is a little misinformation here.

Technically speaking, "dyslexia" means "broken word" or difficulty with language. It is correct that it is a set of symptoms moreso than any one symptom.

"Meares-Irlen Syndrome" or "Irlen Syndrome" or "Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome" is a very specific problem associated the photoreceptors of the eye and how wavelengths are absorbed and processed by multiple systems of the brain. There are different manifestations of this complex problem. An individual may experience just a couple or all of the symptoms: eye-strain, fatigue, headaches (including migraine), nausea, motion sickness, confusion or lack of clarity in thinking, the perception that text is moving (rising, falling, shaking, swirling, disappearing, etc.), and even problems with depth perception. Individuals with this problem may love to read but struggle to read for long periods of time; resist reading altogether because the physical issues make it a struggle; or simply appear disinterested in reading because they "don't like it" (but they don't really know why--most adults with Irlen Syndrome live all their lives with it and, therefore, don't know that issues they experience aren't normal). One of the most serious manifestations is epileptic seizure (now widely understood to be caused by strobing, but less understood to be caused by what researcher Arnold Wilkins, Ph.D. University of Essex, calls "visual stress" and "pattern glare." Reading involves patterns of text and is a visually stressful task.)

Dyslexia is commonly thought of as a learning issue. The neurobiological issues associated with it are little understood. Irlen Syndrome is a neurobiological issue that affects a variety of brain systems (beginning with the photoreceptors) and a handful of researchers are doing excellent work to define it and document it. It is a neurobiological problem that can effect both health AND learning, just health, or just learning.

Think of the human visual system as beginning with a "solar power plant." The "photoreceptors" capture the energy (literally, the individual wavelengths), a biochemical reaction occurs, signals are sent as a result of this biochemical reaction through the visual pathways to the deeper structures of the brain. What the photoreceptors have captured is pure ENERGY. The human skin also has photoreceptive qualities. Do you know people who burn easily? Tan easily? Some react better to ultraviolet (UV) radiation than others, right?

Well, Irlen Syndrome exists because some people have photoreceptive "solar power plants" that react inappropriately to UV radiation and a myriad of other aspects of light (short wavelengths, medium wavelengths, long wavelengths, volume of light as expressed through dark and bright, and pattern and contrast modulation). The resulting effect is physical stress on the eyes and/or brain AND/OR unstable visual perception. For many of these people, fluorescent lighting and computer screens are particularly problematic because both are in a constant state of flicker (except LCD screens), which adds to the visual stress.

Irlen Syndrome is a very specific condition that manifests in different ways. Tinted lenses reduce the symptoms by modifying the wavelengths (or ENERGY) absorbed by the photoreceptors. The modification improves how the physical system receives and processes light. This is totally logical to physicists and a few people studying both photosensitivity and the neurobiology of the brain. Sadly, many ophthalmologists and optometrists have never studied the physics of light, let alone photosensitivity and neurobiology.

I am pleased to see that the first International Symposium on Visually-Induced Motion Sickness, Fatigue, and Epileptic Seizure (VIMS) is being held in Hong Kong this December (2007). Because thousands of children were stricken by epileptic seizures during and immediately after a popular Pokemon movie in theatres following a short strobing segment a number of years ago, the scientific community finally became interested in this important new area of brain science. A brand new American movie may produce a smaller effect, if the scientific community pays attention. The movie is American Ganster, and it too includes a short strobing segment.

A minor note: Helen Irlen is not from Australia. She is from Long Beach, California, USA. Ms. Meares, I believe, was from New Zealand or Australia.

I welcome further discussions on this topic.

Rhonda Stone
Author, The Light Barrier, St. Martin's Press, 2002; Griffen, 2003
Parent advocate, children's light-based health and learning issues
360-486-4483
RSStone74@aol.com

[BubblewrapPrincess]

Hi,

I have many, well almost all, the symptoms of Mears-Irlen Syndrome. Not just those you have described, I've resurched this a little already as it was suggested I might benifit from seeing a specalist optomitrist about this.

I wear glasses and was just wondering if haveing Mears-Irlen Syndrome could give an inacurate impression of the level of prescription I need? I was also wondering if it was possible to get coloured percription glasses? I don't need glasses all the time but do for many of the tasks where such a condition has the most effect, like looking at a projector. But likewise I feel I might benefit from haveing the glasses on all the time, though if I do this it could worsen my eye sight. In this case would two pairs be advisable?

I'm certainly not asking for any definate advice on wheather this is suitable for me, just if it is some thing some people do. Also if I needed two pairs would my DSA pay for them?

Just wondering how commion this was and if it was possible. I'm sure people must need prescription glasses, but I'd like to know before I go to get tested. (which I should be doing soon)

I have alway complained of these symptoms but got told all/many dyslexics had this and not to worry. I had a vague knollage of coloured overlays and had one of these used with me once but it was rose coloured and made things worse. I hate rose passionately, it hurts my eyes. After this the matter was put to one side and I assumed either the coloures didn't work or I wasn't suitable for them. Until recently that is when I started wearing sunglasses to read and mentioned this to the woman doing my needs assement. She did a few quick experiments with backgrounds on her laptop and suggested I go back to my educatonal phycologist and explain the symptoms to him. He has suggested I get tested and put this in my needs assesment.

I also did some theripy with my opticions though they arn't specialy trained. It was about strenghtening my eyes but it didn't have any noticable effect so I stopped going.

[dolfrog]

Hi BubblewrapPrincess

I have a few links to the Irlen set of web pages on my own web site on my Dyslexia web page, which I have used as my main set of Australian Dyalexic links for that page,

Have a look at
http://capdlinks.hom...m/Dyslexia.html
Look for the row of Green picture frames
This is my most Visual-Spatial designed web page yet lol.

best wishes

dolfrog

BubblewrapPrincess, on Nov 4 2007, 01:30 PM, said:

Hi,

I have many, well almost all, the symptoms of Mears-Irlen Syndrome. Not just those you have described, I've resurched this a little already as it was suggested I might benifit from seeing a specalist optomitrist about this.

I wear glasses and was just wondering if haveing Mears-Irlen Syndrome could give an inacurate impression of the level of prescription I need? I was also wondering if it was possible to get coloured percription glasses? I don't need glasses all the time but do for many of the tasks where such a condition has the most effect, like looking at a projector. But likewise I feel I might benefit from haveing the glasses on all the time, though if I do this it could worsen my eye sight. In this case would two pairs be advisable?

I'm certainly not asking for any definate advice on wheather this is suitable for me, just if it is some thing some people do. Also if I needed two pairs would my DSA pay for them?

Just wondering how commion this was and if it was possible. I'm sure people must need prescription glasses, but I'd like to know before I go to get tested. (which I should be doing soon)

[BubblewrapPrincess]

Thank you.

I love the lay out of this one.

It helps I like blue/grey backgrounds, I like it looks like it has a bit of a texture too.

[Rhonda Stone]

BubblewrapPrincess, on Nov 4 2007, 01:57 PM, said:

Thank you.

I love the lay out of this one.

It helps I like blue/grey backgrounds, I like it looks like it has a bit of a texture too.

[Rhonda Stone]

Hello Bubblewrap : ) Yes, having Irlen Syndrome can create complications for conventional prescriptions for near- and far-sightedness and, yes, tinted lenses are available. When you see a practitioner about color as an appropriate intervention for you, be sure to have him/her test you with and without your standard glasses on, to see if color can make significant improvement both ways.

You reacted badly to the rose because you have hypersensitive receptors that respond poorly to specific wavelengths. If this weren't a legitimate issue, you would have no problem at all with a rose overlay. The fact that you do demonstrates that you are, indeed, hypersensitive. The right color will probably be very helpful for you.

Best wishes,
Rhonda Stone

[DyslexicKid13]

Lisa, on Jan 8 2007, 05:48 PM, said:

My daughter has Aspergers, ADD and Dyslexia. She was diagnosed dyslexic in November by a clinical psychologist at a specialist dyslexia centre in London. He recommended she also see a behavioural optometrist. This had already been recommended by two occupational therapists the year before because she scored on the 10th percentile for visual tracking and scanning and showed difficulty judging distances.

We took her to the optometrist where it was discovered she was experiencing text moving, blurring and double vision when reading and focusing and although I haven't got the report yet Mears Irlen was mentioned. Is Mears Irlen a seperate diagnosis to dyslexia or is it part of dyslexia and do all dyslexics experience it? Should it be written into her statement that she has dyslexia, mears irlen and visual tracking and scanning difficulties or are they all the same thing?

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Thanks.

Lisa

REPLY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

Lisa,
As a suffer of Mears Irlen and Dyslexia, i can say that text moving, blurring, dubble vision, migrains, dizzy spells, bad sleep, enlarged pupils and other simptons are all a clear indecation of Mears Irlen. Mears Irlen is a disabilty linked with dislexia, as the two run hand in hand; however not all dislexis have Mears Irlen. Reading aids such as coulours overlays and speciticals have a great efect - the good news is sufferers of Mears Irlen CAN grow out of the disablity however i do stress the importance of getting her statmented! As people can't understand or see Mears Ilren they are unfrontuantly unable to accept it as a real disorder. I have been batterling with my own school to get extra time on my upcoming Gcse exsaminations, it was only when statmented did they accept this.
I know taking advice from a teenager seems bazzar but assure you i do know what I'm talking about.
Yours faithfully
DyslexicKid13
( Aj, aged 15 )

Ps. Mears Irlen is NOT a visual problem but a misprograming of the brains curet. Type in Sertopic Senistivity Sydrome ( it will spell check this automatically)
pps. Ive tryed to spell check this to best of my abilty im sorry however if there is mistypings.

[DyslexicKid13]

dolfrog, on Nov 4 2007, 02:47 PM, said:

Hi BubblewrapPrincess

I have a few links to the Irlen set of web pages on my own web site on my Dyslexia web page, which I have used as my main set of Australian Dyalexic links for that page,

Have a look at
http://capdlinks.hom...m/Dyslexia.html
Look for the row of Green picture frames
This is my most Visual-Spatial designed web page yet lol.

best wishes

dolfrog

REPLY_____________________________


Coloured specticals are availibly from certian optomistis. I howver can happily recomend Broadhurst Opptionsions; they were nothing ut pleasent and the final glasses arraived within 6 weeks.



Not sure if ive replyed to right thing - im only learning how to work this