Copyright Southam Publications Inc. Nov 6, 1998
A new light on reading trouble
By Victoria Crompton
When some children open a book, they see strange images and moving shapes where others would see words.
It's a problem children find difficult to describe. But, if the cause
is Irlen Syndrome, the solution -- eye glasses with coloured lenses --
is straightforward. The results can be dramatic.
Also known as scotopic sensitivity syndrome, Irlen Syndrome is a
perceptual disorder caused by a sensitivity to light. Certain
wavelengths of light can interfere with the visual pathway between the
eye and the brain. Filter out these wavelengths, and the pathway can
function normally, sending visual information to the brain, free of
distortions.
Irlen Syndrome can have an
enormous impact on a child's everyday life. It can affect their ability
to read and to understand what they read. It can affect their power of
concentration, their energy level, and their motivation. It can affect
their penmanship and their spelling. It can also affect their depth
perception, their steadiness on stairs and escalators and their ability
to judge the distances.
Twelve-year-old Rebecca Shantz was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome when she was in Grade 4.
"On my page, I could see only the tops and bottoms of letters and
sometimes only the middle. I had to figure out each individual letter
before I could read the word. By the end of a story, I wouldn't
understand what I had read because I was putting all my effort into
figuring out the letters."
Now a
successful Grade 7 student in French immersion and an avid reader,
Rebecca wears her Irlen lenses both in school and out.
"Without my glasses," she explains "I also have no depth perception,
meaning things are not where I see them. Escalators were the most
terrifying. I didn't know where to step. I was so afraid of falling."
Children with Irlen Syndrome have to put more effort and energy into
reading than their schoolmates. To compensate, some develop keen
listening and memory skills and excel in subjects that don't require a
lot of reading.
Others give up. They avoid reading; they fall behind, and their behaviour and attitude deteriorate.
Because the symptoms of Irlen Syndrome are not readily detected in
standard eye exams, educational or psychological tests, the condition
often goes undiagnosed.
And it is not
just children who are affected. Research suggests that Irlen Syndrome
is hereditary. When a child is diagnosed, there is often a parent or
sibling who is also affected. Irlen syndrome is thought to affect about
50 per cent of children and adults with reading problems.
The first step in treatment is a screening process to determine the
extent to which a child suffers from Irlen Syndrome. Coloured
see-through plastic sheets that can be laid over a printed page can
provide an immediate tool for your child to use while reading, but they
won't help with written activities or blackboard reading.
If the first screening indicates the child is a candidate for Irlen
lenses, there is a second, more intensive assessment to diagnose the
precise combination of colour tints.
The lenses are made in a California lab, then fitted into the frame of your choice by a local optician.
Adel Francis, who opened the Ottawa Irlen Centre in 1993, sees an
average 25 patients referred to her each month. One of three Irlen
diagnosticians in Canada, she sees both children and adults, though the
majority of her cases are school children.
"Grade 3" she explains "is when the symptoms of Irlen Syndrome begin to
show, the time when reading takes on a more important role in classroom
work."
Parents who bring their children
to Ms. Francis often do so with some skepticism, unsure what Irlen
Syndrome is or how coloured lenses might help. As Ms. Francis calmly
works with the child, skepticism quickly turns to curiosity and finally
to amazement as the child responds to different combinations of filters
and begins to read, not only with fluency but with delight.
Ms. Francis is unable to help all those who are referred to her, but
the Irlen filters do result in success for about 70 per cent of her
clients.
The cost can be significant.
The initial screening is $150. The diagnostic testing is $300 and the
Irlen lenses are $200. Then there is the cost of the frames, which can
easily run another $100. These costs are not covered by Ontario health
insurance or by private insurance plans.
But families who have reaped the benefits say it is money well spent.
For some who can't afford the cost, Ms. Francis may be able to help
find financial assistance through local service clubs and Ottawa Social
Services.
The Irlen Centre is at 200 First Ave., Ottawa. For more information, call 230-3995.
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Irlen Syndrome Warning Signs:
Reading behaviour
Does your child
- avoid reading?
- dislike reading?
- prefer reading under dim lights?
- have difficulty understanding what he is reading?
When reading out loud, does your child
- read word by word, or even by parts of a word, if the word is a long one?
- read slowly and with hesitation?
- misread words , skip words or reread words and lines?
- confuse letters that look similar?
While reading, does your child complain that
- the print seems to move or even disappear?
- the print is blurry or fuzzy ?
- the page seems too bright or glary ?
- he has headaches, sore or watery eyes
Body Language
Does your child
- move around trying to find a comfortable position?
- shade eyes to help eliminate glare ?
- move her head across the page as she reads?
- use a finger to mark his place on the page?
- blink a lot, squint, open her eyes wide, rub her eyes?
- vary his distance from the page?
- become sleepy while reading?
- become restless and loose concentration?
- have a short attention span and take frequent breaks?
Written Work
Do you see
- an inability to write on the line -- writing uphill and downhill?
- unequal spacing?
- errors in copying?
- inconsistent spelling of the same word?
- misaligned numbers in columns?
Gross Motor Skills
Does your child show
- poor co-ordination?
- problems with balance?
- difficulty catching a ball?
- difficulty judging distances?
- poor depth perception?
- problems using escalators and stairs?
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