The 12th Irlen International Conference is this summer in Houston, Texas! Mark your calendars and make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity to connect with Irlen professionals and researchers, and connect with others who have Irlen Syndrome from around the globe. Members of the general public, including parents, educators, occupational therapists, psychologists, optometrists, and medical professionals are invited to attend the conference July 11-12, 2015.

Please be sure to visit the conference webpage for an upcoming list of conference events and speakers, and for additional information about conference registration and the Houston area.

Not all colors are created equal.

This is a simple statement, but very true when it comes to what makes Irlen Spectral Filters and Colored Overlays different from other available colored glasses and overlays. Irlen® is the original creator of color treatments for perceptual processing difficulties, and the Irlen Method is back by over 30 years of scientific research.

It’s all about the method.

There are other places to obtain colored lenses or overlays, but the reason Irlen works as well as it does isn’t because of the color, it’s because of the method used to determine what color you need. At Irlen, one thing we know is that people aren’t very good at picking their own color, they almost always choose wrong. With over 100,000 possible custom colors, the key to our method is individualized, precision tinting, and our in-depth diagnostic protocol ensures that you end up with the specific color your brain needs. Just because someone says they can help Irlen Syndrome, doesn’t mean they use the Irlen Method or offer Irlen Spectral Filters. Make sure you know what method of color selection is taking place.

You should wear them all the time, not just for reading.

Because our Irlen Spectral Filters are fine-tuned for your individual brain, they are meant to be worn all the time. Think about it, any time our eyes are open they are taking in visual information. If your brain is sensitive to light, it will be under stress whenever your eyes are open, not just when you read. Irlen Spectral Filters protect your brain all day long and even at night. Irlen color helps with depth perception, night driving, sports performance, attention and concentration, and overall neurological functioning that can impact your immune system, balance, and even sleep patterns. The Irlen Method also ensures that your Spectral Filters will work in all types of lighting conditions (i.e., bright light, dim light, sunlight, fluorescent lights). We want your brain protected all the time, and we systematically address these different conditions.

Colors will look normal.

The Irlen Method ensures that our Spectral Filters only remove the specific wavelength of light causing your brain difficulty. As a result, when you look through Irlen Spectral Filters, you won’t see any color. That’s right, white will look white, red will look red, all colors will look the way they should. Your world will not be tinted and things won’t look dark like sunglasses. This the Irlen way.

Your overlay color and your glasses will not be the same.

Just because you like a blue overlay, doesn’t mean you should go get a pair of blue glasses. In fact, we strongly caution you NOT to do this.  Our research shows that the preferred overlay color is never the same as the color needed in Irlen Spectral Filters. Inaccurate color selection can result in headaches, eye strain, and fragmented brain processing resulting in more distortions and reading problems.

Only individuals certified in The Irlen Method can provide Irlen Spectral Filters.

Make sure you get the best care possible. For a certified Irlen specialist near you, visit www.irlen.com.

We’ve been talking a lot lately about all the work Irlen is doing with US military and veteran TBI victims, and you might wonder why. Well, a US Marine who suffers a combat-related brain injury is no different than a 5th grader who gets a concussion on the soccer field, or a father of 5 whose head hits the dashboard during a car accident. Traumatic brain injury, concussion and whiplash affect thousands and thousands of people, and the lingering effects can be devastating. Some people recover without any lingering effects, but many more suffer months or years of symptoms such as light sensitivity, headaches, migraines, reading problems, and issues with general perception that just won’t go away no matter how many different treatments or medications they try.

Not everyone who suffers a head injury will end up acquiring symptoms of Irlen Syndrome, but preliminary research on TBI victims suggests that 30% are good candidates for Irlen Spectral Filters. Key criteria for being an Irlen candidate after brain injury, concussion or whiplash include: light sensitivity, regular headaches and/or migraines, and reading and other perceptual issues.

Education has recognized the difficulties returning to the classroom that many children experience after suffering a head injury or concussion. They have implemented a Return to Learn protocol to try and help teachers and parents understand the need for a slow and step-wise re-integration into classroom environments and academic workloads. But they have yet to understand how colored lenses can reduce stress on the brain for some of these victims, eliminate their difficulties with light sensitivity and headaches or migraines, improve their reading and academic abilities, and allow them to return to much of the life they had before their injury. Irlen Spectral Filters are doing that for our head injury clients, whether they are military, professional athlete, student, or adult accident victim.

Helen Irlen recently came out with a new book on Irlen and Sports Concussion called, Sports Concussion and Getting Back in the Game of Life, which details how The Irlen Method can help with symptoms of Irlen Syndrome acquired after head injury. It’s a playbook for parents, coaches, and anyone else interacting with children and adults who have lingering symptoms after a concussion.

So why all this talk about the military? Because TBI is the most prolific injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has left hundreds-of-thousands of service men and women struggling. This allowed us to gather data on hundreds of TBI sufferers that we could analyze, and it allowed us to translate those research results to the rest of the TBI population. We found a great partner in this mission with Semper Fi Fund, who has been instrumental in providing Irlen Spectral Filters for all qualifying members of the armed forces. And because of this joint effort, we have been able to solidify Irlen Spectal Filters a viable tool to address some of the lingering effects of TBI, concussion and whiplash.

You can help our war heroes who have come home with beaten and battered brains too by supporting the Semper Fi Fund and specifying that your donation be used specifically for “Assistance – Irlen Spectral Filters.”

For more information about Irlen Spectral Filters and head injury, click HERE.

Dyslexia isn’t related to eyesight. Didn’t we already know that? We felt compelled to write a post that directly addresses some new research that came out in the United Kingdom and was subsequently reported by the BBC this week, causing a firestorm of supposed ah-ha moments and subsequent mudslinging. If you’re in the United Kingdom, you couldn’t have missed it, as it was all over the BBC, its affiliates, and a variety of other media outlets that picked up the story. If you live elsewhere in the world, you may not have heard yet, so let us enlighten you…

“Teams from Bristol and Newcastle universities carried out eye tests on more than 5,800 children and did not find any differences in the vision of those with dyslexia.” (BBC)

That’s right, dyslexia doesn’t have anything to do with the eyes. Big news right? Well, we’re not exactly sure why researchers thought dyslexia ever had anything to do with the eyes in the first place, given the current definition of dyslexia as “problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words” (Mayo Clinic). The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as a language problem, not an eyesight problem, specifying that it is “a deficit in the phonological component of language.” But nonetheless, these researchers have confirmed that the reading problems associated with dyslexia have nothing to do with eyesight.

We actually have no problem with this finding, and wholeheartedly agree, yes, dyslexia has nothing to do with poor eyesight. However, the authors of this study have made an erroneous leap (as well as a few mistaken assumptions) when they go on to suggest, “This raises doubts about the value of using coloured overlays or lenses to help dyslexic children with reading.” First, they fail to recognize that colored overlays and lenses are used to address a sensory modulation disorder known as Irlen Syndrome, not dyslexia. With Irlen Syndrome, the brain has difficulty processing the visual information it receives. They eyes work just fine, it’s the brain that has the issue and isn’t functioning properly.

Second, while it is true that a large number of individuals with reading problems that have been diagnosed as dyslexia can be helped with colored overlays and lenses, this is not because color can help dyslexia. Rather, it is because the reading problems these individuals experience have been misdiagnosed as dyslexia when in fact they are actually a result of Irlen Syndrome. It is also possible for someone to have both dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome, in which case color would help with the Irlen Syndrome but not the dyslexia, which would require different types of intervention. The important distinction here is that colored overlays and lenses will not help an individual who has only dyslexia as defined by the current parameters as a language problem related to phonological processing and connections with the written word. So, no, colored overlays and lenses will not help someone who suffers from dyslexia – technically, this is a very true statement.

Third, just because color is worn as glasses does not mean that the dysfunctional anatomy it is intended to correct are the eyes. In the United Kingdom, many Optometrists provide colored lenses to their patients. Optometrists are eyecare professionals, and their expertise is related to eyesight. It is understandable therefore that the British authors of this study would wrongly assume that because color is often prescribed by professionals who usually address eyesight problems, color is intended to correct an issue with the eyes. This interpretation is completely wrong. Colored lenses filter out specific wavelengths of light that create stress on the brain for individuals with Irlen Syndrome. In filtering out these wavelengths of light, they alter the timing at which visual information reaches the brain in a way that allows the brain of someone with Irlen Syndrome to correctly process that information. Color impacts how the brain works, not how the eyes work. Numerous brain imaging studies have shown the normalization of brain function when colored lenses are worn during visually intensive activities, and the most recent fMRI study concluded that the changes in brain function observed directly correspond to improvements in reading (Kim, Seo, Ha, & Kim, 2015).

Certified Irlen practitioners understand the neurology behind the difficulties associated with Irlen Syndrome. They work in conjunction with eyecare professionals who separately address any underlying eyesight issues before tackling the neurological challenges causing the disturbances associated with Irlen Syndrome. The use of color to successfully address the symptoms and challenges related to Irlen Syndrome has been repeatedly documented in literature, and has been confirmed through a variety of brain imaging techniques. We agree that dyslexia has nothing to do with eyesight, but we wish the authors had known a little bit more about why and how color was being used with individuals who suffer from reading problems before claiming that color should not be used to address reading problems.

For more information about Irlen Syndrome, colored overlays, and spectral filters visit www.irlen.com.

Irlen® is proud to announce the new Colored Overlay App for Android phones and tablets. As the originator and world leader in using color to reduce strain and fatigue when reading or working on computer or other screen devices, it was only a matter of time before we brought our evidence-based technology to the digital screen. Irlen Colored Overlays for Android can increase your comfort, fluency and accuracy when reading, and allow you to read and work on your device for longer periods of time without strain or fatigue. This App brings our proprietary technology directly to your Android smartphone and tablet, where you need it most. It allows you to select from 10 preset Irlen Overlay colors, or create your own custom color, and then apply your color to the screen of your device. Your chosen color will overlay your screen no matter what other application you are using, reducing eyestrain and discomfort whenever you are using your device. Whether you are reading email, surfing the Internet, paying bills, or shopping on Amazon, your Irlen Overlay will always be on, making your task easier and more comfortable.

Our Colored Overlay App is easy to use and provides the same benefits as the Irlen Colored Overlays you use for books and paper. Simply turn on the app, select your color, adjust the density using the slider, and apply it to your device. The App will remember and automatically reapply your chosen Overlay even when you shut down and restart your device. If you want to change your color, or remove your overlay altogether, simply go back into the App at any time and make changes or turn it off.

More than 15% of the population suffers from a sensory modulation disorder that makes it difficult to process visual information. Irlen Colored Overlays reduce stress on the brain and allow it to process written information correctly, eliminating discomfort and distortions. By reducing contrast on the printed page, Irlen Colored Overlays can improve print clarity and stability, reduce strain and fatigue, eliminate headaches, improve comprehension, make reading faster, and allow you to read longer and with comfort. Irlen color technology is backed by over 30 years of research and is used by millions of children and adults around the world. For more information on the Irlen Method, visit www.irlen.com.

The 12th Irlen International Conference has just come to a close, and boy, did we learn a lot!

Helen Irlen kicked off the five day event in Houston, Texas with two days of master training for Irlen Diagnosticians from around the world. Updating them on the latest diagnostic protocols and testing techniques, Irlen revealed what makes the Irlen Method unique and successful – tailored procedures for different populations of sufferers, from severe clients to head injury patients to non-verbal autistic children. Day 3 of the conference opened up to Irlen Screeners, as well as the general public and started with a general address by Helen Irlen, followed by a keynote speech by Ricardo Guimaraes, MD, PhD, from Brazil. Dr. Guimaraes is a board certified ophthalmologist and founder and Director of the Hospital de Olhos in Minas Garais Brazil, the largest individual private eye clinics in Brazil. Dr. Guimaraes is also Assistant Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) and Director of the International Club of Surgery. He educated an audience of nearly 200 about the visual pathway and explained the difference between sight and vision.

“Vision is a dynamic process that involves how your brain interprets visual signals. It takes into account what you see, when you see it, and where you see it.”

 – Ricardo Guimaraes, MD, PhD

In contrast, sight is only about visual acuity and is what your optometrist checks (i.e., can you see this letter?). From his perspective as an opthalmologist, Dr. Guimaraes was able to explain to attendees why most eyecare professionals have a difficult time understanding Irlen – because it involves a brain process and part of the visual pathway that eyecare professionals are not trained to evaluate.

Neuroscientist, Jeffrey Lewine PhD, Professor of Translational Neuroscience and Director of Business Development at the Mind Research Network was up next. Dr. Lewine shared the research he has conducted on individuals with Irlen Syndrome, using MEG brain imaging technology to uncover abnormal brain function in the visual cortex that is successfully normalized with the use of Irlen Spectral Filters. While only a small part of his overall presentation, this finding is crucial in taking us one step closer to understanding what is causing the variety of symptoms that manifest in individuals with Irlen Syndrome. Dr. Lewine said that his findings have led him to a hypothesis that the key dysfunction in the brains of individuals with Irlen Syndrome is actually in how the two visual systems, the Magnocellular and Parvocellular, work together, and not actually anything wrong with either system independently.

The third keynote speaker, Marcia Reis Guimaraes, MD, PhD, is an ophthalmologist and eye pathologist with an educational background in molecular biology and basic sciences. She is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Embryology and Pathology at the Universidade de Sao Paulo and Universidade Pitagoras and invited professor of several universities throughout Brazil. Dr. Guimaraes shared how her team of researchers has been using objective medical tests, looking at eye saccades and fixation, to differentiate between Irlen Syndrome and co-existing neurovisual factors. The results of her research offer concrete evidence that symptoms of Irlen Syndrome are not simply unresolved binoccular and accommodative anomalies, and offer strong support for the success at Irlen Spectral Filters to alleviate these symptoms, as measured by objective medical tests.

Wrapping up the full day of keynote speakers, were Helen L. Irlen, MA, BCPC, LMFT and Sandra I. Tosta, PhD who discussed the acquisition of Irlen symptoms after brain injury and concussion. The pair shared the research they have been doing on United States military TBI suffers experiencing medically resistant headaches, migraines and photophobia. This research revealed that, among other things, migraine frequency was reduced from an average of 22 migraines per month to less than one migraine per month with the use of Irlen Spectral Filters. This research reveals Irlen Spectral Filters as an extremely promising intervention for some of the lingering symptoms of brain injury and concussion.

The following two days of the conference were filled with presentations of new and cutting-edge research from all over the world. Researchers in Japan discussed the connection between Irlen Syndrome and quality of life. Israel produced promise of a differential diagnosis for Irlen and ADHD, to successfully determine whether medication or Irlen Spectral Filters are the proper intervention. There was research from Ecuador confirming the incidence of severe Irlen Syndrome as being 25% in that country. A team of psychologists explained how Irlen Syndrome can lead to misdiagnosis of anxiety, and how by calming the brain and the visual world with Irlen Spectral Filters, symptoms of anxiety can be improved. Educators explained the impact of Irlen Syndrome on math education, and introduced preliminary results from an ongoing school district study in Mississippi where the implementation of Irlen Screening and the use of Irlen Colored Overlays has already resulted in reading performance growth that is double for students using overlays vs. those who didn’t. We learned about Brain Gym exercises and standardized ways to discuss symptoms and observations of Irlen Syndrome that allow for successful exchanges with professionals from other disciplines. And, there was an entire presentation on Apps with useful applications for individuals with Irlen syndrome.

Above all else, the conference offered an opportunity for Irlen professionals from around the world to come together and share best practices. The conference was attended by individuals from a variety of countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and of course, the United States. It was inspirational, motivational, invigorating, and educational, and we all look forward to the next Irlen International Conference to be held in 2018!

The start of a new school year brings with it anticipation and excitement. Kids everywhere are shouting, “Who will my teacher be? What friends will be in my class? What should I wear on the first day of school?!” But the first day of school can also bring apprehension, resistance, and trepidation. “What if no one likes me? What if my teacher is mean? What if I can’t do the work? What if I’m not smart enough?” All reasonable thoughts for kids to have before the big day, and most of us parents find it our job to reassure our children and model an ample level of joy and excitement about what tomorrow will bring. But one thing this writer wasn’t counting on, was exactly what happens during that crucial transition from 2nd to 3rd grade. All of a sudden picture books magically disappear and are replaced by chapter books with pages upon pages of print, and what’s worse, is it my imagination, or did the print suddenly get a lot smaller too? And wait, now you want my child to participate in standardized district-wide testing? And, am I hearing this correctly, if my child isn’t reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, she won’t move on to 4th grade? Wait, WHAT?!!!

That’s a lot of pressure to put on kids (and parents) in 3rd grade. It also happens to be when a lot of the warning signs for Irlen Syndrome will start to appear. The child that was happy to read with you when those lovely picture books had colorful backgrounds and only a few lines of print on a page starts to complain about or avoid reading. Homework suddenly becomes a struggle. Headaches start. Your happy and energetic kid is now exhausted after a day at school. He comes home complaining of stomachaches or headaches. Reading or homework is now a battle. It makes perfect sense if you think about it. In the transition to 3rd grade, the demands on kids increase dramatically — demands for sustained attention, an increase in workload, an increase in the amount of reading required, and…wait for it…performance starts to really matter. If you live where I live, you know that schools pride themselves on their standardized test scores. In fact, the school where my kids go tells parents that kids are falling behind and need extra help if they “only” perform at grade level (since they expect all students to perform several grades above).

All of these changes make for the perfect storm and that’s why right around 3rd grade is when signs and symptoms of Irlen Syndrome can start to become apparent. So, as a parent, what should you do? First, know the signs. It sounds simple, but it’s true. No one at your child’s school is looking for Irlen Syndrome (most educators have never heard of it), so you’ll have to be your child’s advocate. If you suspect Irlen Syndrome, don’t worry, it’s one of the easiest academic challenges to identify and correct. Take a self-test at www.irlen.com to determine whether you child might be a candidate. The next steps are up to you. You can move forward with a formal screening for Irlen Syndrome by a certified Irlen Screener or Diagnostician, or you can try a few more things at home first. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you know that your child’s struggle is real, and things are only going to get worse with with time. If the increase in demands on kids in 3rd grade is enough to bring out signs of Irlen Syndrome, you can bet that the increase in demands when they get to high school or college might be enough to break them altogether. We’ve helped hundreds-of-thousands of kids at the Irlen Institute, and we know a few things to be very true: 1) You don’t grow out of Irlen Syndrome, 2) School just gets harder with each passing year, 3) Individuals who aren’t identified with Irlen Syndrome until they are adults harbor a great deal of anger about why they had to struggle for so long and a lifetime of self-esteem issues from being told they were dumb or lazy throughout their academic careers. So, know the signs and address Irlen Syndrome when it first appears.

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO

1. Know The Signs:
   
   
2. Take A Self-Test: 

3. Get A Formal Irlen Screening:

    

4. Things To Try At Home:
   While none of these suggestions can replace a formal Irlen Screening, they may help you determine whether color might make a difference for your child. Proper color selection requires an extensive diagnostic process by a trained Irlen professional, and only the precise color selection will result in elimination of all of your child’s symptoms. However, if any color results in the page being more comfortable or easier to see than a white page of print, it is an indicator that the Irlen Method may help your child.
   1. Use the tool on www.irlen.com to change the background color of the screen
   2. Photocopy work onto different colored paper and let your child pick the one he likes best
   3. Change the lighting from fluorescent to natural or incandescent lighting
   4. Download the Irlen Colored Overlay App to your Android phone or tablet and explore whether color can help
   5. Try Irlen Overlays to see if any seem to help

Are your eyes dry or sensitive to light? Do you have blurred vision or “floaters”? These and other eye problems could be side effects of common medications.

Few people make the connection between changes in their eyes and medications they take—yet the truth is that many prescription and over-the-counter drugs cause ocular side effects. Here are common symptoms and the drugs that could be causing them…

Important: Contact your physician (eye doctor or primary care) if you have any of these symptoms. Most are not dangerous, and minor eye problems may be a reasonable trade-off for a potentially lifesaving drug. Always bring with you to the doctor a complete list of the medications you take—prescription and over-the-counter—and the doses. Stopping the medications can reverse the symptoms in many cases.

Abnormalities in pupil size. Discrepancies in how your pupils react to light (called aniscoria) can be caused by a variety of medications, including Catapres (for hypertension), Donnatal (irritable bowel syndrome/ulcers), Humulin (diabetes) and Tavist (allergies).

If your pupils aren’t always the same size—especially if only one pupil is abnormally enlarged—it’s important to go to the emergency room immediately. The brain controls pupil size, so a disturbance there can cause pupils to be different sizes.

Cataracts. If you live long enough, you eventually will develop cataracts (lenses that have clouded over, making it more difficult to see). Certain drugs may speed the process, ­including ­Coumadin (for heart disease), ­Plaquenil (malaria, rheumatoid arthritis and ­lupus) and most steroids.

Difficulty focusing. The medical term for this condition is “accommodative insufficiency.” It grows more common with age and also is a side ­effect of some medications. These include Adipex (for obesity), Enduron (hypertension), Norpramin (depression) and Xanax (anxiety).

Double or blurred vision. There are many potential causes for seeing double or for vision that suddenly blurs. Medications that can cause this include Adipex (for obesity), Celebrex (inflammation), Lamictal (seizures), Mevacor (elevated cholesterol), Tylenol (pain ­relief) and Zantac (ulcers).

If your blurred or double vision is sudden, severe and unrelenting, go to the emergency room immediately. This visual impairment is not only unsafe (for instance, when you are driving), but it could be a sign of a serious medical problem such as a stroke or brain lesion.

Dry eyes. Many factors (including computer use, wearing contact lenses and allergies) can reduce tear production and cause dry eyes—and so can certain medications, such as Actifed (for allergies), Catapres (hypertension), Detrol (bladder control) and Paxil ­(depression).

Until you see your doctor, self-­treatment options for dry eyes include blinking as often as possible…use of artificial tear solutions (available in drugstores and chain stores)…avoiding irritants, including eye makeup and air pollution…and wearing sunglasses. Or try an oral gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) product such as BioTears.

Eye irritation. Redness in the whites of your eyes or irritations on your eyelids can be caused by medications such as Aricept (taken to improve cognitive loss), Cardizem (heart disease), Enduron (heart disease) and Voltaren (rheumatoid ­arthritis, osteoporosis).

Floaters and other visual disturbances. Flashes of light or color, floaters and other visual disturbances can occur for a host of reasons, including as a side effect of a drug. Medications linked to visual disturbances include Benadryl (for allergies), Cardizem (heart disease), Elavil (depression) and Xanax (anxiety).

The causes of visual disturbances can range from inconsequential to potentially serious, so they should be checked out by your eye doctor as quickly as possible. This is especially true if you suddenly see flashes of light or if numerous new floaters appear—that could be a sign of a retinal detachment.

Light sensitivity. Though there are other possible causes, light sensitivity may be a side effect of drugs (including recreational drugs such as ­cocaine and amphetamines). Drugs linked with light sensitivity include ­Diabinese (for diabetes), Dilantin (epilepsy), Lipitor (high cholesterol/heart disease), Pepcid (gastric ulcers) and Viagra (erectile dysfunction). If light sensitivity is severe and your pupils are enlarged—especially if only one pupil is enlarged—go to the ER. It could be a sign of stroke or a brain tumor.

Yellowed eyes. Several conditions can cause the white parts of the eye to turn yellow, including illness, sun exposure and drugs such as Diabinese (for diabetes), Elavil (depression) and Librium (anxiety). Yellowing may be a sign of cirrhosis or hepatitis. It is important to see your doctor quickly to have this checked out.

Source: Jeffrey R. Anshel, OD, optometrist and founder of Corporate ­Vision Consulting, which addresses visual demands in the workplace. He has written six books on computer vision concerns and nutritional ­influences on vision, the latest being The Ocular Nutrition Handbook. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and founder and past president of the Ocular Nutrition Society. He maintains a private practice in Encinitas, California.

This guest blog post is written mom, physician, and philanthropist, Dr. Elizabeth Turner. Dr. Turner has two Irlen children whose lives were changed by Irlen Spectral Filters and who have created a way to help others by paying it forward with their new charity, KidScholly. This is their story…

I am the lucky mom of two amazing kids who have had their share of challenges and have come to the other side, in large part due to Irlen filters.

In 2^nd grade, my daughter was reading on the kindergarten level and had learned to avoid reading by giving what I thought were excuses like headaches, upset stomach, and tired eyes. My once sweet, outgoing toddler had become an anxious gradeschooler, biting her fingernails bloody, and crying on the way to the bus stop every morning.  She was clearly internalizing her school failures and quickly losing self-confidence.  As a parent of a really neat kid, it was painful to see her spirit die in little pieces every day and not to be able to figure out the issue.  Yes, she was dyslexic, but there was something more going on that numerous experts and thousands of dollars hadn’t figured out.

At a party for a friends’ birthday, I was lamenting our battle with the school district and commiserating with another mother who had been through it all with her dyslexic child years before.  Then came the moment that changed our lives.

The woman asked if my daughter had been screened for Irlen Syndrome. Never in my four years in medical school, pediatrics rotations, ophthalmology rotations, and in 10 years of medical practice had I ever heard those words.

I was at the point of wanting to try anything that would help give my child back to me from the very lonely and frustrated place she had sequestered herself, so I got online that night, and called for an appointment the next day.

Our evaluation day was an unforgettable day.   During the evaluation, I swear I saw her change back to the daughter we knew before she realized that she was behind everyone else in reading.  She giggled, and smiled, and was wiggling in her seat with joy to be able to see the page clearly without words and numbers doubling and moving.  She stopped rubbing her eyes. She wanted to read more.  In the initial evaluation, she was given a math problem without the filters, and read it aloud as “3,3,6,6,9,9.”  After putting on the filters, she said, “Oh!  3+6=9!”    She hadn’t seen the + or = sign at all without the filters.  Not only was her vision immediately clear, so was our understanding of why our wickedly smart girl previously couldn’t do simple math or remember sight words.

The first night she had her filters, she asked to read at bedtime, and of course we were thrilled to let her stay up late.  That night she read and understood an entire chapter book.  She volunteered to read aloud to her class a book about her “magic glasses” so they would understand the peach colored lenses she was wearing.  Let me repeat that…She volunteered to read to hear class.  After two months, her reading level improved to the third grade level, and she was still in second grade.  She was happy, smiling, confident, and relaxed for the first time in three years, and we were immensely relieved and grateful.

The following year, our first grade son complained that the words on his page were sinking into the page and disappearing, and we knew what to do.  He was reading on the early kindergarten level, but after getting his filters, he won the reading award for his class at the end of the year graduation ceremony.  Our son is a tough, sporty, and very athletic 3^rd grader, but he refuses to go to school without his Irlen glasses for fear of headaches and embarrassment about his lack of reading fluency when not wearing them.

About six months ago, my husband and I gave $150 to each of the kids for their baptism and asked them to find a way to grow the money and to give it back to someone who needed it more than they did.  After a few nights of discussion and brainstorming, the kids decided they wanted to make sure that every child who needed Irlen filters had the opportunity to be screened and fitted for them.  Since the amount we gave them wouldn’t begin to accomplish that feat, we built a website and filed papers to start a non-profit called KidScholly.  Now, we give scholarships to kids K-12 for arts, academics, and athletics that they otherwise would not be able to afford.  Applicants earn their scholarships through community service work, and they feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride in the process.  KidScholly partners with vendors and agencies to bring more affordable opportunities to the applicants, and we are incredibly lucky to have developed such a relationship with the Irlen Institute.  KidScholly has relied entirely on the generosity of donors for our initial funding.  After only three months, we have been able to fund 25 scholarships worth more than $10,000, and the applications keep coming in.  Three of our scholarship recipients initially applied for after school tutoring, but we asked them first to take the quiz on the Irlen website.  All three screened very strongly for Irlen Syndrome and are now being fitted with filters.  From our personal experience, we know that this is a much better use of KidScholly’s funds than more sure to be futile tutoring .

A fitting ending to this story is to share a poignant letter that I received from the parents of two of our scholarship recipients who each completed 25 hours of volunteerism to earn their Irlen filters.   You can’t even imagine how thrilled my kids were to know and really, truly understand how huge of a gift they have been able to give this family, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership with the Irlen Institute.

Liz Turner, MD
KidScholly President

From KidScholly scholarship awardee parents, Monica and Stark Jones:

“What a privilege to feel REJUVENATED.  Joseph Campbell, a mythologist, states, “The privilege of a life time is to be who you are.” Thanks to KidScholly and Irlen Institute our kids can be who they are and gone are the days of:  1) 1500 hours of reading in front of a bathroom mirror, 2)  500 computer hours logged using various reading software, 3)  reading over 150 books, 4)  2 hour study sessions Monday – Friday, 5)  reviewing spelling words 5 and 6 times per week,  6)  101 lectures on work ethic, 7)   attending summer school since 2nd grade, 8)  cross town weekly trips to reading specialist, 9)  changing to Private School, 10)  ADHD medication, 11)  telling teachers to give extra homework, 12)  removing TV from your room, 13)  planning your weekend to do extra reading, 14)  not letting you go over your friends house, 15)  missing recreation football and basketball seasons, 16) missed vacations to save money, 17)   not believing your symptoms like headaches, fatigue, stress…,  18)  raising our voice to make you concentrate, and 19)  making you cry.

As your parents, we now understand your frustration with reading and understand your voyage to read has been different from others.  We finally “get it” after four long years of hard work and determination.  Your Individual Education Plan (IEP) of repetition coupled with long reading hours was beginning to take a toll on us and especially you.  Thank God for the Irlen Institute for developing this visual processing technology.   The Irlen Diagnostic Specialist showed us in over two hours what our kids were seeing when they read.  Difficulties with visual processing affected how visual information is interpreted or processed by the brain focusing on the ability to read fluently with comprehension.

After applying the Irlen filters it was very rejuvenating to see our children speed read letters, words, and comprehend stories.  These filters are a magical mystery.  I could not believe our children’s eyes did not turn red, they did not complain of headaches, or have reading fatigue.  They continued to read paragraph after paragraph and page after page.  This was our greatest solace watching our children read with confidence, fluency, and understanding.

My wife and I deeply appreciate KidScholly for assisting us financially and the Irlen Institute for rejuvenating us and helping our children be who they are through the power of a lens.”

ISAW 2015 was a raging success, with participation from 6 continents and thousands of people! Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to help spread the word about Irlen Syndrome by planning and executing events, activities, and opportunities to get involved all over the world. Thank you to all the fierce Irlen advocates, parents, children, educators, and healthcare providers who spoke about Irlen to anyone willing to listen, who shared information, personal experiences, and resources with the general public to help them learn more! You all helped make ISAW 2015 the best awareness week on record, and we look forward to what next year can bring. Below is a small summary of some of the things that took place during ISAW 2015 around the world.

The Irlen Syndrome Foundation‘s Irlen Infographic went viral! It was seen by more than 25,000 people in just a matter of days. If you missed it, make sure you have a look. (Click image to view)

We Turned Out The Lights in 30 countries and 6 continents! Office buildings, classrooms, and homes went dark in support of people with Irlen Syndrome, and our heatmap shows you where people were when the turned out the lights. (Click image to view)

Celebrity Supporters

Lucy Lawless, who was “Xena: Warrior Princess” which ran for 134 episodes from 1995 to 2001, is a loyal Irlen supporter. We would like to send a very special thank you to Lucy for her multiple posts about the Irlen Method and her personal experience on Twitter. Her Twitter postings created many retweets, spreading the word about Irlen during Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week.

We would also like to thank Paddy Considine, English actor, film director, screenwriter, and musician for his tweets about Irlen during Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week. Paddy has been a loyal advocate for the Irlen Method, sharing his story about his changes wearing his Irlen Spectral Filters.

International Headquarters

The Irlen Institute was very busy during Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week. The Irlen Institute started Awareness Week by collaborating with Barnes and Noble during their local educator appreciation day by presenting and signing books. The event was publicized to local educators, and over 100 educators joined Helen Irlen and the Irlen Syndrome Foundation to learn about how Irlen Syndrome impacts students and classrooms.

The Mayor of Long Beach presented a proclamation to the Irlen Syndrome Foundation on Monday. The proclamation recognizes International Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week which highlights the importance and ease of correctly identifying and addressing Irlen Syndrome.

On Wednesday Helen Irlen attended an evening meeting at the Amen Clinic and introduced a new self-test to the doctors, psychologists, and allied health professionals gathered. The new self-test is an important step in educating psychiatrists, psychologists, and other health professionals that correct identification and correction using Irlen Spectral Filters is helpful to many presently being diagnosed with anxiety disorder, depression, and other related conditions.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Helen manned a booth at the Bulletproof Conference. The conference was bigger and better than last year, attracting biohackers from around the world who are looking for ways to improve their physical and mental performance. Irlen Spectral Filters are able to make your brain the best it can be while unlocking your true potential and upgrading your performance. The booth attracted so much interest that we ended up doing mini-screenings for 200 adults during the three days.  This is not just a wonderful conference but also an exciting venue for Irlen.

Sandy Tosta left Helen at Bulletproof to spend the weekend at Cornell University to discuss collaborative research with Cornell neuroscientists who have expressed an interest in looking at the brains of military personnel with TBIs.

Mississippi, USA:  From Sherry Ponder, PhD, Irlen Screener in Mississippi: “Hi ya’ll, Happy Irlen Awareness Week!!! I am proud to send the Governor’s Proclamation declaring this week Irlen Awareness Week in the State of Mississippi. And First Lady and the Governor send their best regards to Helen. Gov. Bryant will be speaking on Friday at a Dyslexia Conference in Jackson and will include Irlen Syndrome and the proclamation in his remarks. I am presenting at the ADHD conference in Hattiesburg. I am doing the Bay/Waveland Schools Irlen Study presentation done at the Irlen International Conference. I will also be sharing progress this year on our training nine screeners in August in our schools. Those nine are your first toward the 100 goal. Things are getting brighter here in Mississippi during Irlen Awareness Week!!!!”

California, USA: The Beta Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG), whose membership consists of women educators for excellence in education, had a fund raiser to benefit children in Southern California who have learning disabilities caused by visual-perceptual problems. The money will be used by Delta Kappa Gamma to provide funding for testing and colored overlays and Irlen Spectral Filters. As an Irlen Awareness Week activity, all money raised was matched by Helen Irlen.

Alberta, Canada: From Nola Stigings, Irlen Director in Alberta: “We kicked off Irlen Awareness week with Irlen screener training all weekend – four new enthusiastic screeners out in the world today sharing the news in their communities. Tomorrow we have a group meeting with the Mayor of the city of Red Deer to see the ISAW proclamation signed. Also, the Mayor of the city of Medicine Hat is signing a proclamation tomorrow. I have several of my clients presenting the ‘Color is In’ powerpoint in their schools this week. We have several ‘free mini-screening’ sessions scheduled throughout the week across Central and Southern Alberta.”

Egypt: Irlen Director Rasha Anwar had a very busy 10 days during Awareness Week, which included a run down the Nile river, and being featured on multiple TV shows, but the major event was their second Irlen Syndrome awareness conference titled “Irlen Method – A Part of an Integrated System for a Better Life”. It was a great success in all aspects, very professional speakers, so interested and interactive education and special needs specialized audience, and fruitful outcomes with synergy potential between all parties. Keynote speakers were professors in pediatric neurology, pediatric ophthalmology, audiology, and special education. The conference was hosted by Maghrabi Foundation, which is a group of companies including the biggest eye hospital in the Middle East.

Amman, Jordan: In September, Saheer Shakhshir, Irlen Director in Jordan, translated the Parent & Educator Toolkits into Arabic. Three of the Jordan screeners, along with Saheer, undertook this huge task of translating the two Toolkits. During Awareness Week, there were lectures in six schools, three universities, two educational centers, and for charity associations. Each screener was in charge of turning out the lights in her school.
Saheer is a member of the Toastmasters Club, and last month she was a speaker and talked about Irlen Syndrome. The General Academic Supervisor for the Modern School in Saudi Arabia came to Amman, Jordan, and made an appointment with Saheer on October 11. She was introduced to Irlen Syndrome and how the Irlen Center in Jordan runs.

Mexico. Ana Lucila, Irlen Director in Mexico, circulated the new Irlen Infographic through her contacts and on social media.

Channel Islands.  Jean Felton, Irlen Director in Channel Islands, had a fun event on Jersey Island for families who have Irlen Syndrome. Pizza Express hosted a party for 45 adults and children with face painting and the Storm Troopers arriving. They also had a raffle to help fund lenses for those who cannot afford them.

California, USA. From Susan Hughes, Irlen Director in California, had a “Roll Ride & Spin” Saturday at One-Mile Recreation Area at Bidwell Park, California, to benefit people with Irlen Syndrome. In the Chico area, six children and one adult are wearing the lenses because of lab fee awards following a Readathon in April. People participated in the Roll Ride & Spin event with scooters, skates, bicycles, wheelchairs and strollers. Participants decorated their wheels and dressed in purple.

Texas, USA.  Irlen Director Julie Yaxley arranged an event at the Krist Samaritan Center in Houston on Saturday, October 17, and launched the clinic’s new interactive website www.yaxley-irlen.com. Julie also introduced some novel tasks to help people determine if color is helpful. The first involves changing the background color so young children can find if objects hidden on the page can be identified easier. The second involves covering half of a page of text with different colors so when reading across people can judge if reading becomes more fluent. Please feel free to link to her site if any of these items would prove beneficial to you (or your practice) and help spread awareness.

Athens, Greece.  From Evaggelos Bochatziar, Irlen Director in Greece: “I would like to inform you that on the 31^st of October the 5th Panhellenic Day of Learning Difficulties will be held in Athens. An important part of it will be devoted to Irlen Syndrome – Irlen Awareness Week and its symptoms. Also, I am going to present, as the main presenter, Irlen Syndrome in different areas; for example, Irlen and math, Irlen and depth perception, Irlen and pronunciation in reading, Irlen and headaches, Irlen and dysgraphia, Irlen and reading accuracy and speed. All of these categorized sections will be presented with videos as well. Good luck to the whole world throughout Irlen.”

Colorado, USA.  From Jeannie Dunn, Irlen Director in Colorado: “It’s Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in Grand Junction as declared in a Mayoral Proclamation. I spoke to our City Council, and approximately 50 people in the audience, on October 7 to inform them about Irlen Syndrome. September 26: An Irlen Screener and I were speakers at the Western Colorado Autism Conference and presented a session entitled Irlen Syndrome – a Piece of the Puzzle AND the last week of September, we launched our business website www.learningassociatesgv.com. October 8: I met with Counselors at the Vocational Rehabilitation Office to present information and answer questions about Irlen Syndrome. October 13: I was interviewed on our community radio station about Irlen Syndrome during a noontime program. October 20: Two Irlen Screeners and I coordinated and participated in a community event that we planned and coordinated. The event – Literacy Matters! – was an opportunity for community members to learn about businesses/agencies who promote literacy. This will be an annual event and expand considerably for next year. Also on this day, an Irlen Screener who works as a Student Mentor at Colorado Mesa University set up an information table in the Student Center. She talked to over 40 students to answer their questions about Irlen Syndrome. October 22: An Irlen Screener and I set up an informational table on Irlen Syndrome at a local bookstore located in a prime location downtown. We talked with lots of people who came to the bookstore and many who walked by headed to restaurants or others shops to spread information and answer questions. People put their names and contact information into a basket, and we drew names for free screenings. October 27: My colleagues who are Irlen Screeners and I are participating in the Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase at our city’s convention center and set up a display on Irlen Syndrome. Approximately 1500 community members attend this event each year. We are already planning additional activities for October 2016!”

Illinois, USA. From Julie Yepsen, Irlen Director in Illinois: “Last year, a huge cupcake baking frenzy for educators of an entire school district and a gathering at a local mall were our main events for Irlen Awareness Week. This year, I focused on a different concept. I wanted to involve all clients, screeners, and Facebook contacts to help spread Irlen Syndrome Awareness in simple ways. Because I noticed that screeners in the Midwest were not involved much, if at all, last year, I really wanted to empower them this year. I sent emails to adult clients, parents of clients, and screeners in Wisconsin, Missouri, and Illinois asking they consider supporting our cause. I provided a list of easy options that they might be able to use to help spread the word. Ideas were as simple as showing a friend how the Irlen app worked, sending emails with one fact per day, sharing an image or fact on social media about Irlen Syndrome, and talking to a different person each day about personal benefits from using overlays or wearing Irlen Spectral Filters. During ISAW, I posted different facts, links, photos, and videos at least three times per day on FB from my business page that had a mere 72 likes at the time. From that effort alone, FB total posts by others were up 760% from the previous week. Number of people engaged was up 673% from the previous week. Those original 72 likes resulted in contact with people in 24 different countries! The local ABC morning news for Chicago announced our Lights Out event on Tuesday morning. I concluded the week with a screener training class. It included teachers from Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Overall, we had a very successful week here in the Midwest!”

Amman, Jordan. From Taline Najjar, Irlen Director in Jordan: “Very excited about all that is going on for ISAW! What we did here at the Ahliyyah School for Girls is the following:
1. During our morning assemblies at school, a presentation was given to each grade level.
2. All screeners wore a T-shirt that says: “Ask me about Irlen Syndrome.”
3. Rana Shaban, Irlen Director and Head of Elementary School and Al Kashef Center, will give a PYP/IB workshop on November 1 in The Hague, Holland. She will be delivering the school’s experience in applying inclusion and talking more about the services of Al-Kashef Center, one of which is screening and diagnostic testing for Irlen Syndrome.
4. On November 7, a screener and I will be doing a workshop for all parents. It is a two hour workshop only about Irlen Syndrome!”

Maryland, USA: Shoshana Shamberg, Irlen Director in Baltimore, Maryland, kicked off Irlen Awareness Week with a vendor booth the previous Thursday and Friday at the Annual Center for Autism & Related Disorders at the Kennedy Kriger Institute Conference in Baltimore, which was attended by over 250 professionals and parents. Shoshana met with the Director of Therapy Services, Dr Lana Warren, to discuss possible Irlen trainings for her staff and a pilot research project collaboration. Shoshana also met with the Director of Autism Research at Towson University to discuss how to create a sensory smart environment for their research clinic renovation and trainings for staff, as well as a possible collaborative research study. Both were provided research packets on Irlen Syndrome and the Teacher and Parent Toolkits created by the Irlen Syndrome Foundation. Kits were also sent to local private schools, and a mailing was sent to over 3,500 OTs and OTAs licensed in Maryland about Irlen trainings and awareness week. Three presentations are planned for professionals and consumers during Irlen Awareness Week. Press releases and advertising were placed in local publications, and an article was published for a monthly magazine focusing on education this month. And there is more to come in the Mid-Atlantic area of the USA by the Irlen Visual Learning Center and the Amen Clinic of DC in Reston, Virginia.

These are just a few of the many awareness efforts that took place during ISAW 2015. Please share your own ISAW experience with us by posting to our Irlen Awareness Week Facebook Group or on Twitter @SeeIrlen #ISAW2015!

We are excited to be able to bring Irlen technology to the incarcerated population on a large scale. Irlen Syndrome is very prevalent in prison populations, and access to Irlen solutions can have a dramatic impact on these individuals’ futures.”

The Irlen Colored Overlay App will soon be available to incarcerated juveniles and adults across the country, thanks to a new partnership with American Prison Data Systems (APDS). APDS is a Public Benefit Corporation that is bringing tablets built specifically for correctional facilities directly to inmates. With a 1-to-1 tablet-to-inmate ratio, APDS is using technology to help educate inmates and reduce recidivism. A recent article in the International Business Times explains, “The APDS tablets come pre-loaded with a wide variety of educational tools. And rather than charge inmates for the tablets, Grewe and his team are selling directly to the correctional facility. The pitch? It will reduce violence in the jail, and it will ultimately lower the number of repeat offenders.”

What’s most exciting, is that these tablet will also be loaded with the Irlen Colored Overlay App, making the educational content on the devices more accessible to inmates with Irlen Syndrome. A study published in the Journal of Corrections in 2000 concluded, “Up to 80% of inmates suffer from Irlen Syndrome. When given remedial Irlen Colored Overlays, 56% demonstrated considerable reading improvement.” The prison population is at extraordinarily high risk for Irlen Syndrome. If the goal of providing educational and career training materials to inmates is to offer them a way to ensure success on the outside, then increasing access to this material by including the Irlen Colored Overlay App on these devices makes an incredible amount of sense. We’re proud to be a part of this revolutionary new content delivery system.

Reading rate shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all when it comes to determining improvement in reading performance, especially for children with Irlen Syndrome, and here’s why…

Good Reading Is More Than Speed

Many people believe that faster reading means better reading, and many experts will use a measure of reading rate (or speed) to evaluate reading performance. At it’s core, this type of evaluation makes a lot of sense – better readers read faster, and poorer readers read slower. However, reading isn’t just about speed, and that’s why most comprehensive reading assessments take into account comprehension, fluency, and accuracy in addition to reading rate.

• Comprehension: How well you understand what you read
• Fluency: The ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression, phrasing, and intonation
• Accuracy: Reading the words in a selection correctly

People With Irlen Syndrome May Not Show An Immediate Improvement in Reading Rate

Many people have tried to use reading rate as a measure to assess whether Irlen Spectral Filters and Overlays successfully enhance reading performance in individuals with Irlen Syndrome, and sometimes researchers are very disappointed to find that not only is there not an improvement in reading rate, but some readers actually slow down when using their preferred Irlen Colored Overlay. There are several factors that can determine whether reading speed will increase immediately with the use of color:

• Age of child: Young children who lack foundational reading skills will not be able to read faster just because they can now see the words clearly, especially if they do not have a fully developed sight word vocabulary or phonemic awareness.
• Comprehension: Sometimes, when people can finally see what they are reading, they actually will slow down to enjoy and ingest the words on the page, where previously, they were trying to race through the page as fast as possible before the onset of physical symptoms. It is not unusual to see a decrease in reading speed associated with an increase in comprehension scores for individuals with Irlen Syndrome when they use their Irlen Spectral Filters.
• Reading takes practice: Reading is a skill that requires an individual to acquire a core set of skills through reading instruction and practice. Irlen Spectral Filters and Colored Overlays are not a replacement for either reading instruction or practice. They simply remove the barrier preventing Irlen sufferers from acquiring the necessary skills to excel at reading. It can require additional reading instruction, practice, and remediation to become fast and fluent reader.
• Reading aloud is a performance skill: Tests of reading rate require the reader to read aloud; however, when someone has spent years with reading difficulties, learning to read aloud well takes practice, even if the person can read fine silently. Improvements in reading may not be accurately captured by requiring the individual to read aloud.

Other Factors Can Contribute to Improvements in Reading Performance and Skill

There are also several things related to reading that many people fail to consider when determining the extent to which Irlen Spectral Filters and Colored Overlays impact reading, such as comfort and duration. Increased comfort when reading not only has a whole host of physical benefits (e.g., no more eye strain, headaches, or fatigue), but it also means that people are able to read for longer periods of time, and that they are able to read a complete selection or assignment without having to take a break. Eliminating the need for breaks during reading makes reading more efficient – there is no need to reread portions from the previous sitting to pick up where one left off. And, an overall extension in reading time (duration), has been shown to have long-term positive effects on students’ achievement (Allington, 2001).

So, don’t be discouraged just because your little reader didn’t magically become a speed reader when putting on his Irlen Spectral Filters or using her Irlen Colored Overlay for the first time. The benefits of using color for individuals with Irlen Syndrome extend well beyond being able to read fast – but watch out, for some of you, that might just happen anyway.

References

Allington, R. L. (2001). What really matters for struggling readers: Designing research-based programs. New York: Longman.

Irlen Welcomes Cornell University’s Adam Anderson, PhD
to the Irlen International Professional Advisory Board

Photo credit: Cornell University

The newest addition to Irlen’s International Professional Advisory Board is Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Adam Anderson, PhD from Cornell University. Professor Anderson is the Director of the Affect and Cognition Lab, Cornell’s premier Functional MRI facility on campus, where his research interests are rooted in human emotions, cognition, affective, social, and cognitive neuroscience.

Prof. Anderson will lend his neuroscience expertise as Irlen moves forward in its quest to better understand and document how Irlen Syndrome and Irlen Spectral Filters impact brain function.

Prof. Anderson has served on the editorial boards of Psychological Science, the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Emotion, Cognitive Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, and is on the founding editorial board of SCAN, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, a journal dedicated to the new, rapidly growing field of social cognitive neuroscience. He presently serves as Associate editor for the journal Emotion.

In 2009, Prof. Anderson was awarded with the APA Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. In 2010, he received the Young Investigator Award by the Cognitive Neuroscience Society.

Professor Anderson received his B.A. in cognitive science from Vassar College, a PhD in cognitive psychology from Yale University, and post-doctoral training in cognitive and affective neuroscience at Stanford University. Before coming to Cornell University to continue his groundbreaking work in the area of human neuroscience, Professor Anderson was at the University of Toronto for 10 years.

Attention deficit disorders are running rampant among today’s youth (at least according to the media). Children who can’t seem to sit still, have trouble focusing and concentrating, and who are easily distracted are being labeled and given medication left and right. Yet, for as many as 50% the prescribed ADHD medication doesn’t work, symptoms don’t get better, and kids continue to struggle¹. There isn’t any definitive test for diagnosing ADHD, and mental health practitioners often must rely on a combination of observed and reported behavior as well as family history, and connections with other conditions. ADHD can look different in different kids, in boys and girls, and even in the same kid in different kinds of environments. And, to add to the complication, ADHD isn’t a deficit, it is often coupled with desirable characteristics of highly successful people, such as intuition, creativity, thinking outside-the-box, and the ability to hyperfocus when interested in the topic. But, what looks like ADHD may not always be ADHD. Parents should be aware of other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. One such condition is Irlen Syndrome.

At Irlen, we see lots of individuals who have been diagnosed with ADHD (as kids or adults), who struggle with attention, concentration, focus, and memory, but whose attention issues are actually caused by lighting. These individuals may look like they have ADHD, but in reality they don’t. The medications don’t seem to help, they tend to have most of their attention issues when under fluorescent lighting (when at school or at work), and can often perform without difficulty in other environments. Irlen Syndrome can result in ADHD-like symptoms in some individuals, but unlike individuals with true ADHD, the environment and lighting conditions are what create over-activity in the brain that leads to difficulties in focus and concentration and even physical symptoms like feeling jittery or anxious. In fact, researchers in Australia determined that symptomology didn’t differ significantly between individuals with Irlen Syndrome who had not been diagnosed with ADHD and those who had been diagnosed with ADHD by a qualified health professional, suggesting that there is a large amount of overlap in symptoms between ADHD and Irlen Syndrome². Other sources suggest as many as 50% of children with ADHD also have a reading disorder³, and we suspect that at least some of that 50% may actually suffer from Irlen Syndrome instead of ADHD. Of course, it’s also possible that a child has both Irlen Syndrome and ADHD, as research shows that in nearly 70% of kids with ADHD there are also other co-existing conditions⁴. In either case, it can make a lot of sense to screen for and address Irlen Syndrome first, then re-asses for ADHD to determine if attention issues are still present.

At the Irlen International Conference in 2015, researchers from Israel shared their work on distinguishing Irlen Syndrome from ADHD. Preliminary results from their ongoing study suggest that it may be possible to determine whether someone’s attention issues are caused by ADHD or Irlen Syndrome simply by looking at their scores on standardized ADHD diagnostic tools such as the T.O.V.A. or CPT-d test (MOXO). In their study, individuals diagnosed with both ADHD and Irlen Syndrome had different profiles on the test than individuals who were only diagnosed with ADHD (and did not have Irlen Syndrome). Furthermore, when the individuals with Irlen Syndrome put on their Irlen Spectral Filters, their results profile no longer looked like someone with ADHD⁵.

References

1. Riddle, M. A., Yershova, K., Lazzaretto, D., Paykina, N., Yenokyan, G., Greenhill, L., … Posner, K. (2013). The Preschool Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment Study (PATS) 6-Year Follow-up. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(3), 264–278.e2. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.12.007
2. Loew, S. J., & Watson, K. (2013). The prevalence of symptoms of scotopic sensitivity/Meares-Irlen syndrome in subjects diagnosed with ADHD: Does misdiagnosis play a significant role?. Hrvatska revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja, 49(Supplement), 64-72.
3. Yoshimasu, K., Barbaresi, W. J., Colligan, R. C., Killian, J. M., Voigt, R. G., Weaver, A. L., & Katusic, S. K. (2010). Gender, ADHD, and Reading Disability in a Population-Based Birth Cohort. Pediatrics, 126(4), e788–e795. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-1187
4. Patel, N., Patel, H., & Patel, M. (2012). ADHD and comorbid conditions. INTECH Open Access Publisher.
5. Elad, S. (2015). Spectral filters or medication? Can spectral filters replace Ritalin? Presentation at the 12th Irlen International Conference, July 8-12, 2015, Houston, TX, USA.

We all love technology. Cell phones, computers, tablets, video games, streaming media, Fitbits, Apple watches, Google Glass, smartboards, Siri – the list could go on and on. Unless you’re living under a rock in the middle of nowhere (can you even find “nowhere” these days?), you’re probably interacting with technology on a regular basis, either by choice or necessity… and you might even like it. After all, why would you want to drive to the library, scour through a card catalog, search endlessly for the right book, and take handwritten notes for your research paper, when you could just go into the other room, jump on the Internet, type in a few words, have thousands of resources at your fingertips, and copy and paste the information you want to save for later? Technology saves us time, gives us access to things, experiences, and opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have, and helps us solve world problems. Technology makes us smarter (or at least it can seem that way – ask Siri!), entertains us (thank you Netflix), and keeps us connected in our business and our personal lives (call me anytime, email me, Skype me, ping me, friend me, add me, follow me… yikes! Maybe just leave me alone sometimes). Technology is great, right? Technology makes us more efficient, right? Technology makes our lives easier…right?

Mostly, yes. But, the constant barrage of technology is taking its toll on even the heartiest of human beings. In the United States, people spend an average 7.4 hours every day looking at screens – TV, computer, smartphone, tablet. All that screen time is leaving its mark on our health and well-being. From newly coined medical conditions (i.e., computer vision syndrome) to insomnia, carpal tunnel syndrome, obesity, hearing loss, and anxiety – being surrounded by technology may not be as great as it’s cracked up to be. And that’s just for the average Joe. What if you happen to be one of the 840 million people in this world who suffers from Irlen Syndrome, a condition where bright and fluorescent lighting, high contrast, glare, and reading off screens and pages with bright white backgrounds creates a host of symptoms ranging from physical discomfort like headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue to reading difficulties and other academic challenges. For people with Irlen Syndrome, today’s high tech world can pose even bigger challenges to both health and productivity. Backlit LED screens used for computers, tablets, phones and TVs can be unbearable to look at, create unnecessary strain and fatigue, and cause headaches, migraines, and nausea. And screens are EVERYWHERE! Our kids spend hours staring at screens at school and at home. The old, green chalkboard has been replaced by interactive whiteboards (also known as smartboards). Textbooks are being replaced by tablets. Assignments are being completed on the computer. Couple all that with the push towards energy-efficient lighting that has fluorescent and LED lighting not just surrounding us in schools and at work, but also in our homes in many cases. It becomes a toxic environment for someone with Irlen Syndrome, and there’s nowhere to escape.

Unfortunately, all that screen time doesn’t just make us physically sick or uncomfortable, it can also affect our productivity. Doing work on a computer or tablet can actually decrease productivity for people with Irlen Syndrome because it makes it more difficult to see, attend to, and comprehend the information being presented. It can impact how long we’re able to focus and attend, and how often we need to stop, look away from the screen, and take a break. This can be pretty inefficient. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make your screen time less painful and more productive.

1. Colored Overlays and Clings(TM): Many people find relief through the use of colored overlays placed directly over the screen to reduce contrast and glare and improve print clarity and stability. Get Overlays and Clings(TM) here.
2. Colored Overlay App for Android Phones and Tablets: This app allows you to select from 10 Irlen® Overlay colors, or create your own custom color, and then apply your color to the screen of your device. Your chosen color will overlay your screen no matter what other application you are using, reducing eyestrain and discomfort whenever you are using your device. Get the App.
3. Turn Off Fluorescent Lights: Natural, dim and incandescent lighting can all cause less discomfort than working under fluorescent lights for individuals with Irlen Syndrome.
4. Change Background Color on Smartboards: Using an alternative background colors like grey or beige can make it easier for students to read off of a whiteboard or smartboard at the front of the class.
5. Dim It Down: If all else fails, try dimming down your screen.

If you get headaches, eye-strain, fatigue, or feel ill after a day on the computer, you’re not alone. Below are some signs that Irlen Syndrome might be the culprit making it extra-uncomfortable for you to use technology!

• Bothered by the brightness of the screen or white background
• Bothered by glare off the screen
• Difficulty reading or comprhending what you read
• Need to take breaks often
• Blink or squint
• Prefer dim lighting

To find out more about Irlen Syndrome and available solutions, visit: www.irlen.com

The third annual Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week was a huge success, drawing participation from around the world in variety of in-person and digital awareness events. Below are brief summaries from just some of the awareness events and activities that took place. Thank you to everyone who participated in helping educate others about Irlen Syndrome during ISAW. Everyone’s efforts generated a huge overall impact!

Facebook Profile Pictures Got Brighter with the ISAW Filter

Nearly 500 people changed their Facebook profile pictures to show their support and draw attention to Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week.

Thousands of People Turned Out the Lights!

This year’s Turn Out the Lights event was a huge success with participation from thousands of locations in 103 different countries! Fantastic! Check out the final results here: http://irlen.com/world-map-results/.

Cornell University Releases Research Results on Color and the Brain

Cornell University neuroscientists get closer to understanding the mechanisms behind why color helps Irlen Syndrome. Read about their latest research results here:http://www.irlensyndrome.org/the-isf-blog/

The Irlen Syndrome Infographic is Viewed by Over 42,000 people

The Irlen Syndrome Infographic made its way into the Facebook timelines of over 42,000 people around the Internet during awareness week, encouraging thousands of people to venture to www.irlensyndrome.org to learn more.

Here’s a Sampling of More Irlen Awareness from Around the World…

TEXAS, USA: Laura Woefel and the Texas Irlen Association

The Texas Irlen Association offered free mini screenings to the Austin community at Milwood Public Library.  A flyer promoting the event was emailed to over 2,500 parents in 5 schools (elementary to high school) that were within 8 miles of this library’s location. Two TIA members, Laura Woelfel, Irlen Diagnostician, and Angela Eaton, Irlen Screener, were very busy. In four hours, the two ladies screened over 30 children (ages 6 to 18) and 5 adults. Parents were armed with Irlen information to take back to their schools and the children were given an overlay. www.TexasIrlenAssociation.org

ALBERTA, CANADA: Nola Stigings and Team

• 30 new schools participated in the ‘Turn Out The Lights’ campaign
• 15 elementary and high school Irlen kids did presentations at their schools
• Irlen screeners did presentations to parent groups across the province
• Three mayoral proclamations were obtained for the cities of Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat
• Irlen screener training in Calgary

ONTARIO, CANADA: Adel Francis, Stacey Cantor and Team

The province of Ontario was all a-buzz during Awareness Week, with presentations and gatherings of Irlen clients and supporters happening in various cities and towns, including one with the Eastern Star organization in the Barrie community, an organization that has provided over $2500 to assist students with the cost of their Irlen Filters. Amazing!!! They also got a great interview with Monique Hyatt ‎in the Lakeshore News, a community newspaper, in Windsor, Ontario. Below are a few pictures from those events.

Presentation in Huntsville

Huntsville presentation team

With members of the Eastern Star organization

DAUPHIN, MANITOBA, CANADA: Val Rizok

Val Rizok kept busy during ISAW by presenting to the local community college adult learning group, parent councils at two schools, and staff meetings for two different groups. One of Val’s screeners also presented at a private school in the area.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Tracy Bowman and Team

Our Bostonians lobbied the Massachusetts government during Irlen Awareness Week. Distributing 200 Toolkits to Congress members, Tracy Bowman and her team worked to gain traction with the Massachusetts Bill for Irlen testing in schools.

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO: Jeannie Dunn and Team

Folks in Grand Junction were extremely busy during Awareness Week, hosting a 5K walk on October 15, at the Colorado Mesa University campus, an Irlen Syndrome Book Group meeting at Barnes & Noble, October 17, free mini-screenings and informational session at West Books on October 19, informational session at the Mesa County Public Library Downtown Branch on October 19, exhibit at the Senior Health Fair at Two Rivers Convention Center on October 21, and free mini-screenings and information booth at the Mesa Mall on October 22. To top it off, Mayor Phyllis Norris proclaimed it ISAW in the city of Grand Junction, and Irlen representatives got to speak to City Council!

CHANNEL ISLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM: Jean Felton

Irlen Diagnostician, Jean Felton, kicked off ISAW by presenting at the Jersey Skills show on the 14th and 15th of October, sharing Irlen with 4,000 attendees. About 40 Irlen-ites attended the annual Irlen Awareness Pizza Party on October 19, and then Jean and Irlen students made awareness presentations at Grouville School, St. George’s School, and Beaulieu School, addressing nearly 150 people. ISAW in Jersey was capped off with an appearance on BBC Radio Jersey with Charlie McArdle to discuss Irlen Syndrome! Have a listen, and share! The piece begins at 1:12:10 (one hour, twelve minutes, and ten seconds into the segment):http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0495mf8#play

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Shoshana Shamberg

Diagnostician, Shoshana Shamber, provided free Irlen Syndrome Awareness presentations, professional development for CEUs, and free screening the entire month of October. Below is a list of the events that took place in Baltimore and the surrounding DC and Virginia areas:

Baltimore City and vicinity

• Oct 7 – Visionary Art Museum. Talk in courtyard with free giveaways!
• Oct 9 – Ruscombe Community Health Center
• Oct 16 – Mount Washington Festival
• Oct 16 – TBA WOAMTEC Woman’s Business Networking Group
• Oct 20 – Meyerberg Senior Center

Baltimore County

• Oct 6 – Hunt Valley Business Forum HVBF
• Oct 6 – Owings Mills Business Networking Group
• Oct 6 – Torah Homeschool of Baltimore
• Oct 6 – Pikesville Plaza

Maryland, DC, North Virginia Areas

• Amen Clinic events with Lunch and Learn, Screenings, and Professional Development Events
• Oct 26 –  Irlen PreAssessment Training and consumer awareness
• Archdiocese Catholic Day Schools of Fairfax County

WICHITA, KANSAS: Cathryn Hay, PhD

The City Council of Wichita, Kansas, issued a proclamation for Irlen Awareness Week for the second year in a row.  It was well received and presented at the same time as United Way Day, so there were many more attendees at the meeting and possibly more people will watch it on TV.

CHICO, CALIFORNIA: Susan Hughes

Susan Hughes and her team of Irlen Ambassadors in Chico, California meet at least once a month, planning activities for awareness and fundraising. They have given 12 scholarships to local clients so far this year and 12 last year. They ran a Breakfast and Bargains yard sale for two days and raised $1,400.00, and Wildflower School had another Readathon in April,  raising $1,100.00 for scholarships at their school. They also just ended a two-month fundraising drive with Annie B’s and the North Valley Community Foundation. For Irlen Awareness, her team ran a booth with mini-screenings and a raffle at the annual Fun Run for the local alternative high school ‘Inspire’, and had a Purple Pizza party at a local pizza parlor with a bake sale and free raffle tickets for prizes for anyone wearing purple or their Irlen Spectral Filters.

HOUSTON, TEXAS: Julie Yaxley

Diagnostician, Julie Yaxley hosted an awareness event at Krist Samaritan Center, Houston, TX. This event, targeting those interested in learning more about Irlen Syndrome as well as current Irlen Spectral Filter wearers, provided an opportunity for the community to come together, share their own stories, and find out more. Attendees also received $50 off any future Irlen services, and a free lens cleaner refill.

PUNE, INDIA: Tehnaz Ragi

In India, Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week 2016 was part of the ISAW INDIA Rainbow Project 2015, 2016 & Beyond, and went like this:

• 17 October:  IrlenIndia Facebook Online Event – We will start off with an online event on Facebook, as that is where I get the most questions and requests for information.
• 20 October:  Meeting with the Head of The Symbiosis Early Years Education Teacher Training College to discuss doing an initial presentation and, perhaps later, a module of sensory perception, vision, vps and learning.
• 22 October:  “Do you see what I see?”  An introductory presentation on sensory perception, vision, vps, and learning to the teaching staff and parents of Harmony Tree Preschool, which is open to the community.
• 23 October:  A Story Night: “All About Light!”  Diwali is the Festival of Light in India.  We are hosting an evening of storytelling to drums, surrounded by Diwali Lamps and Rangoli making (ornate coloured mandalas)
• 24-29 October:  Diwali Camp.  Part of the ISAW India Rainbow Project 2016 and Beyond. Including daily activities involving Language Arts, Science, Play, etc., which will include an exploration of light and color.

EGYPT: Rasha Anwar

As always, Rasha and her team were extremely busy during Awareness Week. Irlen is alive and well in Egypt!

1. October 13, presentation to all staff in one of the leading reputable American schools in Egypt.
2. October 15, “Irlen Unifies Us” gathering for clients in Irlen Egypt Center. This event allowed  clients to connect and create a real Irlen commuinty in Egypt. Parents shared experience, and most importantly, kids get peer support from each other.
3. October 15, on the radio being interviewed on one of the oldest and most popular radio channels in Egypt, “Middle East Channel.” It was a live broadcast, and definitely an important awareness window.
4. October 17, presentation for students, faculty, parents, and some residents in the neighbourhood in Education College, 6 October University, a well recognized private university in Egypt.
5. October 19, screener Duaa Sobhy, presented in Tomouh Academy for special needs, Dokki, Giza branch.
6. October 20, presentation in the National Research Center, the prominent research governmental body in Egypt. Rasha also finally obtained their official approval on a pilot research study on Irlen Syndrome.
7. October 20, screener Duaa Sobhy presented in Early Intervention & Child Abilities Development Center in Alexandria.
8. October 21, screener Duaa Sobhy presented in Wogood Academy for special needs, Shebeen El Kom city, Menofya Governorate.
9. October 22, screener Duaa Sobhy presented in Tomouh Academy for special needs, Tanta city, Gharbya Governorate.
10. October 27, a big awareness event in Ismailia Governarate was organized in cooperation with a leading special needs NGO there.
11. In addition, Rasha got final approval to present in the oldest education college in the Arab region, in Ain Shams University- a leading governmental university.

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA: Gloria Thomas

Screener, Christine Phillips, ran a stand at an Education Expo in Ballarat. Below is an article from the local newspaper in Ballarat about a local Irlen client:

EMPOWERMENT: Isla Matthews, who has dyslexia, is raising awareness. She will be part of a gathering at Ballarat Town Hall on Saturday night.

On Saturday night, Isla Matthews, 12, will stand outside Ballarat Town Hall with her family and friends as its clock face turns red. The Ballarat landmark will join buildings across Australia in lighting up to raise awareness for Dyslexia Empowerment Week. Isla said she was seven when she found out she had dyslexia, which is a specific learning difficulty (SLD) that affects a person’s skills in reading, spelling and writing. She has since made many adjustments in her life including using special glasses and different coloured pens and paper. “My teachers (at Mount Clear College) do cater for me at school,” she said. “If I have white paper, I can’t read it because all the words jumble up so I need yellow paper and the teachers have to use blue whiteboard markers not black or else I won’t be able to read the whiteboard.” Isla has taken part in a research project at Monash University in the hope of helping experts discover more about the condition. “(As part of the project) I had to look at the screen and notice things change and I had electrodes on my head that track my brain,” she said. “It’s just to work out more about dyslexia so in the future they can hopefully find other ways that will help.” The budding photographer noted many celebrities also have the condition and would not allow herself to be limited by the learning difficulty, but said awareness would help. Isla’s mother Kirsty Matthews has organised a gathering outside the Town Hall for when the clock face turns red. They will meet from 6.30pm on Saturday. She said it would be an opportunity to meet and support other people in the community who had dyslexia as well as raise awareness.

KUWAIT: Dr. Sameera Abdulwahab

In Kuwait they extended awareness days for Irlen syndrome until the end of October. On October 24, Dr. Sameera Abdulwahab and her team gave a lecture at Kuwait university/ collage of education for teachers’ stuff and students, and on October 26 they had live interview on Kuwait TV (good morning Kuwait at 7am)! Later that same night, the team gave another lecture at Kuwait teachers’ society.

Check out their interview on “Good Morning Kuwait”/ Kuwait TV, Channel 1 (the interview begins at minute 34): https://youtu.be/7R1UwNuNWZI.

JORDAN: Taline Najjar and Irlen Team at Ahliyyah School for Girls

Awareness on Irlen Syndrome was be held at a nearby school: the Bishop’s school, for grades 1 to 5 during their morning assembly, and more awareness presentations were be held for staff, parents and the rest of the classes.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMERITS: Mona Kazim

• Presentation at UAE University
• Oct 12 – Radio interview
• A number of important departments, centers, and schools participated in the global “TURN OUT THE LIGHTS” event
• Seminar about “The effect of light waves on the brain and how the Irlen method rectifies them” (Arabic)
• Distributing the ISAW bracelets and leaflets about Irlen Syndrome (in both languages Arabic & English)
• Corner about Irlen Syndrome (Arabic)
• TV interview about the results of Irlen Method.  Before the interview, I  reviewed with them about what is lrlen Syndrome (Arabic).
• A presentation on 28 October about Irlen Syndrome and reading & writing disabilities in Dubai Children City (in both languages Arabic & English).
• Newspaper Interview about Irlen Syndrome

GREECE: Evangelos Sp. Bochatziar and Team

Evangelos Sp. Bochatziar and the Irlen Greece team offered free mini-screenings and promoted the global Turn Out the Lights event across the country.

Proclamations

Local governments once again recognized Irlen Syndrome and helped to raise awareness by officially declaring October 17-21, 2016 “Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week” in their city, province, or state. Thank you to all of the mayors, governors and other government officials who helped make that happen!

State of Mississippi: Governor Phil Bryant

For the second year in a row, it was officially proclaimed Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in the entire state of Mississippi!!!

Long Beach, California: Mayor Robert Garcia
Long Beach, California, the 36th largest city in the United States with a population of nearly half a million people, and the city where the Irlen Institute International Headquarters is located, has officially proclaimed the week of October 17 “Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week.” Thank you to Mayor Garcia for your support in helping to raise awareness for this important cause.

Baltimore, Maryland: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Irlen Diagnostician, Shoshana Shamberg, offers a huge thanks to  her local Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and the entire city of Baltimore for recognizing Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in Baltimore, MD.

Grand Junction, Colorado: Mayor Phyllis Norris
It’s official, October 17 – 22, 2016 has been declared Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in Grand Junction, Colorado! Irlen Diagnostician, Jeannie Dunn, Ed.D., and her team spoke at the October City Council meeting to share with city officials about Irlen Syndrome and the activities taking place in Grand Junction during Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week.

Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

The mayors in Alberta Canada cities were very busy proclaiming it Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in the cities of Red Deer, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat! Way to go Alberta for making it official!

WALES, UNITED KINGDOM: Jennifer Owen

Irlen Ambassador, Jennifer Owen, addressed the Welsh Labour Assembly with the sponsorship and support of assembly member, Dawn Bowden, to share her personal experience of Irlen syndrome with those present at the meeting. You can read more about this major accomplishment by clicking here. Jennifer continues to raise awareness year-round through her personal blog.

Brazil, Screener Marcia Dias

Invited people to send her emails with questions about the Irlen syndrome; The first six received a 50-minute call to discuss the Irlen syndrome.

Irlen recommends annual filter checks to stay on top of any changes in the color property of your lenses and any changes in brain or body chemistry that might affect your optimal color. If you haven’t seen your Irlen diagnostician in a while, here are a few reasons why you might want to call and schedule an appointment asap:

• Colors change over time: As with any other material, repeated exposure to light, air, and ultraviolet rays can change the color property in the lenses or fade color over time. Annual filter checks stay on top of any change in color that might have occurred as a result of this environmental exposure.
• Your brain and body chemistry changes : Brain and body chemistry can change, and changes in brain and body chemistry can affect what color you need for maximum benefit. Hormone changes that accompany puberty, hormonal birth control, pregnancy, and menopause are all significant factors that can contribute to changing color needs.
• Injury or illness: Head injury and serious illnesses such as Lyme’s Disease, viral infections, and auto-immune disorders have all been linked to changing color needs. If you’ve been sick, or in an accident, and your Irlen Spectral Filters don’t seem to be working as well as they used to, this might be why.
• Medications and medical procedures: Certain medical procedures such as anesthesia, chemotherapy, and Lasik can all affect your color needs. In fact, increased light-sensitivity after Lasik is one of the most common side-effects of the procedure. Medications, or changes in medications or dosage, can also impact your color needs.

How do you know if your color isn’t quite right? Well, some signs, like the words are moving on the page again, are obvious, but other signs can be more subtle, like if your child doesn’t seem to want to wear her lenses. If it hasn’t been a year yet, and you’re experiencing any of the following signs, don’t wait, call your Irlen Diagnostician and schedule a filter check – there’s no need to suffer!

5 Signs You Need A Filter Check

• Wearing your Irlen Spectral Filters causes pain or discomfort, such as eye-strain or headaches
• Symptoms have returned, such as print distortions or physical symptoms
• You’re more tired or fatigued than usual
• You find yourself not wanting to put on your Spectral Filters, but aren’t sure why
• In children, you may notice behavior changes, such as the return of tantrums, hyperactivity, or resistance to read or do homework

Many times clients aren’t even aware how much symptoms have come back or how much harder they’re working until they come in for a filter check and get their new color. The changes can happen slowly over time, so they can be difficult to notice. This is why regular filter checks are so important.

Your Screen Just Got A Lot More Irlen-Friendly!

Apple now offers a color filter for iPhones and iPads

We’ve got good news for all you Apple users out there: iOS 10 for mobile devices now includes a Color Screen Filter you can customize to make your device Irlen-friendly! We know you have been begging for a digital colored overlay for your iPhones and iPads, and now you can have one – simply by adjusting the built-in accessibility settings on your device.

WHY WE LOVE THIS TECHNOLOGY:

If you struggle with glare, discomfort, or blurry words when you use your iPhones and iPads, this might be just what you’ve been waiting for. Like the Irlen Colored Overlay App for Android devices, once you set your Apple’s Color Screen Filter, it covers your entire screen all the time, no matter what App you’re using. This allows you to get maximum benefit from the feature the entire time you use your device. You won’t find any preset Irlen Overlay colors here (yet!), but you can use the feature’s two simple sliders to adjust the color and intensity and create a filter that works for you. As you already know, having the right color filter increases your comfort, fluency and accuracy when reading; this new feature means you may be able to read and work on your device for longer periods of time without strain or fatigue.

How To Turn On the Color Screen Filter And Find Your Color

1. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations and select Color Filters.
2. When you turn on Color Filters, you’ll want to ignore the four preset color schemes they offer and instead select the last option, “Color Tint,” to create your own color filter. “Color Tint” will then give you two sliders (hue and intensity) to manipulate until you reach the filter that works best for you.

Watch our step-by-step video for turning on and setting up your color screen filter:

PROS:

It’s customizable. Apple had Irlen sufferers in mind when they developed their Color Screen Filter. The inclusion of the Color Tint option, which allows you to customize your own color filter, is perfect for people with Irlen Syndrome. We know everyone’s brains are different, and as such, everyone’s optimal color is unique. The sliders in Apple’s Color Screen Filter allow you slide through the color spectrum until you find a color that feels good, AND it lets you adjust the density of that color, making it one of the most custom digital overlays available.

It’s easy to use. Go into your settings, adjust the sliders, and you’re done! No downloads, no incompatibility issues, no clunky applications. The hardest thing about using this feature is finding it in your settings.

It’s always on. Because the color filter is built right into your device’s settings, once you turn it on and set your color, it will stay on until you go back into your settings and turn it off again. You can change applications, it’s still on. You can turn off your device and reboot, it’s still on. We’re not sure why you’d ever want to turn it off once you find a color that works for you, but if you do, Apple’s even given you a shortcut for that. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and select Color Filters (just a note, the Accessibility Shortcut option is all the way at the bottom of the menu, so scroll down!). Once you have Color Filters set up, you can quickly turn them on or off, by triple-clicking the Home button on your device. Alternatively, you can go back into your accessibility settings and turn it on and off from there.

It remembers your color. As you might expect, once you set your color filter, your device will remember your color even if you turn off the color filter and turn it back on later. You won’t have to set up your color again.

Print stays clear and black. The clarity and color of the text on your screen isn’t affected by the color filter, no matter what intensity you select. Words on the screen will remain crisp and easy to see, even if you have a dark color filter.

CONS:

There are no preset Irlen Overlay colors. While it may be a bit unfair for us to wish there was an easy way to identify the 10 Irlen Overlay colors, we do! For those of you who already know your Irlen color, it might take you a few minutes to find a color that matches (or comes close). And, unfortunately, those of you who use a gray overlay won’t find that option in this color screen filter (although you should be able to get a similar effect by dimming the screen).

You can’t combine colors. We know some of you need to combine multiple Irlen Overlay colors to achieve your optimal color, and this color screen filter won’t let you do that. As a result, some of you may not be able to find the perfect overlay color, but we still think you’ll find something that makes it easier and more comfortable to use your device.

Colors on the screen may change. This isn’t necessarily something we’d change, it’s more like something we want you to be aware of: as you increase the intensity of a color, you may notice that some colors on the screen change. For example, a dark magenta filter makes green turn black. A dark red filter makes red images disappear. A dark turquoise filter makes red turn black. Just know that’s going to happen.

Tips on Selecting Your Apple Color Screen Filter:

The images are NOT clickable; you must use the sliders to select a color filter. You’ll see an image of rainbow colored pencils (and can scroll through 2 other images intended to give you an idea of how to select your color) that you’ll want to click on, but these images are just there for reference, to show you how colors might change when you apply your color filter to your device. To actually adjust the color of the filter, you will need to use the sliders and set the hue/intensity yourself.

It helps to choose your filter against the maximum intensity. When the intensity setting was lower, it was more difficult to distinguish between colors, and we weren’t sure what color we were looking at. So, move the intensity slider all the way to the right before selecting a hue, then adjust to find the perfect filter for you. Stronger intensity as a starting point made it easier for us to identify and choose a color option.

Focus on comfort before clarity. When setting up your color filter, you should pick the color that is most comfortable – one that is soothing, calming, and relaxing. Some colors may make you feel invigorated or energized, or may make the text look extra crisp or sharp, but trust us, that’s not your goal. People with Irlen Syndrome need a color that calms their brain, and your optimal color screen filter will feel calm and soothing.

Our Final Thoughts

1. This is a needed, exciting feature for our daily tech devices.

We think Apple’s new Color Screen Filter is a great feature of new iPhones and iPads. For Irlen Syndrome sufferers who are devoted to their Apple products, it will make you love your devices even more! After thoroughly testing it, we think Apple’s Color Screen Filter may significantly improve your ability to use these devices more comfortably, more effectively, and for longer periods of time without strain and fatigue.

2. This is a great additional resource for Irlen sufferers.

Without a doubt, the optimal solution for Irlen Syndrome continues to be Irlen Spectral Filters, because those filters are individualized, tuned specifically for your brain, and protect your brain all the time (not just when you read a device screen). As a result, Irlen Spectral Filters can result in dramatic changes in behavior, autonomic nervous system function, sleep patterns, depth perception, sports performance, driving, physical symptoms, and emotional stability that really can’t be achieved any other way. However, sometimes Irlen Spectral Filters just aren’t an option, and that is when this Apple Color Screen Filter is a compelling option. So, at the moment, Apple’s Color Screen Filter is not a substitute for your Irlen Spectral Filters, but can be a shortcut to reducing some of the difficulty Irlen audiences have with screens. The color filter Apple has created is likely to increase how much you enjoy your device and how much you can use it. For all of these reasons, we love that Apple has made their device more Irlen-friendly! At a time when over 15% of the general population is suffering from Irlen Syndrome, this feature is going to make a lot of people very happy!

If you’re using the Apple Colored Filter, we’d love to hear about your experience with it!

For more information about the new Color Screen Filter Accessibilities Setting, visit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207025

For more information about Irlen Syndrome and how color can help, visit: www.irlen.com

For the first time, Irlen technology is now available to individuals in Russia. This past month, Helen Irlen was invited to Russia by the International Autism Institute to train professionals at this facility in the Irlen Method. The International Autism Institute is part of Krasnoyarsky State Pedagogical University in Siberia, and the 16 newly trained Irlen Diagnosticians will service the autistic population in Russia.

On her first day in the country, Mrs. Irlen visited classrooms at a local school where she got to talk with the older students in their English classes.  The students were excited to ask questions and learn more about the United States, and Helen was excited to ask the students questions about themselves and their studies. The younger children spent their recess breaks looking for Helen in order to sing songs to her.

On her second day, Helen was honored to have tea with the President of the University. Krasnoyarsky State Pedagogical University is considered one of the most progressive and dynamic universities in the region. The President welcomed Helen and presented her with a gold key, a symbolic key to the university. This was followed by a key-note speech at the International Autism Institute conference where 550 people from various cities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tuva, Kemerovo region, Moscow took part. Participants included parents, teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, physicians, occupational and physical therapy specialists and other interested specialists in getting more detailed information on how the modulation of sensory processes affects the perception and behavior of people with autism.

The rest of Helen’s time in Siberia was spent training 16 professionals as Irlen Diagnosticians. These new Irlen Diagnosticians are leading experts in the field of ophthalmology, psychology, speech therapy, defectology. This interdepartmental team will work at the International Institute of Autism and the Clinic of Modern Correction and Development Technologies of KSPU.

During the training everyone got a chance to see the immediate changes that occurred in the brain of one student with Irlen Syndrome, using a whole head visual evoke potential. As part of the training, a study of the influence of Irlen lenses on brain activity under the control of neuroenergic mapping was carried out at the Clinic of Modern Correction Technologies. Visual evidence of changes in brain function before and after (10 minutes) using Irlen Spectral Filters was presented and showed the difference in electrical brain signals in the visual cortex of the brain when wearing and not wearing Irlen Spectral Filters. Each image below shows the subject’s brain (on the left) as compared to a normal control (the green brain on the right). With Irlen Spectral Filters, the subject’s brain showed more normal function than it did without Irlen Spectral Filters.

Helen really enjoyed her time in Siberia, as she found the people extremely warm, enthusiastic, and very giving.  She left with a suitcase filled with gifts from the people of Siberia.  Her gift to them was the Irlen Method.

ISAW 2017 Mobilizes a Worldwide Surge in Awareness

The 4th annual Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week was nothing short of a massive success, generating a buzz about the condition and its available solution all over the world. This group effort benefited from participation by national and local media, like the BBC, but was mostly fueled by the thousands of individuals each doing their part to help spread the word. Below are just a sampling of some of the awareness week efforts that took place during the week of October 16-20, 2017. If you have an ISAW event you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear about it. Let us know what you did for ISAW by posting in the Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week Facebook Group, or emailing us at irleninstitute@irlen.com.

The Irlen Institute and the Irlen Syndrome Foundation Disseminate New Information

THE NEW IRLEN SYNDROME VS. DYSLEXIA INFOGRAPHIC WAS RELEASED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 16

A huge thank you to our friends at the Irlen Syndrome Foundation for successfully explaining the difference between Dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome! Find out which condition is the cause of your reading struggles. Click on the image below to see the full-size graphic (this is best viewed on a computer, not a cell phone).

THOUSANDS TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17

As with last year’s Turn Out the Lights event, we had record-breaking participation from around the world. This year, the lights went out in 81 countries! Well done everyone!

CORNELL NEUROSCIENTISTS EXPLAIN HOW COLOR CHANGES THE WAY YOUR BRAIN WORKS

In their live talk, Drs. Adam Anderson and Eve De Rosa, Directors of the Cognition and Affect Lab and fMRI facility at Cornell University, discuss their breakthrough research on color and the brain. They explain why the Irlen solution requires individualized color and give viewers a peek at the brain scans of Irlen clients that went into their fMRI scanner this summer!

What Your Brain Tells You About Color, and Why One Size (Shade) Doesn’t Fit All: https://youtu.be/xv4mNYmYndk

HELEN IRLEN DISCUSSES TOXIC BRAIN ENVIRONMENTS IN A FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT

Viewers got to interact live with Helen Irlen during the Q&A portion of this must see talk about how your environment might be making you sick. Irlen Syndrome is much more than just a reading problem, and in this talk, Helen Irlen explains how and why Irlen Syndrome manifests itself beyond the printed page. IF you missed the live event, don’t worry, you can watch the whole thing here!

TOXIC BRAIN ENVIRONMENTS: https://youtu.be/XYPPofvDlYg

IRLEN ENJOYS MEDIA COVERAGE

BBC

Irlen client, Jennifer Owen, and Irlen Diagnosticians, Stephanie Jamison and Alan Penn, helped get the Irlen message out via the BBC. WATCH NOW

‘Important people know about Irlen’

Jennifer Owen, 28, from Merthyr Tydfil, campaigns to raise awareness of Irlen Syndrome.

BBC.COM

WIMBLEDONGUARDIAN.CO.UK

The effect of Irlen Syndrome on self-esteem is often overlooked.

‘My son wanted to end his life aged eight’ – mum’s search for more Irlen sufferers

A Wimbledon mum whose eight-year-old son was feeling suicidal because of an undiagnosed disease is now trying to raise awareness about the condition.

THE SOUTHERN 

Murphysboro woman says one diagnosis changed her life

THE MONEY HOUR

Irlen Diagnostician, Terry Carlson, is on the radio talking about Irlen Syndrome!

Migraines, Struggle with Reading, and Concentration May be Linked to Visual Perceptual Problems with Terry Carlson of Irlen Services Northwest – The Money Hour…

THEMONEYHOUR.COM

AHA RADIO

Irlen Diagnostician, Shoshana Shamberg, discusses Irlen Syndrome.

NEWSMAIL

An Australian girl tells her story…

Glasses Stopped the Words From Jumping

SOCIAL MEDIA MAYHEM

Irlen supporters everywhere took to social media to share their personal stories and ask their social media networks to help spread the word. We even got a few shoutouts from our favorite celebrity supporters.

Thanks for the week-long tweets, Lucy Lawless, and for passing along the word, Paddy Considine!

Events Around the World

AUSTRALIA

Brisbane and Ipswich offered discounts on Irlen testing during the entire month of October, while the Irlen clinic in Taree, NSW was open to the public for afternoon teas and information sessions. Folks in the Sunshine Coast were offered an informational session on October 16th in Cairns at the Brothers Leagues Club, Anderson Street.

CANADA

Ontario hosted their annual fall Irlen Information Meeting on October 18th in Barrie, Ontario. Ontario also launched a social media blitz. Screeners and clients posted the ISAW posters on their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts, and some posted their stories about Irlen. Family and friends were asked to share the posts and pass them along to their friends and family. Some screeners created a different post every day, telling people about the signs and symptoms of Irlen Syndrome, and who is affected, and with each post, they attached a different ISAW poster each day. They ended the week posting testimonials from clients whose lives have been changed because of Irlen. Joanne Potts, Irlen Screener, did a public presentation in Barrie, Ontario as well as a presentation to students in that area. Kim Garland did a presentation for her local Occupational Therapists Association in Whitby, Ontario. Janet McCormack, another screener, did a student awareness presentation in Huntsville, Ontario. Additional presentations were given in classrooms around the province, and for a local church group in Ottawa.

In Toronto, Irlen Screener, Whitney Johnstone’s two children with Irlen Syndrome made presentations to their Grade 3 and 5 classes this week. They also delivered flyers and stickers throughout their neighborhood, informing their neighbors about Irlen Syndrome.

EGYPT

Irlen Diagnostician, Rasha Anwar, and her team in Egypt were busy during awareness week, hosting awareness events in Cairo and Governorates, in cooperation with Cultural Enabling for Persons with Special Needs Department in the Ministry of Culture.

IRLEN SYNDROME GAINS OFFICIAL RECOGNITION BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IN EGYPT

After long 4 years of raising awareness efforts in the Egyptian community whether public, official, academia, or professional groups, Irlen syndrome finally has gained official recognition from the Ministry of Education and has become one of the disabilities that entitles the students for inclusive education. Thus, giving them the appropriate accommodations and modifications they need.

GHANA

Irlen Syndrome awareness efforts were alive and well in Ghana during awareness week. As the representatives from the nonprofit, Campaign For Learning Disabilities, await the arrival of Irlen Diagnostician, Dr. Jeri LaVigne, in November to get trained as Irlen Screeners, this exceptional group used their energy to help spread the word at 13 schools across the country.

GREECE

As a part of a global Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week initiative, the Special Education Clinic Patras – Irlen Institute of Greece organized the 6th Panhellenic Conference on Learning Disabilities dedicating to Irlen Syndrome and invited all schools and universities to show their support for students with Irlen Syndrome by turning off their fluorescent lights for one minute on Thursday, October 25 at 10:00 am.

INDIA

Irlen Diagnostician, Tehnaz Ragi, and other Irlen supporters in India were excited to share The Blue Rupee Project with us during awareness week.

The Blue Rupee Project celebrates the Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week 2017. IRLEN – Insights Through Colour. The Herald featured The Blue Rupee Project’s event at MOG – Museum of Goa.

KUWAIT

Dr. Sameera Abdulwahab started off Irlen Awareness Week at Kuwait University, Faculty of Education. The students raised awareness among teachers and their colleagues using booths, banners and brochures, explaining the symptoms of Irlen syndrome, its causes, impact on the individual life and the treatment by using Irlen filters.

Dr. Sameera Abdulwahab also presented “Reading by Colors & Light Sensitivity” to Little Mom Group.
Little Mom Group aims to educate young mothers about early intervention for their children and families, avoiding consequences of delaying presenting help to their children.
https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Sameera993/videos/pcb.907132939439540/1778576522166824/?type=3&theater&ifg=1

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Irlen Diagnostician, Mona Kazim, and her team of Irlen experts in the UAE hosted an impressive ISAW effort in their country. Mona presented at the Vision X Conference and had an exhibitor booth throughout the conference at the Dubai World Trade Center. Her team also presented at the Down Syndrome Center, Zayed University, and Emirates University. They participated as presenters in two government events hosted by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, Living Arabic and What Works, and the team visited and presented to a host of school principals as well.

UNITED KINGDOM

As expected, our friends in the United Kingdom and Channel Islands worked hard during awareness week, with a variety of on-site presentations and local gatherings taking place. Among other events, in Gloucestershire, Irlen Diagnostician, Stephanie Jamison, spoke at the Heading Off Headaches workshop at the Cheltenham Headache Clinic, and on the Channel Islands, Jean Felton brought Irlen-ites together for her annual pizza party.

UNITED STATES

Californians had a lot of opportunities to learn about Irlen Syndrome, beginning with Irlen Ambassadors in Chico giving free-mini screenings at the Touch of Chico. A few days later, 17 children and adults, most wearing Irlen glasses and covered in purple lights, walked in Chico’s Parade of Lights, pulling a flotilla of 6 purple and lighted, decorated, Costco, wagons, with painted book covers inside them. Some walkers held banners, One rode his scooter, we handed out information, and all were really excited. They were interviewed by Local Action News Live, and at three places during the parade the Judges read out a full description of Irlen syndrome over loudspeakers. One announcer even sharing that he had worn Irlen lenses as a child and they had really made a difference in his life.

Helen Irlen and her team (David Garcia, Sandra Tosta, Jeri LaVigne, Nancy and Sandy Rache) gave hundreds of mini-screenings at the Bulletproof conference over the course of the 3-day event.

Colorado

Jeanie Dunn and her team in Grand Junction were out in force, beginning with an awareness event on October 16th at Outwest Books and an informational session at Colorado Mesa University. Her team also secured a mayoral proclamation officially declaring it Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week in Grand Junction, Colorado!

Maryland

Baltimore, MD officially recognized it as Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week, with a proclamation from the city’s mayor.

Massachusetts

Members of the Irlen Syndrome Association of Massachusetts kicked off awareness week with a family friendly event at Morse Institute Library. Attendees learned about Irlen Syndrome, enjoyed face painting and fun games, and a silent and live auction that included a pair of Patriots Tickets! It shaped up to be a  fun event that helped raise funds for scholarships for Irlen testing for Massachusetts residents. To join ISAM, visit the Irlen Syndrome Association of Massachusetts.

Minnesota

Irlen Diagnostician, Judith Palapala exhibited at the Minnesota state teachers conference. Talked to many folks!

Texas

Irlen Diagnostician, Julie Yaxley, gave several awareness week presentations, including one at the Autism Society meeting.

Here are a few of the other ISAW events people let us know about via social media last week…

Susan Hughes

October 20 at 9:16pm

I had a rewarding day today in Redding CA. I was very well received at the Disability Action Center where I gave a presentation to clients with many visual and other forms of disabilities.
After the presentation I was allowed to use an office in the building to test and recheck several clients, saving them the two hour drive to Chico. A good end to Irlen Awareness week.

Philippa Moore

October 20 at 9:19am

This is my son Luke showing the presentation he put together on Irlen Syndrome to his class today. His confidence is growing all the time.

Hannah Louise Miller

October 18 at 7:39am

My event was successful today, at my college doing talk to staff and students and soon could be doing other talk.