Irlen Syndrome. Huh? What?

Today, we found out that Emma Grace has Irlen Syndrome.

Say what?

Okay. Let me back up and say that a couple of weeks ago we started an assessment program to check for learning disability and/or dyslexia. Part of the assessment is a screening for Irlen Syndrome. That screening was today.

Wikipedia defines the syndrome as:

". . .based on the theory that certain wavelengths of light interfere with the visual pathways between the eye and the brain."

Here's some basic information from the Irlen website (www.irlen.com):

"The Irlen Method has been used for over 25 years to identify and help people with a type of processing problem called Irlen Syndrome, formerly known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS). Irlen Syndrome is not an optical problem. It is a problem with the brain's ability to process visual information. This problem tends to run in families and is not currently identified by other standardized educational or medical tests.

"This problem can manifest itself differently for each individual. This problem is not remediable and is often a lifetime barrier to learning and performance."

So NOW what?

Well, the screener gave us a clear purple overlay (color determined during the screening) to be placed over all reading material. We are to use it for about 1 month and see if she responds favorably. If so, we will return for another session during which her individualized color will be determined. Then we will have the color applied to her glasses.

The purpose of the overlay and the tint on the glasses is to filter out the wavelengths of light that overstimulate her brain and make it difficult for her to process visual information. Right now her brain has a hard time knowing what is the important information on the page. She sees the white background and the black type as equal in importance. This is frustrating and confusing and requires an enormous effort for even the smallest reading and visual tasks.

So, we are not finished with this process. We have a couple of weeks to await the results of the other assessments, and we have a month of using the reading overlay. It is highly likely that she has other things going on. Irlen is common in people with dyslexia and other learning challenges.

We'll keep you posted.