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Twelve-year-old Rebecca Shantz was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome when she was in Grade 4.
“On my page, I could see only the tops and bottoms of letters and sometimes only the middle. I had to figure out each individual letter before I could read the word. By the end of
a story, I wouldn’t understand what I had read because I was putting all my effort into figuring out the letters.”
Now a successful Grade 7 student in French immersion and an avid
reader, Rebecca wears her Irlen lenses both in school and out.
“Without my glasses,” she explains, “ I also have no depth perception, meaning things are not where I see them.
Escalators were the most terrifying. I didn’t know where to step. I was so afraid of falling.”
Children with Irlen Syndrome have to put more effort and energy into reading than
their schoolmates. To compensate, some develop keen listening and memory skills and excel in subjects that don’t require a lot of reading.
Others give up. They avoid reading; they fall behind, and their behaviour and attitude deteriorate.
Because the symptoms of Irlen Syndrome are not readily
detected in standard eye exams, educational or psychological tests, the condition often goes undiagnosed.
And it is not just children who are affected. Research
suggests that Irlen Syndrome is hereditary. When a child is diagnosed, there is often a parent or sibling who is also affected. Irlen syndrome is thought to affect about 50 per cent of
children and adults with reading problems.
The first step in treatment is a screening process to
determine the extent to which a child suffers from Irlen Syndrome. Coloured see-through plastic sheets that can be laid over a printed page can provide an immediate tool for your child to
use while reading, but they won’t help with written activities or blackboard reading.
If the first screening indicates the child is a
candidate for Irlen lenses, there is a second, more intensive assessment to diagnose the precise combination of colour tints.
The lenses are made in a California lab, then fitted into the frame of your choice by a local optician.
Adel Francis, who opened the Ottawa Irlen Centre in
1993, sees an average 25 patients referred to her each month. One of three Irlen diagnosticians in Canada, she sees both children and adults, though the majority of her cases are school
children.
“Grade 3", she explains, “is where they symptoms
of Irlen Syndrome begin to show, the time when reading takes on a more important role in classroom work.”
Parents who bring their children to Ms. Francis often
do so with some skepticism, unsure what Irlen Syndrome is or how coloured lenses might help. As Ms. Francis calmly works with the child, skepticism quickly turns to curiosity and finally
to amazement as the child responds to different combinations of filters and begins to read, not only with fluency but with delight.
Ms. Francis is unable to help all those who are
referred to her, but the Irlen filters do result in success for about 70 per cent of her clients.
But families who have reaped the benefits say it is
money well spent. For some who can’t afford the cost, Ms. Francis may be able to help find financial assistance through local service clubs and Ottawa Social Services. For more
information, call
1-800-934-7536
(1-800-93-IRLEN).
Cont’d ... Irlen Syndrome warning signs - next page
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