| The answer is maybe yes and maybe no. It is an | | | | visual problem but rather a perceptual processing |
| inconclusive answer but it does allow for the | | | | difficulty. This means that the problem is not with the |
| differences and the power of how our senses | | | | eyes but lies with how neural pathways processes |
| perceive and absorb our world and how that shapes | | | | colors and light and how the brain process that |
| our perceptions. What one senses and perceives will | | | | information. This also means that an eye doctor is |
| then shape one's perceived reality. The sense of the | | | | not taught how to understand the problem. It is |
| exact hue of a color - as in incorporating tones of | | | | suspected that this problem is based on the two |
| black and white and the inclusions of shades of other | | | | neural optical pathways of processing perceived |
| colors - does not always match the perceptions of | | | | information, but the definitive involved process is yet |
| the person next to you. A good part of this has to | | | | to be determined. |
| do with individualistic neural processing, or just how | | | | This is the perceptual reality. The shade, hue, color |
| our senses get connected to the brain, and the rest | | | | and the quality of light affect those with Irlen |
| has to do with which senses are dominant in our | | | | Syndrome. These individuals do not see color and light |
| world "intake". | | | | the way most of us do. These individuals need |
| In meal preparation, cooks tend to go with the | | | | assistance to be able to perceive black print on a |
| combination of spices and flavors that they believe | | | | white background. They need help to perceive their |
| will enhance a dish, but those may not be the flavors | | | | world differently so that they can manage |
| that others would like to taste in their mouths. Some | | | | competently. Special lenses, and sometimes colored |
| people react to flavors in foods and others react to | | | | overlays, are used to ameliorate the perceptual |
| texture. A most marvelously flavored meal may feel | | | | difficulties by employing colors to balance the |
| lacking if one is really longing for something crunchy in | | | | spectrum of light. |
| the mix. Some people can walk easily with a pebble in | | | | Here is the conundrum. If an individual has always |
| their shoe and others want to scream at the feel of | | | | seen a page of text as blurry or shifting, that is the |
| fine sand on their feet. We all have our own | | | | individual's reality about the printed page. Usually, that |
| perceptual sensitivities, our own awareness of the | | | | individual assumes that everyone deals with weird |
| world, and we all have some things that we do not | | | | looking text and that she/he is the only one in the |
| attend to. | | | | classroom who can not interpret the shifting and |
| Sounds affect people differently. For some, fiddle | | | | changing print. Even if the individual suspects that |
| music soothes them and jazz makes them irritable, | | | | something is wrong, that sense of wrong gets |
| while for others, jazz makes them feel mellow and | | | | internalized. Help is not asked for. |
| fiddle music might make them impatient. Some | | | | There are so many statistics around reading |
| individuals are strongly reactive to smell, and others, | | | | problems. A quarter of the people on this planet do |
| not so much. Some people get high on the smell of | | | | not learn the way we, in the Western World, are |
| fuel for racing cars and others will respond strongly | | | | told that we should, and that number is probably |
| to the smell of jasmine and plumeria. Perception, and | | | | higher. Nearly a quarter of the people that are told |
| think of this as an integration of all or any of the | | | | that they have a reading problem actually also have |
| senses, is an individualized process. | | | | Irlen Syndrome. |
| We sense with our individualistic abilities, we perceive | | | | Here is the hope and the help. Change the perception |
| and we process. We probably do not perceive the | | | | and change the colors. Many individuals who have |
| same things in the same way that the people next | | | | difficulty reading, and who then use a colored overlay |
| to us do. We just do not see the color "blue" the | | | | or change the page background to a different color, |
| way that they do, and that is just fine. Our | | | | have suddenly been able to focus on a page and |
| perceptual differences, our neural receptors, and our | | | | read. Words suddenly emerge. Changing the black on |
| processing of what our senses tell us, makes it so. | | | | white contrast to black with another hue/color, allows |
| Our perceptions tell the story of who we are and | | | | words to be read. This makes a huge difference. The |
| they delineate how we process, learn and proceed in | | | | response is usually a "WOW!" It is that big of a |
| our world. | | | | difference. Overlays and page colors make a |
| Sometimes, perceptions, and the integration of these | | | | difference, but the Irlen lenses change the perceptual |
| perceptions, complicate our world in difficult ways. | | | | intake in a remarkable way. Changing the visual |
| Irlen Syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome) is | | | | perceptual reality for an individual is life changing. |
| one of these perceptual complexities. Irlen Syndrome | | | | It is the difference between a failing first-grader and |
| refers to a particular perceptive difficulty in managing | | | | a newly graduated second grader who can actually |
| light and colors. Individuals with Irlen Syndrome own a | | | | see the homework. The information is out there. This |
| pronounced difficulty in reading, in staying calm under | | | | is such an easy fix for many reading problems even |
| florescent light, and in managing high contrast colors - | | | | with the additional complications of dyslexia. Check it |
| such as black print on white pages - with anything | | | | out. |
| resembling comfort and mastery. Those with Irlen | | | | What I perceive may not be what you perceive. Just |
| Syndrome have real and very physical problems with | | | | see to the integrity of your perception and accept |
| reading that include comprehension, headaches and | | | | the differences. The goal is that we get a glimpse of |
| difficulty in focusing. They struggle to absorb what is | | | | each other's world so that we can share and |
| on a page of print. On white pages with black print, | | | | understand. The ultimate goal is that accessing |
| letters move and shift, and these individuals just can | | | | learning is a level field of endeavor. Make it easier to |
| not make the letters stay still. | | | | learn for yourself. |
| This is not a visual difficulty but is a perceptual | | | | Please, research. Google Irlen Syndrome. The |
| sensitivity that involves light and color. This is not a | | | | answers are out there. |
