Living Nourished Lives

Recently I stumbled upon something that I’d never heard of before but which really has me intrigued.  I’m intrigued because there seems to be a relatively simple “fix” and also because I have experienced some of the symptoms.  Essentially what I’m talking about here is IRLEN Syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity.  In 1983 Helen Irlen, an educational psychologist, first began to identify that certain individuals that she was working with who had adult dyslexia had problems with perception which were caused by light sensitivity. These individuals are highly sensitive to certain wavelengths and frequencies of light and it over stimulates the visual part of the brain and results in fatigue after short periods of reading which can also lead to reading disability, headaches, and stress.  This syndrome can often be paired with or mistaken for other issues such as ADHD, Dyslexia, and other learning disorders. Originally it was thought that it was always associated with reading difficulties, but now it is realized that at least 20% of the general population has a mild form of this syndrome. However, it can go hand in hand with other issues such as: reading or learning difficulties, ADHD, Autism, head injuries (including concussion, whiplash).  In fact, the video on the Irlen website features a young man whose only symptom was headaches.  In 1984, Helen Irlen developed the Irlen Method which essentially corrects the overstimulation from the troublesome light wavelengths by a method of identifying which tints of colored lenses or overlays help tone down the overstimulation from the troublesome wavelengths.  The young man featured in the video identified a couple different tints which he now wears in a pair of eyeglasses which gives him the benefit of not having the headaches that he previously suffered from.  Finding the correct tint or combination of tints for each individual is key since if the wrong tint is worn in glasses or contacts, it can actually make the situation worse.

If anyone knows someone with reading/learning difficulties, ADHD, Autism, or who has had a head injury, please share this information with them.

I was never diagnosed with dyslexia, but after reading more about it, and having a child with it, I concluded that I had to have had some dyslexia.  I got through school okay, but my schoolwork always took me longer.  However, just about everything takes me longer and I absolutely have experienced trouble with reading because I start to fall asleep usually very shortly after I start to read.  They say that driving can put people to sleep because of this syndrome.  If I am a little tired, this can actually pretty easily happen to me and is one reason I do like driving long distances.  So, if I show up one day with a pair of tinted glasses, you’ll know that I followed through with screening (I already qualify by the self tests on the Irlen website) and they found a tint/tint combination which would help keep my visual cortex from getting overwhelmed. If you would like to take the short self test, you can do so here.