Can Colour help your child?

Dyslexia, Visual stress or other reading difficulties……

In this article Midleton- based Optician Aisling O’ Connor discusses colourimetry and its effectiveness in relieving symptoms of perceptual distortion.

Visual Stress is a perception problem which makes it difficult to see clearly .The contrast between printed words on a white surface makes the letters appear jumbled or animated.

Visual Stress (Mears-Irlen syndrome) refers to reading difficulties, light sensitivity and headaches from exposure to disturbing visual patterns.

For example one current scientific explanation is that the perceptual problems are due to a hyperactivity in part of the brain which can be greatly reduced by the use of a precise individual colour , thus making reading and concentration easier.

What are the symptoms of Visual Stress?

Movement of the printed text

Blurring of print

Patterns in the print (sometimes described as rivers or worms)

Letters changing size or shape

Halos of colour surrounding letters or words

Tiring easily whist reading

Skips words or lines   

What Parents or teachers should look for:-

Moving closer to or away from the page, becoming restless 

Using finger as a marker

Skipping words and lines

Poor comprehension of reading content

Rubbing eyes and blinking excessively

Low self esteem

Frustration and low self esteem can occur in children who are underachieving due to visual stress. Early diagnosis of the problem is essential.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a term used to refer to various reading difficulties that affect the ability to read and spell correctly.

Visual stress is NOT the same as Dyslexia but is more common in those who are dyslexic.  For this reason it is important that the existence of visual stress is identified at an early stage. Once visual stress has been treated, the remaining problems are more easily dealt with.

Visual stress can occur in non-dyslexic individuals. Symptoms may become more apparent when intensive reading is necessary, as when studying for exams.

What can be done

Visual stress can be greatly reduced by the use of colour filters, thus making reading easier.

1)Firstly every child who displays problems with reading should be given a full eye examination  carried out preferably by an optician who also specialises in using the intuitive colorimeter.

The intuitive colorimeter is an instrument designed by vision scientist Arnold Wilkins to determine the precise colour required by each individual.

2) Overlay Assessment

This is an assessment using plastic transparent coloured sheets to determine a colour which proves beneficial; it is then given on a trial basis.

3) If the overlays are beneficial the optician may suggest colourimetry as a next stage. This may result in the prescribing of spectacles with coloured lenses. The colour will be more specific to each individuals needs, much more precise than the overlay and very often a different colour to the overlay.

For more information, contact   

A. O’Connor Opticians

Main Street

Midleton, Co Cork

021 4634452