As the librarian, I feel blessed to be the extra part of the equation at my school that helps identify reading challenges. When I hear a child say, "I hate to read!" I am immediately challenged to find out "WHY?" Recently I checked the reading level of a student who could decipher words but struggled to comprehend sentence content. Having never encountered this conundrum, I networked my best sources and found that light sensitivity was the issue, and had been researched more than 30 years ago by Dr. Helen L. Irlen, MA, BCPC, PPS, BCPTSD, LMFT. [Irlen Syndrome is a perceptual problem which appears to be caused by a defect in one of the visual pathways that carries messages from the eye to the brain. This defect causes a timing fault in processing visual information. Filtering out specific wave lengths of light helps the pathway to function normally.] To provide immediate aide to this student, I purchased colored cellophane bags (cut them open) and had him use them as overlays, choosing the color that worked best for him. The effect was immediate! His chosen color, purple, made all the difference in his ability to read and process what he was reading. He was excited, joyful, and now eager to participate in our reading activities from then on. Teachers are instructed about dyslexia, but no one is educating us about Irlen Syndrome. It is my desire to make supplies (and information) available for our teachers and struggling students who may have this little known vision challenge. It will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in their world.
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As the librarian, I feel blessed to be the extra part of the equation at my school that helps identify reading challenges. When I hear a child say, "I hate to read!" I am immediately challenged to find out "WHY?" Recently I checked the reading level of a student who could decipher words but struggled to comprehend sentence content. Having never encountered this conundrum, I networked my best sources and found that light sensitivity was the issue, and had been researched more than 30 years ago by Dr. Helen L. Irlen, MA, BCPC, PPS, BCPTSD, LMFT. [Irlen Syndrome is a perceptual problem which appears to be caused by a defect in one of the visual pathways that carries messages from the eye to the brain. This defect causes a timing fault in processing visual information. Filtering out specific wave lengths of light helps the pathway to function normally.] To provide immediate aide to this student, I purchased colored cellophane bags (cut them open) and had him use them as overlays, choosing the color that worked best for him. The effect was immediate! His chosen color, purple, made all the difference in his ability to read and process what he was reading. He was excited, joyful, and now eager to participate in our reading activities from then on. Teachers are instructed about dyslexia, but no one is educating us about Irlen Syndrome. It is my desire to make supplies (and information) available for our teachers and struggling students who may have this little known vision challenge. It will make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in their world.
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