TXK Educational and Behavioral Insight

03/25/2022

MANY OPTOMETRISTS NOW RECOGNISE THAT IRLEN LENSES HELP THEIR CLIENTS and many refer them to an Irlen Clinic. HOWEVER, there are a few who are dishonest and tell parents that they are "Irlen Certified". If so,they should have their Irlen Certification displayed for all to see. www.irlendyslexia.com

03/18/2022

IRLEN SYNDROME IS A VISUAL PROCESSING DISORDER INVOLVING THE BRAIN.. NOT THE EYES! Our eyes send visual signals to the visual cortex in our brain. For most people, the signal arrives "intact" meaning that what the brain "sees" is exactly what was sent from the eyes. For people with Irlen Syndrome, there are parts of the light entering the eye that cause a distortion of the signal before it reaches the visual cortex, so what the brain "sees" IS NOT the same as what the signal from the eyes is. These distortions can include blurring, movement and fading of words on a page, a difficulty in being able to focus on a visual task. or remembering what has been read. It can also affect writing. This is sometimes messy, and difficult to understand. Irlen lenses, when worn as glasses actually "filter out" specific parts of the light that enters the eyes, so that there is no distortion when the signal reaches the visual cortex. So, for those people, the signal from the eyes remains intact when it reaches the visual cortex. Coloured surfaces e.g., paper, also remove some of the wavelengths of light entering the eyes, similar to the lenses. So in a different way, the colour is preventing distortion of the signals. That is why many students with Irlen Syndrome prefer to use coloured paper instead of white. Their distortions are removed and they can study more effectively. For more information go to www.irlendyslexia.com

02/27/2022

VISUAL PROCESSING OF WHAT WE SEE INVOLVES BOTH OUR EYES AND BRAIN. If our eyes are not functioning correctly, then the image received by the retina and transmitted to the brain is not going to be correct. An ophthalmologist or optometrist will usually prescribe corrective lenses to correct the image e.g. reading glasses correct the EYE problem that is making words look blurry BUT some people who experience blurriness when reading have PERFECT eyesight. So for them, prescription lenses CANNOT do anything to make it clearer. So there must be something else that is causing the words to appear blurry. This suggests that their brain is having difficulty PROCESSING the visual signals that it is receiving from the eyes. People with Irlen Syndrome often have perfect eyesight but they experience blurring of words, distortion of print and many other difficulties when reading that CANNOT be explained by problems with their eyes. Some people with Irlen Syndrome DO need optometric corrective lenses, but these do not remove their processing difficulties so those lenses are combined with their Irlen tint, which modifies the light entering the eyes. Irlen lenses ARE NOT correcting a problem with the eyes, but ARE correcting problems with the brain's ability to successfully PROCESS the signals from the eyes. Irlen lenses are simply FILTERS that modify the parts of the light that are interfering with their VISUAL PROCESSING.

02/27/2022

For some people, sunlight, fluorescent lights, bright light, glare, or even headlights at night can put extra stress on the brain, causing a variety of physical symptoms, including: eye strain, headaches, fatigue, sleepiness, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, irritability and discomfort. Filtering the light through precision-tinted colored lenses can eliminate this stress on the brain, allowing you to be in all types of lighting conditions without pain or discomfort. Bright lights don’t have to hurt!

Here at the Irlen Syndrome Foundation, our mission is to provide increased access to affordability of assessments and color intervention for Irlen Syndrome. If you would like more information, please visit www.irlensyndrome.org

10/19/2021

It's Irlen Awareness Week! Let's spread the word about how this non invasive color solution can change so many lives!

09/13/2021

Mark your calendar.... Irlen Awareness Week coming up!

09/13/2021

08/25/2021

Hey Moms! You know your kids better than anyone. When something doesn't seem right, you trust your gut and leave no stone unturned until you have the answers you need. You are your child's strongest advocate with teachers, counselors, and doctors, and so you need to know what to look for when it comes to Irlen Syndrome because no other professional in your child's life will.

08/19/2021

The effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion can linger long after the initial injury. Mild TBI can cause problems, including headaches, migraines, light sensitivity, difficulty concentrating, irritability and memory issues, making it difficult for these individuals to return to school, work, and full functionality in daily life. In a 2014 study, 178 brain injury victims who were given Irlen Spectral Filters showed dramatic and immediate improvements of headaches, migraines and light sensitivity.

Watch Chief Petty Officer Jeff Doran speak on how Irlen Filters were able to give him his life back after brain injury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToxCbuKbk1Y&t=9s

08/17/2021

Teachers, here's how you can adjust the lighting in your classroom to make it more tolerable for students with Irlen Syndrome.
1) Turn off fluorescent lights: seat students with Irlen Syndrome near windows and turn off the bank of fluorescent lights closest to the windows
2) Place colored gels over your fluorescent lights (http://www.rosco.com/us/filters/cinegel.asp)
3) Allow the student to wear a dark brimmed hat to protect him/her from fluorescent lighting overhead