Irlen syndrome is a load of rubbish?

[GherkinTherapy]

My daughter finds writing really difficult and her school have a dyslexia testing kit, which suggests she is dyslexic (not an official diagnosis).

They have also determined she has something called Irlen syndrome or 'visual stress' which can be alleviated by using green tinted transparent plastic overlays on anything she is reading. The SENCO and various support staff have recommended I have her eyes tested by an Irlen specialist who can provide her some special tinted plastic glasses in just the right colour for her. Given that this is quite pricey and not available on the NHS I did a bit of research on the internet before going ahead. A recent meta-analysis of the data found 'no evidence of treatment effectiveness has been achieved'. It seems any positive effect is placebo.

www.researchgate.net/publication/332205658_Irlen_syndrome_systematic_review_and_level_of_evidence_analysis

And an article in the BMJ saying similar www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/763087?path=/bmj/349/7972/Views_Reviews.full.pdf

I'm not a scientist and maybe I am missing something, but it seems wrong they are pushing an expensive treatment with no evidence to support it's efficacy. I have raised it with the head, but he thinks they are right and I am wrong.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha you haven't misunderstood.

Isleepinahedgefund if you had read my previous post you would have seen that my dd uses green overlays and paper (not that it makes any difference). According to Irlen syndrome theory (invented by Helen Irlen) can't just buy glasses in your preferred overlay colour, you need a different colour for the glasses which requires assessment by a trained Irlen practitioner.

Also, Isleepinahedgefund why do you think I started this thread if not to explore it?

I think the problem is as Balcanoona says anecdotes are not data, and the data I have found suggests coloured overlays and glasses don't work (other than as a placebo). I agree with the pp who suggested my money would be better spent on a dyslexia or possible dyspraxia diagnosis.

My daughter has had her assessments through the NHS, and will receive her colorimetry testing through them too.

You might think it’s bollocks, but it’s bollocks that works for a lot of people.

Also, Isleepinahedgefund why do you think I started this thread if not to explore it?

I suspect you deliberately started it to cause a rammy.

For what it’s worth, she has a full dyslexia diagnosis too, and the practitioner who did that recommended the visual stress clinic as another port of call to help my child’s brain make sense of the information being sent to it by the eyes.

The optician had observed that he was struggling with tracking and picking up letters from other lines

I do think that was an issue for DD1 - as I said a line under the sentence or the card with corner out used by dancing bears definitely helped DD1.

If you can afford a private ed psych report might be worth it – dysgraphia, dyslexia and dyspraxia are all options but knowing the actual underlying problems would be very helpful. It was always too expensive for us quotes we got were £450 to £600.

We’ve spent a of time on fun activities to strengthen muscle control – beads, clay – cutting – the primary board was a huge source of information when we needed it a few years ago.

The slope was a game changer for DS -few years later he no longer needs it – DD1 still grips too tightly so it's still ongoing process of slow improvements.

There are many studies which show that placebos actually do work so don't dismiss the placebo effect out of hand.

As long as it works, who cares?

I am dyslexic and although I’ve no reading problems when I am tired words jump around the page. Also, black print on a white background can give me a ‘rivers and streams’ problem. I learned about it from my sister who was studying print media at the time. It happens when the spacing between words and sentences seem to be huge, making it harder to read.
I’d a dyslexic classmate who wore tinted glasses as he found it hard to read. The words used to fall off the page, he’d a memory to die for and even the lecturers were jealous of hs mental abilities.

I'm not dismissing placebo out of hand, I just don't want to spend 100's of pounds on it!

Just reading this I am seriously wondering if an overlay would help me. I have always just thought because I have astigmatism and am very short sighted that struggling to read text was just part of that
I have taken to changing my laptop and phone screen to an orange colour (not many options) so I can read things! I ask the optician every time and no one really tells me what this is! I always struggled to read numbers, I also struggle with anything that is lines as they jump out at me and really confuse my eyes

My DGD is diagnosed dyslexic and she finds that a blue overlay works best for her in making the letters sharper, even though she's a girl......

Irlens isn't one of the things my kids have, but each has multiple complex needs.

To be fair if something helps them it helps them, I go with it. I don't care if people think it's woo or bunkum if it helps it helps.... I don't go around sniping about scientific studies I just as a parent want to help my kids.

But if causing a ruck is your bag instead, OP, why not start a thread like yours where you're critical of absolutely everything other than science?

My son is dyslexic and was diagnosed by an opthamologist when he was about 8 years old as having Irlen's - at every appointment he was asked to read a mixture of words (not sentences so he couldn't guess) and was so slow and unsure - as soon as the lady put the overlay on the paper he read it like he was on stage and me and DH couldn't believe what we were seeing. We didn't bother with the glasses as they were far too expensive and she said they weren't totally necessary as long as he continued to use his overlay - unfortunately his dyslexia isn't great and he won't accept help because he's too embarrassed and also stopped using his overlay when he started High School for the same reason, but it is definitely a thing

Has anyone said spend hundreds of pounds? You've had suggestions of using coloured paper and overlays which cost a few pounds. I can understand not going for full testing but calling it all woo and bunkum when suggestions costing a couple of quid have been made?

I often wonder whether I skim read because of irlen's. I struggle reading slowly, so have to.kind of run.with the words. I have a blue or sepia background on devices and I can feel my eyes relax into it. Old, tatty books are better than shiny white ones for me.

I do have massive problems with glare and get ocular migraines. So I think it's more of a brain thing. My spelling's always been spot on. Handwriting is...challenging.

BishopBrennansArse I will repeat, again, my daughter uses green overlays and paper, they cost as you say a few pounds, I don't mind, I bought her green overlays for home. The school want me spend £100 on getting her eyes tested by an Irlen specialist and the resulting glasses. I have not once used the words 'woo' or 'bunkum'.

The other thing is that most people seem to be using the glasses and overlays for reading, my daughter doesn't have a problem with reading, just writing.

as long as it works who cares?

because "it works" is opinion and anecdote.

If your child benefits from an overlay, that's good. But Irlens is a commercial company with vested financial interest in pushing diagnosis. All companies want to get into schools - because you have a captive audience of millions who will do anything to help their child. Why do you think microsoft and apple offer education editions? because once you hook the child, you as a company are set for life. And as a teacher I get angry that parents are being offered a "solution" to what may be a far more complex issue. Or, no issue at all.

I'm a teacher. Recently (in the past 5 years) I've taught four children diagnosed with Irlens.
All I have is anecdotal evidence, but since using overlays/coloured paper/glasses (and these chn have used all or a mixure - and not all have the glasses) all children have made massive amounts of progress and gone from working below age related expectations to working at age related expectations from diagnosis to end of KS2 or maybe its just my amazing teaching?? Seeing as there's no evidence

My ds In in yr 6, all through school he struggled with writing and reading. The headteacher was convinced he was dyslexic by year 4 but had no funds apparently to test fully so we went for a private screening. It was the screener who said he wasn't dyslexic but suggested there was a Irlens/ visual stress issue and recommended Irlens east. Think we paid £40 for a initial screening and he started using a overlay and coloured paper. I'll never forget him using overlay first time and hearing" oh the words aren't joined together "! School were amazed at improvements and we initially had coleromety glasses from local optician which helped as well but he's now got the Irlens lenses which he loves. I'll admit I did wonder if it would be worth it but without them he can't read the board or a car number plate put them on and he can.
Completely uninitiated by me dd was tested at school and they've supplied her with overlays and coloured paper, her handwriting has improved dramatically...
I can understand people not getting it but if it works don't fight it! I know a friend who is completely against it and despite her ds school giving him a overlay she won't let him use it as she doesn't believe in it and doesn't want him labelled which is crazy!

I've been properly diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia and even when tired words don't jump around on page or merge.

I know other people with similar diagnosis who do have that issue – so I have no problem believing either their experiences of the conditions differ to mine or there’s something else they have I don’t.

We tried coloured overlays with DD1 they made no difference - we did research and there wasn't a lot of strong evidence for it – so at that point we moved on to other options.

So I’m with GherkinTherapy I’d be a bit dubious that I was being expected to pay out of my pocket for further testing on something that doesn't seem to be having any effect on my child and isn’t supported by strong research data.

www.spelfabet.com.au/ - it’s Australian with aussi spelling and sounding but there lots of info about reading and writing problems
www.spelfabet.com.au/2018/06/dyslexie-font-coloured-overlays-and-irlen-syndrome/ –
www.spelfabet.com.au/2016/10/controversial-dyslexia-therapies/

The work books were useful to DD1 as well.

Gerkin - if your DD has a SpLD or related condition, it is vital to have an assessment.

• to find out if / what, your DD has.
• it’s severity
• action plan for DD / you / teachers to follow, to improve & help DD’s learning. The recommendations will form part of a formal assessment report.
• ensure accommodations are in place long before exams

If you rely on the goodwill of teachers and no official diagnosis then you have no formal framework. You can’t ‘insist’ the teachers follow specific teaching modifications in class or accomodations in exams.
And you run the risk of implementing useless or poor aids in the hope they may help.

I’m with Tawdry - I’d be very concerned that school think your DD has a learning difficulty and are unprepared to formally assess, whilst asking you to spend £ on what should be part of a larger assessment.

I think it is the ed psych rather than the school who is unwilling to assess. We are moving over the summer and she will be starting a new school, if they are unwilling to assess her maybe we need to save up to get a private assessment.

Thanks you for all the links bigKiteFlying I'm looking at them all, they are very helpful.

@GherkinTherapy if your DD is struggling more with writing than reading is it possible she has dysgraphia rather than dyslexia?