Irlen Syndrome - diagnosis - where?

[ENesbit]

Posted this before in education , but think it may be better here...
We are taking out daughter to the City University Optometry clinic tomorrow, as her school has suggested she may have Irlen Syndrome, which this clinic says it can test for . I have been told ( by a practitioner contacted through the Irlen UK website) that optometrists cannot diagnose and treat this, as it is not a visual condition.
Does anyone have any experience of the City University clinic, or the Irlen London Centre?
Any feedback gratefully received.

An optometrist should be able to prescribe coloured glasses which will treat the effects of Irlen Syndrome if that's what she has.

Does she complain about the text moving or blurring or something like that?

An optometrist is a very good place to start cause they can also check out other vision conditions as well as Irlen. For example trouble with focussing her eyes, trouble with tracking her eyes....

Irlen syndrome is actually very rare. There are many many other far more common disorders an optometrist should be able to also check for.

Thanks. Yes, she complains about words jumping about on the page, she is constantly losing her place and can't find it again, and seems to find the act of reading physically tiring. Suffers quite a lot of headaches. Normal eyesight test at opticians said she had perfect eyesight.

I'm an optometrist.

The Irlen institute is correct in that a normal NHS eye examination for children wouldn't go into 'Irlen syndrome'.

There are optometrists with a special interest in children's vision who carry out more detailed assessments for specific help with difficulties (some are behavioural optometrists) such as IndigoBell mentions but this would be charged for privately.

City University should be a good place to go.One of the professors there, Bruce Evans, has a special interest in the assessment of visual aspects of specific learning difficulties and writes lots of educational articles in this area. I presume they would have access in the clinic to an Intuitive Colorimeter to check for need for coloured filters.

I would definately go there before the Irlen Centre as IndigoBell says.

Thanks , that's helpful.

I am new to mumsnet and have just come across these threads.. I am doing a bit of research into this as i believe my 8yr old has this. She has struggled with reading since day 1, but all other topics she is above average. She had her eyes tested because ahe said they kept going all fuzzy. Her reading age is yr1 and she is yr3. The teachers are baffled and are sending her off for dyslexia testing next term, but she doesnt seem to have any other dyslexic signs. 1 teacher gave her this week a choice of coloured reading rulers to see if this helped, she chose the light blue one and said ' wow the words are all spaced out' . I have been googling stuff all day and this irlen syndrom seemed to tick all the boxes.. Shes clumsy, complains of headaches, etc ean anyone give me any help? ? Who should i speak to, is there anyone i can contact etc...thanks

My recent experience of the Irlen Institute London has been extremely poor and I could not, in all good conscience, recommend it.

I am now seeking alternative help so will get in touch with City. Desperate to find someone in whom I feel I can have professional faith!