I got tested for Irlin as a cause for migraines. It involved looking at lots of patterns and pages of words and numbers, and trying out the different tints for the lenses to see what colours made a difference (putting a tinted sheet over the paper and working out what colours make the images sharper)
It is not widely accepted or still considered experimental - one doctor I spoke with thought it was hogwash. And interestingly, the glasses or assessment were not covered by my health insurance. But I have a friend whose son (a teen) has the glasses and it has made a world of difference to him.
In the end I didn't get glasses, but adjusted the colour and brightness settings on my computer screen, as that seemed to be the culprit for me.
At DD1's school the teacher's son had it and she suggested that M get tested by a behavioural optomotrist. I found one in our area, who bulk bills.... I still haven't done it, but I spoke with M's OT about it who suggested that a lot of children with sensory issues often come up with it if they do have visual processing issues.
Yep, his teacher recommended I take him to a behavioural optomotrist. He is due to have his eyes checked anyway so will go where she suggested. Cairns also has a centre (Bill Spooner) who tests for Irlen Syndrome so we will takeit a step at a time because really everything I have read about it so far, kinda sound like ti could be but not really. Plus being colour blind not sure how the tint will help?
My daughter's teacher recommended she be assessed through an Irlen Clinic. I was sceptical about how the lenses would work but decided to give it a try. She was diagnosed as needing yellow tinted lenses. She was 8 years old at the time and my husband tried her glasses on once we received them and he was amazed at how clearly he could read the text. It turns out that he has been dyslexic all his life and didn't know that that was the cause of his literacy problems throughout his schooling.
Give the lenses a try, they really helped my daughter. She still found primary school a real struggle but it all started to click and become easier in high school. She still takes a lot longer than others to read text but is now in her first year at University.
See reading isn't so much his issue, it the understanding what he is reading & comprehension. When he was assessed by a child psychologist she said that his comprehension when he reads to himself was "red flag" below average yet when it was read to him, it was above average..
If he's working so hard to decipher what's on the page, it's possible that he just isn't taking it in to understand it and retain it and process it. Having the assessment won't hurt - and it can certainly help. I've taught a number of kids who have needed coloured lenses and/or coloured paper. It does make a difference, and the earlier the better.
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