Visual Anomalies and Dyslexia
DSA Briefing Paper
Introduction
People with learning difficulties associated with conditions such as dyslexia are predisposed to experience certain types of visual problem, and these may contribute to reading difficulty. The most common visual anomalies are:
The Institute offers a Full Colorimetry session for students to deal with these anomalies and determine their requirements for coloured lenses.
The Institute's Clinic
The Specific Learning Difficulties and Visual Stress Clinic manages visual problems associated with specific learning difficulties.1
The Institute pioneered work in the field of visual anomalies and dyslexia and the Institute research and clinical teams have produced many peer-reviewed publications in this field.
As visual stress is more widely recognized nowadays, the clinic is increasingly receiving referrals of adult students who have already received a diagnosis of visual stress. The Institute has therefore established a special type of appointment, "DSA Full Colorimetry", for these students.
Guidance on what constitutes a diagnosis of visual stress is given in Appendix A.
1 The clinic caters for patients who have specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD, and those who suffer from migraine, pattern glare, light sensitivity, flickering lights, Meares-Irlen Syndrome and Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome.
DSA Full Colorimetry
This is a 1.5 hour appointment, which involves:
Guidance is also given on computer screen tinting, using a free screen tinting programme available for computer users (see Appendix A).
For most students who receive DSA Full Colorimetry testing only one appointment is required. On rare occasions other visual conditions may be detected which may require a follow-up appointment (for which the cost will not be eligible for DSA funding).
Fees
DSA Full Colorimetry
The costs involved are as follows:
The funding required would therefore be in the region of £325 upwards.
Subsidies & funding for students
Students in Further or Higher Education may be eligible for financial support in different ways:
In each case a needs assessment is required and a diagnosis of visual stress (see Appendix A).
Further information
Contact the Institute's Practice Manager at:
56-62 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DS
Tel: 0207 7234 9641
Email:admin@ioo.org.uk
www.ioo.org.uk
Appendix A: Diagnostic signs of visual stress in adults
Visual stress is also known as pattern-related visual stress, Meares-Irlen Syndrome, Meares-Irlen
syndrome/visual stress (MISViS), Irlen syndrome, or scotopic sensitivity syndrome (a misnomer).
The main diagnostic signs ofvisual stress are listed below. The best intervention for correcting visual stress
is individually prescribed coloured lenses following testing with the MRC
Intuitive Colorimeter. Higher education students with any of these diagnostic
indicators would benefit from DSA Full Colorimetry.
1. The student has experienced a benefit from colour when reading
2. Improvement in visual performance from colour. The person has been tested and has demonstrated significantly better performance with colour than without.
3. Positive response to the Lucid ViSS computer programme test.
4. Positive response to a Pattern Glare Test, typically the Wilkins and Evans Pattern Glare Test.
5. Classic symptoms of visual stress. This is the least convincing diagnostic indicator of visual stress because many of the symptoms of visual stress can be caused by other conditions in addition to visual stress. But experienced practitioners can recognise the classic symptoms of visual stress, which would be confirmed by colorimetry (including confirmatory tests).