The Science Behind the Syndrome
What is Irlen Syndrome?
The Irlen Method has been used for over 25 years to identify and help people with a type of processing problem called Irlen Syndrome, formerly known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS). Irlen Syndrome is not an optical problem. It is a problem with the brain’s ability to process visual information. This problem tends to run in families and is not currently identified by other standardized educational or medical tests.
What causes Irlen Syndrome?
While Irlen Syndrome seems to run in families and many studies have noted hereditary markers, it is not purely genetic. The cause of Irlen Syndrome seems to be a problem in the visual pathway between the eye and the brain, a problem that causes visual processing to fail to synchronize, which leads to perceptual dysfunction.
Researchers discovered another interesting correlation when delving into Irlen Syndrome. As stated above, approximately 14% of the general population may have Irlen Syndrome. That number jumps up significantly for people with a learning or reading difficulty. Nearly half of people in this category also have Irlen Syndrome, along with about 1/3 of people on the autism spectrum and 1/3 of those with a concentration or attention problem such as ADHD.
Irlen Syndrome may affect
Academic and work performance
Behavior
Attention
Ability to sit still
Concentration
Symptoms may include
Print looks different
Environment looks different
Slow or inefficient reading
Poor comprehension
Eye strain
Fatigue
Headaches
Difficulty with math computation
Difficulty copying
Difficulty reading music
Poor sports performance
Poor depth-perception
Low motivation
Low self-esteem
Symptoms of Irlen Syndrome
Light Sensitivity
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