ntroduction to Irlen syndrome

ntroduction to
Irlen syndrome
A visual perceptual dysfunction
A
i l
ld f
i
Affecting 18‐20% of the population
Guide for Instructors
(driving you to destruction)
www.readingbycolour.org.uk
This guide was produced by Janet Edwards for the Reading By Colour charity.
(Photocopyable for instructors use only)
Printed
May 2011
P i t d iin M
Introduction Facts
Quiz
Brain Scan
Distortions with Implications
Symptoms and consequent driving faults
y p
q
g
So why is Irlen syndrome not listed in the health conditions “that could affect your driving?”
1
2
3
4
5–8
9
10
F db k
Feedback 11- 13
Symptoms
14
Screening Form‐ Driving
15
g
Screening Form‐‐General
16-18
Introduction (1)
Hats off to all you driving instructors, you do an amazing job! I certainly couldn’t do it.
This guide is designed to give you the instructor the tools necessary to
detect when your client needs referring for Irlen screening.
•
•
•
Irlen syndrome is not detected with the standard eye testing.
Perceptual dysfunction is not screened for prior to taking the practical
driving test.
It is not mentioned on the health conditions “that could affect driving.”
If after reading the list of symptoms you feel that your client
client, could need
Investigation feel free to pass our information on to them. We are happy to answer
any questions you may have.
Irlen syndrome, unlike
some disorders, is
improved with detection.
The use of Irlen™ filters
can be life changing.
Irlen spectral filters can
be worn for driving at
night, so cutting out the
dazzle from headlights
and streetlights.
A screening form is included in this pack. We are happy to analyse the results
for your client, and give advice to both you and your client. We also offer
presentations to organisations.
Reading by Colour
Great Cauldham Farm
Cauldham Lane
Capel-Le-Ferne
Kent
CT18 7HQ
Telephone us on 020 323 995 96 (skype)
admin@readingbycolour.org.uk - www.readingbycolour.org.uk
Facebook – Irlen syndrome support - Reading by Colour charity
To order an electronic copy of the instructors guide please contact us
(
(We
also have a g
guide which outlines the academic and p
physical
y
p
problems that Irlen syndrome
y
causes this can also be issued on request).
(1)
Facts (2)
Irlen syndrome affects 18-20% of the population.
It is not diagnosed by standard visual testing.
Each individual has their own degree of symptoms and colour needs.
Approx 50% of dyslexics and as many as 30% with
ASD, ADD (HD), dyspraxia and dyscalculia have
Irlen syndrome
syndrome.
Irlen syndrome restricts the span of focus causing difficulty seeing
cars in other lanes, pedestrians, road signs, and road exits.
The majority of sufferers are unaware that what they
perceive is not normal,
normal and therefore cannot recognize
the problem by themselves.
Irlen filters counteract the spectral light which causes
distortion, allowing the brain to process visual information
correctly.
The wearer does not see the filter colour, therefore Irlen
filters can be worn legally at night as long as they are not too dark.
Irlen filters are as necessary to the Irlen sufferer as
prescription glasses are to the short or long sighted.
Irlen syndrome causes fatigue and lack of concentration.
Distortions caused by Irlen syndrome can KILL.
(2)
(3)
Answer
Second row on the right this person has severe Irlen syndrome.
Which vehicle do you think is the most dangerous? (3)
Brain scan showing Irlen syndrome and the difference
with and without Irlen filters
(4)
Distortions with Implications (4)
=Imagine driving along the road and the only part you see clearly is the red car in front.
(5)
Blinded by the light, about to change lane.
(6)
Imagine, this is how you see the world blurry and fragmented. Could you safely judge a
distance? Could you drive safely? (best viewed from a distance)
(7)
So where is the car? Where are the road markings? Why am I dizzy? I wonder!
(8)
lack of concentration
over caution when changing lanes
blinded by headlights and streetlights
frequently
q
y clipping
pp g the kerb
headaches and fatigue
extreme light sensitivity
lines appearing to merge
blurry, tunnel or fragmented vision
poor judge of speed and distance
dizziness and disorientation
frequently driving closely to the car in front
(9)
These are only some of the listed health conditions that
“could affect your driving” any one of these could be Irlen
syndrome so why is Irlen syndrome not on the list? (5)
Nightblindness
Attention deficit
disorder
Anxiety
Irlen
syndrome
Diplopia
(double vision)
Cognitive
problems
Dizziness
Visual field
defect
(10)
“I was next to blind at night” (6)
My name is Karla Griffiths; my main concerns were my lack of spatial awareness and
inability to judge distance as well as an aversion to lights. I have been driving for five
years now, and
driving
d one llook
k att my car ttells
ll you which
hi h aspects
t off d
i i are nott my strong
t
points! I used to make excuses about each ding or knock, this person distracted me,
or mirrors were dirty, luckily the only thing I ever damaged was my own car, but it could
have been a person, animal, or somebody’s car. I wouldn’t drive through tunnels (i.e.
The Dartford tunnel, the Roundhill tunnel etc
I was next to blind at night and definitely suffered visual impairment with headlights
approaching me, streetlights and strong sunlight. The financial implications of this
were that my insurance after four years of driving
driving, being over twenty five,
five having a
group eight car was still almost £1000!!!!
So, I was tested and Irlen syndrome, was identified. I then needed to have a further
diagnostic test to prescribe which coloured filters would help me, this is a long process,
but fascinating, I honestly did not want to give the variety of lenses back!!
So, have my filters changed anything?
The difference was amazing!
g I received the g
glasses two weeks ago,
g , since then myy
driving has improved to such a degree that I’m actually enjoying driving again! I have
driven in the dark, through tunnels, for over an hour at a time and my first drive after
picking up my glasses was about a sixty mile round trip!
Other things have changed too, I no longer fall asleep during every film I watch or
suffer from migraines when reading, using the laptop, or watching TV, there IS a
difference with HD channels and when I watched a film that had a long shot in a
wooded area the trees were in perspective, when I lifted my glasses up to see the
difference ((I still do this a lot!)) the trees were somewhat flat and almost in a line not set
back from one another as they are with the glasses!
In my mind the real telling point of the success of the filters and my driving skills was
affirmed when I was running late, forgot to put my glasses on, drove the school run and
walloped the car into the kerb causing a two inch split in the tyre and half hour messing
about changing the wheel not to mention the cost of replacing the tyre.
This is a photograph of the crash
Karla had.
We are not claiming that this would
not have happened had she been
wearing her filters, nevertheless it’s
certainly food for thought!
(11)
“My peripheral vision has coming back” (6)
My name is Chris Abdouch. I would like to
say that the Irlen filters have been a great
help for me to become a much safer and
more confident driver. Firstly I will describe
for you what types of difficulties I was facing
while driving, to help give a better
understanding of just how much my Irlen
S
Spectral
t l Filt
Filters have
h
benefited
b
fit d me………..
I was having several different types of perceptual problems while driving and
consequently found myself getting into accidents quite frequently
frequently. The types of problems
that I have experienced while driving include: tunnel vision, difficulty with
accurately judging distance, problems with discerning and processing motion, certain
optical illusions such as the appearance that two separate lanes of traffic seem to cross
over into each other and the appearance that turnoffs on the interstate seem to
sometime disappear from certain angles. When I experience difficulties with processing
motion it is usually significantly worse during the daytime that it is at night. When I am
driving behind other cars I have great difficulty discerning the true distance between my
car and the car in front of me.
I also have great difficulty discerning the speed at which I am approaching the cars in
front of me. When I approach cars in front of me it does not look like a motion which
happens smoothly and gradually, but rather it looks more like a motion projector with
several missing segments in the film strip thus creating a choppy sense of motion and
lessening
g or expanding
p
g distance between me and the car in front of me. Sort of like a
jumpy effect.
Sometimes I would notice that when it is bright and sunny
that this would make it very difficult for me to be able to accurately judge distance
between myself and other cars ahead of me. As I would approach cars ahead it would
seems as if they went from being two hundred feet away to about twenty feet away in a
matter of less than second and I had no explanation
p
for how this could have happened.
pp
(12)
“My peripheral vision has come back” (6)
Some of the problems I experienced at night time were not being able to see roads
accurately and knowing where the turns and curves in the road were. Winter conditions
presented extra problems at night time because my vision seems to become more
tunneled and roads were concealed by the snow so that made it even harder for me
discern where the roads were going.
During the summer season in daytime I was usually in much better shape as far as
visibilityy however the tunneled vision caused a lot of p
problems for me especially
p
y when I
was trying to make turns or lane changes because it was very difficult for me to see
what was around me with limited visual awareness. Since I started driving I was getting
into an accident a year on average which meant that from the time I started driving at the
age of fifteen to age twenty-five I had been in about ten accidents already.
Since I was diagnosed and treated with Irlen syndrome I have been a much safer driver
and my visual awareness has improved significantly. My peripheral vision has come
back again, my ability to accurately judge space and distance between myself and other
vehicles has improved significantly and I am not seeing nearly as many problems with
processing the motion of other cars and how fast I am approaching them. Over all I have
been a much safer and confident driver since I have been treated for Irlen syndrome
and started wearing the Irlen Spectral filters in my lenses. I have not had a single
accident in the last two years.
(13)
The symptoms ( )
Parking
Difficulty parking
Feel you will hit the car in front
Hit the kerb or leave to much space
Difficulty seeing where the kerb is
Physical Symptoms
Become drowsy driving and as a passenger
Lack of concentration
Feel dizzy with motion
Have blurry, or tunnelled vision
Bothered by bright sunlight
Rain on the windscreen dazzles
Driving Performance
Feel uncertain changing lanes
Drive too close/far away from the car in front
Difficulty judging speed and/or distances
Drive too close to parked cars
Distortion
Difficulty seeing where the kerb is.
Difficulty seeing the road markings
Lanes or cars appearing to merge
Experience distortion and glare from snow and water.
Have blurry and/or fragmented vision
Lack of peripheral vision disabling ability when pulling out into traffic
Feel passengers are uneasy with your driving
(14)
Please return to the
Reading by Colour Charity
Great Cauldham Farm
Cauldham Lane
Capel-Le-Ferne
Kent
CT18 7HQ
Circle the answer applicable to you
Do you find parking difficult?
Feel you will hit the car in front or behind?
Hit the kerb or leave too much space?
Have difficulty seeing where the kerb is?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Become drowsy driving or as a passenger?
Lack concentration?
Feel dizzy with motion?
Have blurry, or tunnelled vision?
Are you bothered by bright sunlight?
Does rain on the windscreen dazzle you?
Does dirt on the windscreen distract you?
Do you feel uncertain when changing lanes?
D i ttoo close/far
Drive
l
/f away from
f
the
th car in
i front?
f t?
Have difficulty judging speed?
Have difficulty judging distance?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Y
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
N
No
No
Have difficulty seeing the road markings?
Do lanes appear to merge?
Do cars appear to merge?
Do you experience distortion from snow?
Do you experience distortion from the rain?
Are passengers uneasy with your driving?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
(15)
Screening form for optional completionPlease return to the
Reading by Colour Charity with the driving questionnaire
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Read the questions below with me. Answer to the best of your
ability. Each question is personal to you. There is no right or wrong answer. For
example, with the question “Do you like reading?” answer what you really feel. If you
do not enjoy reading, you can say so.
Section A:
Do you like reading?
If not, can you explain why not?
How long can you sustain reading before your eyes get tired or want to stop?
2-3 mins
5 mins
Why do you stop then?
10 mins
30 mins
1 hour
What happens if you keep going?
When you get to the point when you want to stop:
How do your eyes feel?
How does your head feel?
Do the words always stay nice and clear?
Section B:
Do the words always stay still?
Circle round the word that applies to you
yes
Do you hang onto the railing going up/downstairs?
Do you miscalculate the number of stairs at the top or bottom?
Do you bump into furniture or doorways?
Did you have trouble with balance when learning to ride a bike?
Do you have trouble riding a bike in a straight line?
If riding close to the kerb do you hit the kerb?
Do you hesitate when getting onto an escalator or feel funny or ill?
Do you have difficulty with ball games?
(16)
or
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
no
Do you have trouble following the ball on TV sports shows?
Are you accident prone?
When walking do you feel dizzy or light headed?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
Did you have problems skipping or jumping a rope when younger? yes
Did you have trouble colouring inside the lines?
yes
Did you have problems cutting on the lines?
yes
no
no
no
Do you feel dizzy on heights or ladders?
no
yes
Instructions: Think about what reading is like when you get to point when you want to
stop
C (i). Effects on reading Circle round the word that applies
not sure
yes
no
When reading:
Do you skip lines by mistake?
Do you lose your place?
Do you misread words?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do you skip
D
ki words
d b
by mistake?
i t k ?
Do you reread the same line by mistake?
Do you avoid reading or reading out loud?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
nott sure
not sure
not sure
Do you tend to read word by word?
Does white or glossy paper bother you?
Do you take in information you read?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do you need to look away or take breaks?
Are you easily distracted/restless/fidgety?
Does reading seem to get worse with time?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do you use something to keep your place?
Is it difficult to remember what you read?
yes
yes
no
no
not sure
not sure
(17)
C(ii). Physical symptoms
Circle round the word that applies
At the point when you stop reading:
yes
no
not sure
Do your eyes feel tired or strained?
Do they get red or watery?
Do they hurt, ache or burn?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do they feel dry, sandy, scratchy or itchy?
Do you rub your eyes or around your eyes?
Do you feel tired or drowsy?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Does your head feel different or strange?
Do you have a headache, or is one coming on?
Do you feel sick or dizzy?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do you squint or frown?
Do you open your eyes wide to see words?
Do yyou blink a lot?
yes
yes
yyes
no
no
no
not sure
not sure
not sure
Do you move closer/further away from the book?
Do fluorescent/bright lights make reading harder?
yes
yes
no
no
not sure
not sure
Section D:
When copying do you copy:
one word at a time?
do you lose your place?
more than one word?
do you misspell words?
less than one word?
do you leave out words/lines?
(18)