IRLEN & Autism

Pervasive developmental disorders & the Irlen method

«People with perceptual-processing problems may live in a distorted world where things seem to disappear, move, or are seen in an abstract way. Some autistic people report that they cannot tolerate bright or fluorescent lights, bright patterns, neon colors.»

Donna Williams(autistic)Autism A global approach

Irlen and Autism

The cause of autism remains a mystery and there is no method worldwide to treat this disorder. Autistic individuals differ from one another and any program would have to be based on the needs of each individual.

Those who can be helped by the Irlen Method have perceptual sensory sensitivities that affect how they see and interact with the world around them. The Irlen Method is the method that remediates problems of correctly recording the information we receive from our senses and is an appropriate and evidence-based intervention for people with autism.

80% of the information we receive every day is visual and some people with autism cannot process this information properly. The rapid visual movements make the person feel disoriented. This, can make it painful for them to look at shapes that are too brightly lit and have stark contrasts with very light and dark colors. Some people with autism may experience visual disturbances similar to the symptoms of those suffering from migraines. They also have difficulty in tolerating being under fluorescent lights. Unfortunately, many experts believe that these sensory problems do not actually occur. But the problem is real.

Sensory problems

• Sensory sensitivities
• Visual perception disorders( Seeing something other than what the visual stimulus actually is.)
• Feel uncomfortable looking at objects that have large colour contrasts or objects with strong contrasts in general.
• Disorientation of space due to rapid visual movement.
• To feel uncomfortable when we are under fluorescent lights.

How do we control these kinds of problems?

There are Irlen clinics in the world that provide a solution for people suffering from sensory overload. The technique used by Irlen Method specialists is to identify the exact wavelengths that the individual is sensitive to. Filtering these specific wavelengths each time then allows the person's brain to process the information correctly and accurately. This ability to determine and identify exactly which wavelengths of light are responsible for sensory overload, stress and visual fragmentation (not being able to see an object globally but in parts) is the key to the success of the Irlen method.

The appropriate colour filter is worn like glasses. Each person needs their own unique combination, which alone gives a solution to the above problems. The technique is unique and looks simple, but by wearing the right color the results are spectacular. On the contrary, the wrong color can make things worse.

The examination process does not require the ability to follow instructions or answer questions. Children as young as five years old can be tested. This method is not suitable for those who cannot afford to wear glasses.

Research

Research shows that the brains of children with autism work differently in integrating and decoding stimuli so that they perceive the world around them compared to a normal brain. According to Dr. Robert Schultz, there is a direct link between what we see and what we know.

Perception shapes behaviour.

Studies on the use of Irlen colour filters have documented positive changes in brain chemistry, biochemical differences as well as an increase in the ability to process faces and emotions by autistic individuals. Reducing sensory overload also involves an improvement in the ability to process auditory information, taste or smell.

What we improve ...

• Sensory overload - sensitivity
• Sensory integration - decoding
• Sense of space
• Inherent mobility
• Fine mobility
• Perception of depth
• Behavioral control
• School work
• Visual skills
• Eye contact
• Self-control
• Language - verbal skills

What experts say as well as people with autism...

«Sensory processing problems can cause real pain. Even people with autism who have no speech can have problems with sensory overload. More than a few people have actually been helped by Irlen filters."

Τemple Grandin, Ph.D.

"I always knew that the world was divided. My mother was a smell. My father was a sound and my older brother was someone who moved. Nothing was whole except colors and flashes in the air. Those Irlen glasses changed everything. Faces, body parts and voices became whole and understandable."

Donna Williams, Autistic

"I was looking with quick glances, to understand with pieces of pictures. I saw broken children, broken steps, broken books and letters. Until I put on the Irlen glasses. Since then I've been seeing and hearing truly as I've always wanted to."

Richard Attfield, Autistic

«I see 20/20, but the way my brain translates what I see makes a difference. I have no depth perception. I can't tell how deep or wide an object is or if it has a bump. I can't judge distances. I can't see in three dimensions.

This represents how a person with autism processes the world around them without the Irlen filters.»

Kathy Brent

IRLEN TEST

Poor eye contact	Yes	No
Difficulty in interpreting facial expressions	Yes	No
Looks with quick glances	Yes	No
Avoids looking - concentrates on visual targets	Yes	No
Half closes his eyes or looks down	Yes	No
Rubbing or squeezing the eyes	Yes	No
Annoyed by lights or bright designs	Yes	No
Poor sociability-interaction	Yes	No
Blank look	Yes	No
Shade preference from sunlight	Yes	No
Poor perception of space or the body	Yes	No
Seen sensitivity to sunlight	Yes	No
Clumsiness, bumping into things	Yes	No
Difficulty on stairs, electric stairs	Yes	No
Difficulty catching balls	Yes	No
They are fascinated by visual shapes or figures	Yes	No
Behavioural problems	Yes	No
Academic problems	Yes	No
Problems reading or copying	Yes	No
Poor gross and/or fine motor skills	Yes	No

If you answered Yes to three or more of the above situations then your child is likely to need Irlen colour filters.