Vision Therapy vs. Irlen

[MicheleB]

How is the Irlen http://www.irlen.com approach different than VT? Or isn't it? I've read about them both and it seems Irlen is more colored-glasses approach while VT is more learning how to work the eyes together, etc, through different exercises.

[Laurie4b]

You essentially have the differences down. Irlen is not vision therapy. It uses either colored lenses or colored transparent overlays to get to a level of contrast that helps some people. (My sister, for instance, had always found that the words "moved" when she was reading--until she tried reading a magazine at the beach with sunglasses.) I think "do it yourself" Irlen is a viable thing: just go to the local office supply store and buy some different colored transparencies and see if they help.

 

Vision therapy is much more complex. The child is tested on various types of eye movement: whether the eyes team together, track, converge, fixate, etc, etc. The child is also tested on visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills. Treatment consists of various eye exercises plus many of the types of activities that occupational therapists do.

[siloam]

You essentially have the differences down. Irlen is not vision therapy. It uses either colored lenses or colored transparent overlays to get to a level of contrast that helps some people. (My sister, for instance, had always found that the words "moved" when she was reading--until she tried reading a magazine at the beach with sunglasses.) I think "do it yourself" Irlen is a viable thing: just go to the local office supply store and buy some different colored transparencies and see if they help.

 

Vision therapy is much more complex. The child is tested on various types of eye movement: whether the eyes team together, track, converge, fixate, etc, etc. The child is also tested on visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills. Treatment consists of various eye exercises plus many of the types of activities that occupational therapists do.

 

As someone who has gone through Irlen I don't think you can just figure this out on your own. There are too many variables. As it turns out I needed two colors, which one was first and which was second was important and it was essential that I use the non-glare side. Most colored transparencies only come with a glossy finish, that I have seen, so that method wouldn't have solved my problems at all. Glare makes all my problems worse.

 

Interestingly enough he could tell me my ancestry by what colors I needed, because generally the issues are genetic therefor certain colors tend to be used for certain groups of people. But I could not afford to go beyond the overlay stage, and had mild enough issues to get by.

 

Anyway, the theory behind Irlen is that the eyes are seeing some colors faster and some colors slower, which distorts how you see everything. The filters are supposed to help you see all the colors at the same speed.

 

It seems to me that if you can permanently fix any issues that I would go that way first. VT seems to fix things while Irlen puts a colored band-aid on it. :D That is an uneducated opinion, though I do love my filters.

 

Heather

 

[MicheleB]

Thanks for that info and perspective, Heather. It was very helpful!

[Guest mmclassics]

Our family are Irlen people too. We have friends who have had varying degrees of success and failure with the vision therapy. Some people have insurance that covers it, but we don't. My son had developed such a sensitivity to fluorescent lights that he quickly developed migraines whenever he was under those lights. He also couldn't read music at all. The irlen filters (glasses) immediately removed his headaches when all the rest of the medical community (allergies, MRI, GI, pediatrician, pediatric ophthamologist etc.) could not help.

 

Even if VT could eventually have helped, we couldn't have survived the delay. We had to ration his lighting and reading exposure during concert season just in order to keep his pain level down before he received his glasses. The day they came in, life went back to a pain free normal. (Another immediate thrill - ds reduced the Saxon daily worksheets from 30-90 minutes of frustration - to 5-10 minutes of peace!!! My son has problems with too many straight lines if he doesn't wear them his glasses.) By the way, sunlight is no problem, just the fluorescent lighting, although it is always easier for him to read with his colored lenses - no prescription - just colors.

 

I almost wonder if they might help each other in the long run, but have never heard of a practioner that was open to both. The proper Irlen overlays can bring immediate relief, where VT might be longer term, but longer for the delay. I have a feeling that the success of each method varies greatly with the individual needs of the child, as well as the skills of the VT trainer.

Edited August 31, 2009 by mmclassics

[siloam]

I would also add that I did VT with one dd and saw only minimal improvement. After the hyper focus on reading was over she went back to only reading comics. She still isn't her sister who will read a regular chapter book in an afternoon.

 

That said I do know people who have been helped by VT. They usually had drastic and obvious issues. My dd when evaluated was pretty good, but has a few things they thought they could improve.

 

I have tried my color filters (I never got glasses, just the overlays) with my dd with no positive impact, she really needs her own evaluation through as her colors might be different. Her processing issues might also not be visually based, which would render the filters useless.

 

Heather

[Dobela]

Another difference is that VT is assessed by a trained optometrist. Irlen is not. In fact, the Iren Institute has just opened the training up to optometrists for the first time ever this summer. Our optometrist is on the list for training but admittance is slow.

 

Which one you child will respond to depends on your child. Vision therapy has been a blessing for my son who has severe tracking issues and convergence issues. We have an excellent therapist that takes her job very seriously so that makes a huge difference I believe. We have also looked at Irlen but so far that doesn't seem to be what he needs. Fortunately for us our insurance has covered vision therapy, but the difference in his vision in even a short time was so dramatic that I would have gladly found a night job to pay for the therapy if it didn't.

[sbgrace]

 

Which one you child will respond to depends on your child. Vision therapy has been a blessing for my son who has severe tracking issues and convergence issues. We have an excellent therapist that takes her job very seriously so that makes a huge difference I believe. We have also looked at Irlen but so far that doesn't seem to be what he needs. Fortunately for us our insurance has covered vision therapy, but the difference in his vision in even a short time was so dramatic that I would have gladly found a night job to pay for the therapy if it didn't.

This was our VT experience too. My son clearly needed it and he made drastic and quick progress. I was very committed to doing the prescribed home therapy with him. We also did light therapy/phototherapy. It might have made the VT part faster in terms of progression for us. I'm not sure. But our VT clearly made a huge difference. He did get prism lenses too and they also had an immediate effect for him.

[Dobela]

This was our VT experience too. My son clearly needed it and he made drastic and quick progress. I was very committed to doing the prescribed home therapy with him. We also did light therapy/phototherapy. It might have made the VT part faster in terms of progression for us. I'm not sure. But our VT clearly made a huge difference. He did get prism lenses too and they also had an immediate effect for him.

We noticed dramatic improvement right away as well. In 8 weeks he completed a semester of math - when it had taken 1.5 yrs to complete the other semester. Once he could track and see accurately we were able to complete more faster and more correctly than ever before. His VT does send homeswork home and we have about 15-30 minutes a day of fun exercises to do. It has been so very worth it for us.

[Guest mellex]

Hi -- Anyone know of a diagnostician in the western ma area?

 

Melissa

[Geo]

http://irlen.com/index.php?s=findclinic

 

Geo

[asta]

My sense has always been (this is JMO) that Irlen has nothing to do with vision (tracking or otherwise) - it has to do with neurology.

 

(and yes, I know that how one sees is based in neurology - stay with me here)

 

I couldn't say one iota about the bio-mechanics of how humans see other than that part about the light coming in, making an X on the back of the eye, etc. that you see on the poster at the doctor's office. But I do know a teeny bit about neurology and wavelengths.

 

I know that people with seizure disorders, for example, are often "set off" by different frequencies. It isn't always strobe lights, it isn't always white lights, and sometimes it is sound waves (hence florescent lights being a double whammy).

 

The premise behind Irlen is that it shifts the wave (so to speak). A green sheet absorbs all colors in the spectrum except green, etc. For whatever reason, both me and a fellow epileptic friend both do well with orange. He actually has the glasses.

 

Like seemingly all things neurologic, it is a combination of science (here is what we know), and trial and error (hey, let's try this and see if it works).

 

I don't see how an Irlen sheet could help a kid who was not having a "wave" problem, personally. But that is because that is my only experience with them. (in other words, I don't think they are quack science, just only for a very specific sub-section of people)

 

HTH

 

 

a

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Can those of you who have been seen by Irlen could you tell me what was involved and how old you think a child would have to be in order to undergo such an examination. How much did it cost? I don't know if they would help my dd as most of her eye issues are medical (cataracts, glaucoma, etc) and she doesn't say that words move (even though her eyes move due to nystagmus) but I guess you never know.

[RamonaQ]

Ds had severe convergence insufficiency and some tracking issues. His eyes are now "working" correctly and focusing "correctly". I had the dr. test him with Irlen overlays-- he essentially followed an irlen script with a specific reading page, overlaying different colors. There was a very slight improvement in ds reading efficiency (less words mistaken over a given time). Ds reported, for him, it did reduce the strain.

 

I bought some blue and green plastic overlays from the office supply store. Ds sometimes chooses to use those when he feels fatigued or has much reading to do.

 

I would very much agree with Heather that Irlen sheets are like "color bandaids".

[Geo]

Ds had severe convergence insufficiency and some tracking issues. His eyes are now "working" correctly and focusing "correctly". I had the dr. test him with Irlen overlays-- he essentially followed an irlen script with a specific reading page, overlaying different colors. There was a very slight improvement in ds reading efficiency (less words mistaken over a given time). Ds reported, for him, it did reduce the strain.

 

I bought some blue and green plastic overlays from the office supply store. Ds sometimes chooses to use those when he feels fatigued or has much reading to do.

 

I would very much agree with Heather that Irlen sheets are like "color bandaids".

 

 

Is your Dr.trained and certified by Irlen? It doesn't sound like it. Overlays are on the the first of two sessions, provided the "patient" found at least a moderate improvement from the overlays (which sounds like your son...even with optical correction). For many people, the second session and color filters (not overlays) are needed for proper correction.

Just the fact that your son still needs relief from overlays, even after "correcting tracking and convergence," implies he probably has Irlen Syndrome. A second testing session for color filters may be indicated.

 

I copied the following from Irlen.com:

 

The Irlen Method is a two-step process: problem identification and color identification and requires two testing sessions. Family members participate with their children in the evaluation process. The color (which is different for each person) is the key to the success of the program and can only be determined after a diagnostic assessment performed by a certified educational professional trained in the Irlen Method.

The first testing session determines whether you have Irlen Syndrome and can be helped by the Irlen Method’s color technology. In this session, we determine how severe your problem is and whether color can help eliminate your difficulties. Your correct colored overlay combination is determined at this time. Both certified Irlen Screeners and Diagnosticians can test for colored overlays.

The second testing session is only for individuals who show moderate to significant improvement with colored overlays. In this session, we target the precise wave lengths of light causing your problems by using a limitless number of color filter combinations. Your precision color is worn as glasses or contact lenses. The color worn as glasses will not be the same as your plastic overlay color. If your problems are related to math computation, copying, depth perception, light sensitivity, and headaches, colored glasses are your best treatment option because they correct problems with the printed page and also the environment.

Importantly, wearing the wrong color can actually cause or worsen your problems. The testing to identify your correct colored glasses can only be conducted by Certified Irlen Diagnosticians/Clinics.

 

Only a certified Irlen diagnostician can identify the optimal color-correction hue and saturation.

 

Colored lenses provided by optometrists and vision specialists to treat reading problems are NOT the same as the Irlen Method. These professionals do not have the right colors, or diagnostic process for color selection. Inaccurate colour selection can result in headaches, eye strain, and fragmented brain processing resulting in more distortions and reading problems.

 

Geo

Edited May 14, 2010 by Geo

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Is your Dr.trained and certified by Irlen? It doesn't sound like it. Overlays are on the the first of two sessions, provided the "patient" found at least a moderate improvement from the overlays (which sounds like your son...even with optical correction). For many people, the second session and color filters (not overlays) are needed for proper correction.

I copied the following from Irlen.com:

 

The Irlen Method is a two-step process: problem identification and color identification and requires two testing sessions. Family members participate with their children in the evaluation process. The color (which is different for each person) is the key to the success of the program and can only be determined after a diagnostic assessment performed by a certified educational professional trained in the Irlen Method.

The first testing session determines whether you have Irlen Syndrome and can be helped by the Irlen Method’s color technology. In this session, we determine how severe your problem is and whether color can help eliminate your difficulties. Your correct colored overlay combination is determined at this time. Both certified Irlen Screeners and Diagnosticians can test for colored overlays.

The second testing session is only for individuals who show moderate to significant improvement with colored overlays. In this session, we target the precise wave lengths of light causing your problems by using a limitless number of color filter combinations. Your precision color is worn as glasses or contact lenses. The color worn as glasses will not be the same as your plastic overlay color. If your problems are related to math computation, copying, depth perception, light sensitivity, and headaches, colored glasses are your best treatment option because they correct problems with the printed page and also the environment.

Importantly, wearing the wrong color can actually cause or worsen your problems. The testing to identify your correct colored glasses can only be conducted by Certified Irlen Diagnosticians/Clinics.

 

Only a certified Irlen diagnostician can identify the optimal color-correction hue and saturation.

 

Colored lenses provided by optometrists and vision specialists to treat reading problems are NOT the same as the Irlen Method. These professionals do not have the right colors, or diagnostic process for color selection. Inaccurate colour selection can result in headaches, eye strain, and fragmented brain processing resulting in more distortions and reading problems.

 

Geo

 

Can the colors be added to any prescription? Do you have to buy glasses/contacts through Irlen? My dd's prescription is very high due to her being aphakic; her full strength glasses are about about +16/+14 add +3 and her contacts (which she wears most of the time) are +19.5 and +18. We've only been able to get them from a few specialized/experienced labs and custom contact lens manufacturers. When she wears her contact lenses she wears +3 bifocals on top of them but because she turns her head slightly (the null point for her nystagmus) she needs executive lenses, which decreases the choices for lenses.

 

Amazingly enough, she doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms described on the Irlen CD but with all her eye issues it's difficult to be certain since her vision isn't normal. So far she has had no difficulty learning to read, do math, etc (she's 6). I'm only a couple of hours from Long Beach so I need to just make an appointment but need to get around to calling and finding out the cost/etc.

[Geo]

Can the colors be added to any prescription? Do you have to buy glasses/contacts through Irlen? My dd's prescription is very high due to her being aphakic; her full strength glasses are about about +16/+14 add +3 and her contacts (which she wears most of the time) are +19.5 and +18. We've only been able to get them from a few specialized/experienced labs and custom contact lens manufacturers. When she wears her contact lenses she wears +3 bifocals on top of them but because she turns her head slightly (the null point for her nystagmus) she needs executive lenses, which decreases the choices for lenses.

 

Amazingly enough, she doesn't seem to have any of the symptoms described on the Irlen CD but with all her eye issues it's difficult to be certain since her vision isn't normal. So far she has had no difficulty learning to read, do math, etc (she's 6). I'm only a couple of hours from Long Beach so I need to just make an appointment but need to get around to calling and finding out the cost/etc.

 

Cheryl,

Gee, that's way out of my league.:tongue_smilie: I would go to www.Irlen.com and contact them for an answer to your question. Here's a link to to find a clinic near you: http://irlen.com/index.php?s=findclinic

 

Sorry,

Geo

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

Cheryl,

Gee, that's way out of my league.:tongue_smilie: I would go to www.Irlen.com and contact them for an answer to your question. Here's a link to to find a clinic near you: http://irlen.com/index.php?s=findclinic

 

Sorry,

Geo

 

Thanks. I'm only a couple of hours away from Long Beach (isn't that the headquarters/main office?) so I'd go there.