Published on 12, July, 2020
I have just found out that I have Visual Stress/Irlen Syndrome. It has made me so happy as for the first time in 30 years not only do I understand why I struggle so much to read and understand information but I also now can actually read and understand information.
I am 30 years old and I have always struggled to read and especially to understand information. I got top grades at GCSE but struggled immensely at A level and Uni partly because I no longer could get away with memorising the textbook. I had to be able to apply my knowledge which I could not do as I didn’t understand the information to be able to apply it.
Anyway I left uni after a year for various reasons. I was only diagnosed as autistic 2 and a half years ago. I have spent this year trying to figure out all the other things I struggle with and one of them was comprehension and reading. Particularly comprehension. No one has been able to understand it because I keep being told how articulate and intelligent I am. Anyway I did some research and discovered visual stress. I found an opticians and had it done. For the first time in 30 years I can read!! As long as I read through a pink overlay then I can read and understand information better. The pink overlay improved my reading speed by 25% and the fluidity improved so much it was unbelievable! I am SO happy!! As soon as the overlay was used the words were focused and sharp!! As if I were wearing prescription glasses but I wasn’t! I can’t believe I have gone my whole life like this, thinking that this was normal.
I am very excited to be able to read now! It’s so fascinating!
Thank you!! I know I am so excited!! What a life changing thing it will be! Thank you I know it shouldn’t have. I’ve learnt with my life experiences that we have to fight for ourself and do our own research into things. Almost like we have to be our own doctor and detective of our own health and other issues. I am just so happy I know this now and more so that something can be done to help it!
Yes that’s right apparently people with dyslexia are common to have this also. Yes I’m so excited to be able to read for the first time!!
Yes I relate so much! It’s such a life changer! So fascinating! I can’t wait to be able to read properly!!
Coincidentally, I had a similar epiphany last year, so it reassures me to see a fellow Irlen on here.
For me, it was (and still is to an extent) fluorescent lights, visual processing, as well as spatial awareness and depth perception.
Sentences often rock backwards and forwards when trying to read them (especially on brilliant white paper), and it's something that I've seemed to struggled with since I was younger.
I always put it down to either general fatigue (a seemingly normal occurrence), or Autistic burnout, and sadly had to seek a private assessment, which led to a Irlen's diagnosis.
Initially reluctant, but my burnout last year meant I struggled to process the most basic of tasks and information, which has seemed to improve since wearing my Purple tints. Every time I kept looking up symptoms, Irlen's kept cropping up.
I did come close to either Pink or Dark Blue tints, but I kept coming back to Purple during that final part of the assessment that I had.
To me, my head had the same sort of relief one does when a headache or migraine finally fade. Amazing how a simple colour can be life changing for some.
That's amazing! I remember reading about coloured filters helping with dyslexia. I'm glad that it has made such a difference for you!
That’s wonderful! Congratulations! I just wish that you hadn’t had to research and diagnose the issue yourself, and after so many years of struggling with it.