Meares-Irlen Syndrome, any experience?

SingleSue

Youngest was diagnosed a year or so ago but has so far refused to use any of the special things he was provided with because he doesn't like change (complex autistic) and doesn't like to look different to the other children.

Most frustrating really as he will moan, get stressed and ill because of the impact it has on him but will still refuse to use the overlays!

Mind you, I am having the same problem with him using a laptop for his GCSEs as it will mark him out as different but he desperately needs to use one due to fine motor problems and his inability to cope in a large room with everyone writing (the noise from people writing drives him crazy...for his SATS, he was completely freaked out and spent the whole time under the desk!). He did try to use the laptop in his mocks but the noise from the other people hitting the keys had the same impact as people writing and he didn't like the laptop as it wasn't one he was used to using.

The school have suggested he could use a laptop during lesson to get used to them but again he has refused as it would make him 'different'.

Children can be most frustrating at times!

gunsandbanjos

Wow, that sounds tough Sue!

flopsypurple

My daughter 12yrs has just had the test for this and is waiting for her lenses to be made although the cost is high but as a parent I feel very guilty that we hadn't dealt with this earlier

gunsandbanjos

flopsypurple wrote: »

My daughter 12yrs has just had the test for this and is waiting for her lenses to be made although the cost is high but as a parent I feel very guilty that we hadn't dealt with this earlier

My daughter is 9, I suspected she had dyslexia a few years ago but everyone old me I was being overprotective and stupid. Wish I'd trusted my instincts and fought harder to have her tested.

She only just told me about the coloured splatters she sees on the page when reading, I asked why she hadn't told me earlier and she just said she assumed everyone saw them! I guess if you don't know different though you assume what you see is what everyone else sees.

keep_flyin

Both my children have this, my son is now 16 and also is on the autistic spectrum, the lenses help in all sorts of ways, including having a calming effect and allowing him to walk in a straight line.

My daughter is dyslexic and the lenses help with the classic words moving type syndrome.

Strangely both my children have pink lenses, my sons are darker than my daughters though. My daughters English teacher also has reading rulers that she will lend to children in lots of different colours if they need them.

floss2

DS2 is dyslexic / Irlen - diagnosed in his first month at uni when he was 19. He managed to get good GCSE & A-level grades despite this, went through uni & got a very high 2:1 in an academic subject (2% off a First), then went on to do a Masters.

He was able to claim disabled students allowance, which paid for a laptop for each degree, printer, paper, copying charges at the library, books (as he needs to have them for longer than a library will lend them to extract the information), plus the costs of his tests, report, glasses & overlays (all claimed back retrospectively).

He's now 25 and working full time in education :j

Owl

I have it.... But not classically!!! It appeared when my husband wrote me an aero gram in blue pen on the blue paper! It took me an hour to read an A4 side, the words moved, I felt sick, I got a headache and my eyes hurt.. Got tested because mum works in a school very hot on it, and yep, got it on blue. I now have a grey (I know, weird, it's in the blue spectrum) overlay. But, being a bolshy grown up, I tell work to put blue memos on white, else I will not read!
Depth perception is funny, and I was the clumsy kid for ages!!! Still am clumsy!!

You can live with it- honest

gunsandbanjos

Great to hear everyone's experiences. Thank you all.

GlasweJen

I test for mears irlen and prescribe lenses. I work with complex cases like kids with communication difficulties and I'd be happy to answer any questions about the process.

gunsandbanjos

GlasweJen wrote: »

I test for mears irlen and prescribe lenses. I work with complex cases like kids with communication difficulties and I'd be happy to answer any questions about the process.

That's great thanks :T