Let’s talk about Irlen Syndrome. In this blog we’ll explain exactly what is Irlen Syndrome, what the symptoms are, and what to do about it. We are also going to hear what it is like to experience Irlen Syndrome from a bibic Developmental Therapist.
What is Irlen Syndrome?
Have you ever had difficulties with reading, attention, headaches, or light sensitivities? These symptoms and more could be a sign of perception difficulties.
Irlen Syndrome is a visual perceptual processing disorder that can affect children and adults of all ages. It is a difficulty with the brain’s ability to accurately process visual information. It has been the subject of medical and educational research and is a recognised syndrome with a physiological basis.
Tabby is a Developmental Therapist at bibic, in her early 20’s, she had experienced difficulties when reading in the past and was unable to concentrate easily, she talks about her experience when she first realised she could have Irlen syndrome.
Did you know you might have Irlen Syndrome?
“Prior to having an Irlen assessment, I had not heard of Irlen syndrome and didn’t think there was anything wrong with my visual perception. Before my assessment I experienced lots of difficulties when reading, for example I would get extremely tired, have headaches, I found it difficult to concentrate on the words, the words would go blurry, and most of the time I wouldn’t even take in what I had read, having to re-read it again. I had my eyes tested at the opticians and everything came back okay, so I didn’t think there was anything abnormal about this and presumed everyone experiences visual stress and there was nothing you could do about it.”
How did you feel when you found out about Irlen Syndrome?
“When I found out about Irlen Syndrome, I immediately wanted to have an assessment to see if it would help with my reading. I found out I have Irlen Syndrome and require grey overlays when reading to reduce the visual stress I experience. Since the assessment I still cannot believe how much easier it is reading with a coloured overlay and the huge difference it makes; the words look so much clearer and I no longer become tired or get headaches when reading. I also understand what I read so much more as I’m not having to put as much effort into reading the words. If anyone experiences the difficulties I had when reading and cannot understand why, I would highly recommend looking into Irlen syndrome as it has made such a positive difference for me, making my work life and completing my degree so much easier!”
What can I do about it?
Individuals with Irlen Syndrome have difficulty processing all visual information, not just words on a printed page, so it can cause reading difficulties, light sensitivity, physical symptoms, fatigue. As well as difficulties with depth perception, driving, behaviour, writing and gross motor skills. It can also lead to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and underachievement. The difficulties that Irlen gives an individual can manifest itself differently for each individual. If left un-helped it can often become a lifetime barrier to learning and performance.
bibic is a charity based in Langport, Somerset, they offer a range of assessments, from a full two-day bibic assessment where they assess the child as a whole to more specific screeners with their experienced developmental therapists.
If you think yourself or your child could benefit from an Irlen screening session or an assessment with bibic, get in touch with the team, they can have a chat with you via phone or email to discuss your enquiry further.
Learn more about Irlen Syndrome here!
After months of hard work, fundraising and planning, Monday 27th September 2021 marked the official opening of our brand-new therapy building. The generous support we have received from our supporters has been crucial to making it all happen.
The demand for bibic services has increased hugely over the two years and we urgently needed more rooms to carry out assessments, more space for families and most importantly, more areas for children to play and for young adults to be themselves in.
We are excited to announce we have a new and improved sensory room, a large family area, and new therapy rooms, including a complex needs room, as well as plenty of new toys and facilities.
We held a small event to mark the official opening and to cut the ribbon to the new therapy building and to thank our supporters for their generous support which has been crucial to making it all happen.
We were joined by Nicholas German and his team at db Paul, who carried out the survey , prepared designs and completed the specification of works. db Paul worked as the contract administrator with Geoff Barratt and his team at Barratt and Canniford Ltd to complete the therapy floor designs.
We were also joined by Paul and Emily Brett as representatives from the Brett family, who made a significant donation towards the new family room. This also allowed us to buy brand new furniture for the seating areas for families, new toys for the children to play with and other furnishings to make the family room feel as inclusive and inviting as possible.
Sophy Layzell and Karin Cumming from the Jemima Layzell Trust also attended the event after their generous support helped us secure new sensory equipment, including a brand-new bubble tube, sound and infinity boards, fibrotic lights, sequin board, water spinner and much more. All of this has created an inclusive and calming environment for our children and young adults to experience whilst visiting us here at bibic.
At the event, there were moving speeches from the Chair of Trustees Laura Voyle and Managing Director Pip Buckley, and the centre was officially opened by one of our wonderful bibic families – with the exciting moment of cutting the ribbon performed by 10 year old Florence.
Thank you to all who made this amazing project possible, with generosity and belief in bibic’s mission, we have managed to create a new area which will allow us to see more families and continue to change lives.
You are more than welcome to come and take a look – just give us a call on 01458 253344.
Our very first Live Q&A was a huge success on the 30th of August 2021. bibic Developmental Therapy Manager, Chelsey Oxley went live at 6pm, and after a quick introduction to the session, the questions started rolling in fast.
The theme of this Live Q&A was sensory, one of our therapists’ favourite topics to talk about. There were so many interesting questions raised around this subject, some broad, some personal, and each and every one we were happy to answer and discuss.
We were overwhelmed with the support of many recognisable names and faces to bibic, as well as welcoming some new ones. It was a wonderful experience to have so many of you engaging with the livestream, we hope it gave value to all of you needing to ask those all-important questions and get answers you may have been waiting so long to hear.
So, why are we going live monthly?
With a huge increase in the demand for our services, we felt providing this opportunity would help those parents and carers who are waiting to see us, those who have already visited us as well as others.
Sometimes all you want, is the opportunity to ask a question, and that’s exactly what we wanted to provide.
We know the struggle is very real for parents and carers, tackling ever growing waiting lists, and going from one place to another in the SEND community, often struggling to get the answers they need, which is why we wanted to provide an opportunity to help.
Join us next time!
We are so excited to host our next Live Q&A on 28th September 2021, at 6pm. With children returning to school this month, we thought it would be a good time to talk all about language and communication.
Register for free here, and we’ll send you a link to join! We hope to see you there!
Catch up on what you missed…
You can watch the replay of our previous Live Q&A, (start at 3 minutes 18 seconds), to catch up on all the sensory questions we answered and the topics we discussed.
To keep an eye on our upcoming Live Q&A ‘s you can keep your eyes peeled on our website here, or follow us on social media!