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Don't Miss Our Dynamic Speakers!
Don't miss this opportunity to meet Helen Irlen and hear from some of the most premier leaders in the field! The 12th Irlen International Conference will be chock full of dynamic speakers, such as Ricardo Guimaraes (MD, PhD), a board certified ophthalmologist and founder and executive president of the Hospital de Olhos in Brazil. We'll also hear from Jeffrey Lewine (PhD), professor of translational neuroscience at the Mind Research Network in New Mexico. The conference is open to all Irlen Screeners and PASS Screeners from July 10-12, and is open to members of the general public July 11-12. For information about registration, please click here.
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New Irlen Diagnosticians
 Singapore. Tan Hui Soon
Ms. Soon obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Australia in the early 1990’s. She developed a special interest and passion for children struggling with learning disabilities. In 2007, she obtained her Instructor’s Certificate in Learning Disorders Management and Language Development and completed her graduate degree in Child Psychology and Counseling. In 2007 and 2009, she was awarded her Certificate and Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis by the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. In 2010, she enrolled in the Essential Literacy Approach (ELA) Course organized by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to better understand the problems dyslexic children face and how to effectively coach them. In 2012, she was trained by Dr. Doris Ang to become an Irlen Screener to help children with Irlen Syndrome. Since becoming an Irlen Screener, Hui Soon has been actively promoting the awareness of Irlen Syndrome by organizing interviews with the media and conducting talks in schools and the community in Singapore and Malaysia. She is working with Director Dr. Doris Ang and also assists her with conducting training of the PASS and Irlen Screeners.
 United Kingdom. Tina Black
Ms. Black is a teacher of adults, a specialist literacy tutor, and has been an Irlen Screener for over 10 years. She has conducted hundreds of screenings with a broad range of clients. She recently co-founded a not-for-profit company that supports adults who have dyslexia and/or Irlen Syndrome. The beneficiaries are the long-term unemployed of a town in the U.K. that has been in steady economic decline for decades, following the closure of the many coal mines in the area. Tina also continues to run a dyslexia support service for nursing students. Tina states that “Since my own diagnosis, Irlen lenses have been utterly life-changing for me. I am committed to making the Irlen Method more accessible to under-privileged individuals.” She is working with Director Christina Yates.
 Texas, USA. Margaret Harris
Ms. Harris is a high school math teacher, focusing on students who have struggled with math in the past. She is beginning her 32nd year of teaching. In addition, she has a MEd in educational administration. Margaret is finishing her 11th year as an Irlen Screener, having presented numerous sessions on math and Irlen Syndrome at the Texas Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching over the years as well as for teachers’ conferences in Wisconsin and Houston. She has also written several articles about Irlen Syndrome for educational journals. Margaret works with Director Carol Zuccone, EdD.
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Dr. Jeri LaVigne Has Been Busy!
TV Interview In Mississippi
Jeri LaVigne, EdD, Irlen Director, was recently in Mississippi to test Irlen clients. While in Mississippi, she was interviewed by Al Showers of WLOX in Bay St. Louis, MS, for the local ABC TV news. Jeri and Sherry Ponder, PhD, Irlen Screener, were interviewed and talked about the Irlen Method. The TV anchor watched Jeri test a client and was tested himself. He had trouble reading the teleprompter and is excited to receive his Irlen Spectral Filters
Visiting the Irlen Institute International Headquarters
We were so pleased that Jeri LaVigne, EdD, Irlen Director, recently spent a few days at the Irlen Institute. While she was updating her skills, she spent an evening with Helen having dinner at her home. The picture shows Helen and Jeri relaxing after a hard day working at the Irlen Institute. Jeri will be returning to the Irlen Institute in May for one week to further update her skills.
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Irlen Director Writes a Novel
Lucy Clay, Irlen Director in Nashville, Tennessee, has written a book, available to order from Amazon.com.
Charlotte Lives!: Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow Lucy Karen Clay (Author), Rachel Rivers (Narrator).
In this amazing and true love story, Lucy Karen Clay paints the picture of Loving, Loss, and Living as told by Rachel Rivers. Only the names have been changed. "Jacob" is the artist who painted the front cover "Flower Garden of Life and Love" design for "Rachel. "It is a cautionary tale filled with prayers of covering, courtship, and the privilege of nurturing and caring for a loved one. Specific Scriptures are included which anchored "Jacob and Rachel" as they walked alongside one another on this part of their journey. Clearly, God ordained this couple to bring His ultimate Glory. It is a lesson of LIFE and brings a serious awareness of how life is tragically ending for some. Startling information is included about the distinct differences between hospice palliative care /respite care / care giving and comfort care.
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Report From Shoshana Shamberg, Irlen Director in Baltimore, Maryland
“When my son wore his Irlen tints for migraines, he was confronted by a teacher in the hallway of school and told he could not wear sunglasses in school. He was sent to the office when he refused to take them off. He called me to explain to the office that he was not "trying to be COOL by wearing sunglasses." I sent them info on Irlen Spectral Filters and Irlen Syndrome. The principal sent out the following email blast to all teachers: ‘Dovid Shamberg is not wearing sunglasses. He is wearing Irlen Spectral Tints which help with his attention, focus, and migraines; and he allowed to wear them anywhere in the building." Many fellow students came up to him to ask him about his cool colored glasses, and I received referrals of kids who told their parents about Irlen Spectral Filters for dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, sports injury/TBI, and light sensitivity.
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Happy Irlen Client Finishes Master's Degree
Congratulations to Rachel Crowley, who has successfully completed her Master’s degree with her Irlen Spectral Filters.
“I just want to say thank you so much to the Irlen Centre in Ireland for all their help. I was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome when I started my MSc degree at UCC, although ...I was unknowingly experiencing symptoms throughout my previous studies. I found difficulty in focusing my attention on one thing; and, perhaps more relevant to the research aspects, I was often overwhelmed, so had trouble piecing together information and seeing the whole picture. I found myself constantly worn out and was often the culprit of drifting off in lectures, despite getting ample sleep each night. Topics I was studying were so easily forgotten, and the thought of exams was daunting and frankly terrifying.
My first pair of lenses arrived 1 week before my exams, and the difference they made was astonishing. When I tried them on first, it was like my radio had been half-tuned between stations all along, and now finally I was hearing my thoughts clearly. Everything I was reading and learning made sense. Studying was transformed from tediously learning and memorising reams of information to mentally interacting, and most of all, understanding. Because of this, I was relaxed and sailed through my exams! My second tint came a week before the submission of my thesis. I had completed all my research and analysis but was struggling to bring the whole project together. The new lenses going on was akin to the clichéd lightbulb switching on in my head, and all of a sudden it all made sense! The lenses really were the missing piece of the puzzle, and I felt relaxed and confident handing in my project.
While the Masters did involve much hard work and was by no means easy, I feel I would not have been able succeed to the level I did if I hadn't gotten screened with the Irlen Centre and persisted with wearing my lenses!”
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Irlen Awareness Continues With Successful Readathon
Susan Hughes, Irlen Diagnostician in Chico, California, conducted a "Wildflowery" successful Readathon. Any parent, child, or teacher who wants to conduct a Readathon can contact Susan Hughes (530-891-4783; shughes5@earthlink.net) for her Readathon kit and instructions to make it really simple. There is lots of time before the school year ends. Wildflower is a small charter school with less than 120 students K-8. The grand total of money raised in two weeks was $1,420.50!! -- enough for 7 awards of $200 to pay lab fees for Irlen Spectral Filters. Most of the reading by the children was done and recorded at home. It was totally optional, and only those who wanted to participate did so. All the money goes through the North Valley Community Foundation to make it tax deductible. Every student who participated in the Readathon got a Popsicle. The top reader received the Lyons Book gift card, and Irlen T-shirts go to the two top earners.
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"Colors, a Priceless Blessing" - a TEDx Presentation in Egypt
Irlen Screener in Egypt, Rasha Anwar’s talk is about scotopic sensitivity syndrome or (Irlen Syndrome); which is a perceptual processing disorder. It is not an optical problem. It is a problem with the brain's ability to process visual information. This problem tends to run in families and is not currently identified by other standardized educational or medical tests.
A lady with extensive experience in management and finance. She worked in banking, capital market, and research for long years. She is also a mother of a stunning lad. Because of him, she took a life decision more than a year ago, when she switched her career and delved into human development. Her cause and mission is to help some people who suffer silently from a certain disorder that was not known in Egypt although being discovered for more than three decades. The year she was graduated from college is the same year when that discovery took place on the other side of the world.
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Other Noteworthy News
Experiment: Will Students Choose Teacher A or B?
Educators should tap into students’ individual learning styles and involve students in designing lessons that are right for them, Alan November, veteran educator and senior partner and founder of November Learning, writes. In this commentary, he shares an experiment he has used to learn more about students’ learning styles. eSchool News (free registration) (2/23)
Are Headphones Damaging Students’ Hearing?
About 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults worldwide are at risk of damaging their hearing by listening to too much music too loudly using headphones, according to a recent study by the World Health Organization. Researchers found that listening to loud music via headphones for more than one hour daily can have negative effects. The Epoch Times/The Associated Press (2/27)
DSM Revisions May Influence Reported Rates of ADHD
The estimated number of youths diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using the revised third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was 3% lower compared with using the DSM-IV criteria, Australian researchers found. The review in the journal Pediatrics also showed a higher rate of ADHD diagnoses in the Middle East than in North America. DailyRx.com
Tennessee Lawmakers Consider Special-Education Voucher Bill
A bill under review by Tennessee lawmakers would allow parents of students with special needs to receive vouchers funded by the state that they could use for private instruction, home-schooling, and other expenses. If the Individualized Education Act passes, as many as 118,000 students could be eligible, according to this article. Chalkbeat/Tennessee (3/23)
Blood Test Shows Promise for Detecting Autism
A blood-based clinical test conducted on 147 boys ages 1 to 4 yielded an accuracy rate of 83% for detecting autism, according to a recent study. In another group of 73 participants, the test was accurate in 75% of cases. The findings suggest that a blood test for “at-risk male infants and toddlers could be refined and routinely implemented in pediatric diagnostic settings,” study author Eric Courchesne said. Disability Scoop (3/10)
Strategies to Help Students Struggling with Anxiety
Educators encounter social and emotional needs among students, including work avoidance, because of anxiety, writes Jessica Minahan, special educator, author, and behavior analyst. In this blog post, she offers strategies to help boost such students’ initiation, self-monitoring, persistence, and help-seeking skills. The Huffington Post/The Blog (3/10)
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Help Others Who Can't Afford Testing
Donate to the nonprofit Irlen Syndrome Foundation today to help individuals who can't afford Irlen Services receive the treatment they need. A $5 donation gets an overlay into the hand of a child.
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Have You Joined The Conversation?
Our Twitter network is growing and we have lots of interesting things to share! Join Irlen on Twitter and stay on the pulse of all things Irlen. Find us @SeeIrlen and don't forget to hashtag #Irlen when you tweet!
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Thought for the Day
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