August 20, 2015

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When Picture Books Give Way to Chapter Books, Watch Out For Signs of Irlen Syndrome

 


The start of a new school year brings with it anticipation and excitement. Kids everywhere are shouting, “Who will my teacher be? What friends will be in my class? What should I wear on the first day of school?!” But the first day of school can also bring apprehension, resistance, and trepidation. “What if no one likes me? What if my teacher is mean? What if I can’t do the work? What if I’m not smart enough?” All reasonable thoughts for kids to have before the big day, and most of us parents find it our job to reassure our children and model an ample level of joy and excitement about what tomorrow will bring. But one thing this writer wasn’t counting on, was exactly what happens during that crucial transition from 2nd to 3rd grade. All of a sudden picture books magically disappear and are replaced by chapter books with pages upon pages of print, and what’s worse, is it my imagination, or did the print suddenly get a lot smaller too? And wait, now you want my child to participate in standardized district-wide testing? And, am I hearing this correctly, if my child isn’t reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade, she won’t move on to 4th grade? Wait, WHAT?!!!

That’s a lot of pressure to put on kids (and parents) in 3rd grade. It also happens to be when a lot of the warning signs for Irlen Syndrome will start to appear... CONTINUE READING

New Irlen App for Android


Android users, the Irlen App is here! Irlen technology for your phone and tablet. Reduce glare, eliminate eyestrain, improve clarity, and increase comfort! Get it today on Google Play.

New Irlen Diagnosticians


Rasha Anwar, Cairo, Egypt –
Rasha has extensive experience in finance, management, and research.  In her quest to support her bright child who yet has challenges of ADHD and LD, she knew about Irlen Syndrome.  She found it most unfortunate that Irlen Syndrome was unheard of in Egypt.  Accordingly, she decided to switch her career path and got the training needed to qualify as an Irlen Screener in November 2013.  She then created the Irlen Egypt Facebook page with followers currently reaching more than 3,000.  Rasha launched the Irlen Egypt Center in February 2014.  She held seminars and presentations in schools, universities, social clubs, youth gatherings, cultural centers, centers helping kids with special needs, and training centers for special needs specialists.  Rasha appeared in TV programs seven times.  She held one Irlen Awareness Conference, gave Irlen presentations at four conferences, and submitted working papers at two international conferences held in Cairo.


Julie Anne Gibson, Te Awamutu, New Zealand –
Julie is married with two adult children and one grandson.  She has lived in the small town of Te Awamutu in the central Waikato, which is in the North Island of New Zealand, for the past 26 years.  Before starting her family, Julie completed her Primary School Teacher training and worked in the education sector for 20 years.  During that time, she also qualified as a SPELD Teacher, working with individual children with learning disabilities.  After a short stint selling real estate, she began working in the optics industry for Paterson Burn Optometrist.  Initially starting as an Optical Assistant, she then studied through TAFE in Australia to become a Dispensing Optician.  More recently, she was appointed as the Practice Manager at Paterson Burn, which is the position she still holds.  This business promotes all areas of eye health and vision and encouraged her to train as an Irlen Screener in 2014.  “We are now very excited about the prospect of setting up an Irlen clinic in the Waikato area.”  Julie is working with Regional Director, David Wardell.



Julie Yaxley, Houston, Texas, USA –
Julie works at the Krist Samaritan Center in Houston.  She is a tutor, speaker, and Senior Irlen Screener with a Master of Arts in Dyslexia.  Recently, she presented at the Irlen International Conference to discuss useful ‘Irlen-Friendly’ Apps.  Julie was born in London, England.  She always had a desire to teach and gained teaching qualifications to teach ages 4 – 18.  She became interested in special education needs and qualified as a teacher and assessor for dyslexia.  She also trained as an Irlen Screener and worked in schools and universities as well as having a private practice where she assisted children and adults.  Julie has been in the U.S. for just over a year and is a member of both the Texas Irlen Association and the International Dyslexia Association.  She is thrilled to be able to concentrate on her Irlen services now that she is an Irlen Diagnostician.

 

Irlen Activities in Singapore and Malaysia



Dr. Doris Ang, Irlen Diagnostician in Singapore and Malaysia, conducted an awareness talk in Kulai to many teachers and parents. The presentation was organized by five schools in that area. The schools are planning for Dr. Ang to present again next year, targeting about 500 parents and teachers of different schools.  

Buffalo Health Living Magazine Features Irlen


Melissa Sawulak, Irlen Director in Buffalo, New York, had an article on her work with the Irlen Method featured in the August issue of Buffalo Health Living Magazine.  It is the first in a series of articles regarding her Irlen work.  Melissa has established a collaboration with Dr. Richard O”Connor, OD, and Dr. Kelly Chwojdak, chiropractor; and they cross-refer clients to each other, working as a team to help more people.  The next issue of the magazine will feature an interview with a client who had a TBI and has been wearing Irlen Spectral Filters for four months.

Promoting Irlen Awareness Around the World



Irlen Syndrome Awareness Week is quickly approaching (October 19-23, 2015), but some countries have already gotten a head start when it comes to raising awareness. Irlen Director, Evaggelos Bochatziar, writes that he has been conducting a promotional movement in Greece with the help of all of the adults and kids who have completed their Irlen treatment in his national clinic. Each individual was given a hat to wear on sunny days with the Irlen logo and the name of his clinic embroidered on top. The hats were in three colors. Everyone is very excited, and they wear them everywhere. 

Other Noteworthy News


Study:  Young Students May Receive Too Much Homework
First- and second-grade students have about three times the recommended homework load, according to a study from the American Journal of Family Therapy.  The study also found that kindergarten students have, on average, 25 minutes of homework each night.  The researchers say “the general consensus is that excessive homework not only shows no benefit, but may be detrimental.”  The Christian Science Monitor  (8/13)
 
Social Skills in Kindergarten Linked to Positive Outcomes in Adulthood
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health reports a link between children's social skills in kindergarten and their well-being in early adulthood.
 
Data for the study came from the longitudinal Fast Track project, an intervention designed to reduce aggression in children identified as high risk for long-term behavioral problems and conduct disorders.  As part of Fast Track, nearly 800 children were evaluated by their teachers on a range of social behaviors, such as whether they resolve peer problems, listen to others, and share materials.  Each student received a composite score representing his or her overall level of positive social skills/behavior on a scale from 0 ("not at all") to 4 ("very well").  Using a variety of data sources, researchers monitored these students and their life events, both positive (e.g., obtaining a high school diploma) and negative (e.g., developing a criminal record), until they turned 25. 
 
Findings showed that for every one-point increase in a child's social competence score in kindergarten, he/she was:
  • Twice as likely to attain a college degree in early adulthood
  • 54% more likely to earn a high school diploma
  • 46% more likely to have a full-time job at the age of 25   
For every one-point decrease in a child's social competence score in kindergarten, he/she had:
  • 64% higher chance of having spent time in juvenile detention
  • 67% higher chance of having been arrested by early adulthood
  • 52% higher rate of recent binge drinking and 82% higher rate of recent marijuana usage   
In conclusion, the authors say, "Our results suggest that perceived early social competence at least serves as a marker for important long-term outcomes and at most is instrumental in influencing other developmental factors that collectively affect the life course.  Evaluating such characteristics in children could be important in planning interventions and curricula to improve these social competencies."
 
Children, teens often treated with off-label antipsychotics for ADHD
Antipsychotic use among children aged 13 and older increased from 1.1% in 2006 to about 1.2% in 2010, and from 0.69% to 0.84% among young adults in the same period, according to a study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. More than 52% of those prescriptions in children ages 1 to 6, 60% for older children and 35% for teens involved a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which is an off-label use.  Full Story:  HealthDay News  More Summaries:  JAMA Psychiatry, ADHD
 
CDC: ADHD diagnoses among U.S. youths continue to rise
Approximately 11%, or about 6.4 million, of 4- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 2011, up from 9.5% in 2007, the CDC said. Researchers noted that 50% of youths with ADHD were diagnosed by age 6, and more than 3.5 million children and teens were placed on ADHD medications, such as Ritalin or Concerta. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Full Story:  HealthDay News, USA Today
 
Taking ADHD meds may not lower future risk for drug, alcohol abuse
Children and teens who took stimulant drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were no less likely to have alcohol or drug problems later in life than those who did not take such medications, an analysis in JAMA Psychiatry showed. The findings contradict a 2003 study in the journal Pediatrics that linked stimulant medications to a lower risk for substance abuse in adulthood.  Full Story:  The New York Times (tiered subscription model), Reuters

 

Support "100 in 100" to Train 100 New Screeners


Donate to the nonprofit Irlen Syndrome Foundation today to support the "100 in 100 Campaign" to train 100 new Irlen Screeners in 100 days. www.irlensyndrome.org


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"I can definitely say that it's improved my daughter's quality of life.  She's so much happier and confident than she was before and not forgetting to mention the freedom and independence she has now.  It's made a world of difference for her as well as us.  Wish we had known about these years earlier." 
--Nancy Adams

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