About Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome
Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome is sometimes called Irlen Syndrome after Helen Irlen, who in the early 1980's discovered that some people with poor reading showed a marked and immediate improvement by simply overlaying the pages with coloured plastic (e.g. acetate sheets).
Often this syndrome is mistaken for Dyslexia, ADD or ADHD. Look for the link below to see what Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome looks like. If a student sees the world like that, you can see why s/he’d fidget and have trouble paying attention. S/he might even be disruptive to get escape the pain of reading and sight-work.
It is believed that this condition affects, to varying degrees, approximately 12% of the population and that the condition is somehow caused by the brain and/or eye incorrectly processing/interpreting what the eye is seeing (ie. it is neurological). These people will have increased difficulty reading and studying. Unfortunately standard sight tests and most educational assessments do not detect this condition. Fortunately, awareness of this condition is now improving.
Individuals with SSS perceive the printed page and sometimes their environment differently. They must constantly make adaptation or compensate. Individuals may be unaware of the extra energy and effort they are putting into reading and perceiving.
Individuals with SSS may read slowly or inefficiently or have poor reading comprehension, strain or fatigue. SSS can also affect attention span, listening, energy levels, motivation, work production, stress levels and mental health.
Individuals with SSS may be viewed as underachievers or as having behavior, attitude or motivational problems. SSS can coexist with other learning difficulties. Those with Dyslexia or ADD may be, in addition, also be suffering from SSS.
The main symptoms of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome:
- Light Sensitivity causes discomfort or difficulty under the following conditions:
- glare from lights (e.g. from on-coming headlights on cars)
- glare from surfaces (e.g. glaring spots of sunlight on cars)
- bright lighting
- fluorescent lights
- sunlight
- night vision
- Contrast problems occur when difference between light and dark is very pronounced, for instance:
- bold black text on bright white paper. The text or the background may appear to move, sometimes violently.
- vertical or horizontal window blinds where the contrast between the blinds and outside world can be significant. The blind may appear to move and/or the sufferer may not be able to see through the blinds clearly.
- stripy patterns and bold patterns such as those on some clothes, carpets, wallpaper, posters etc. can appear to move/vibrate and some patterns may appear to be three dimensional instead of flat.
- Restricted field of clear vision
- This causes only a few letters on a page appear clear and the rest of the page appears slightly out of focus (these focusing problems are not due to short/long sightedness or any physical problem with the eye) For example when I read a sentence I can sometimes only clearly see a couple of letters at a time. Depending on the severity of the condition this will severely limit the persons ability to speed read or skim through a page of text. Being unable to physically clearly see whole words makes it harder to identify them quickly. Hence it is hard to instantly recognise words if only part of a word is seen clearly which makes learning to read extremely difficult.
- Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome makes it more difficult to keep track of where you are on the page. It is very easy to accidentally start reading the line below or above, or the words/letters in the wrong order. It is also hard to find the next line to be read. I often either skip or re-read a line.
- Poor Depth Perception causes difficulty with judging the distance and the relationship between objects. A lack of depth perception can cause problems with such things as difficulty with ball sports, escalators, walking and bumping into objects, driving/cycling and judging heights (I have no perception of height and have no fear when looking over bridges, cliffs etc.)
- Attention and concentration difficulties are caused as a result of these visual distortions. Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome impairs the ability of the individual to read, study and work efficiently and it often causes our eyes to feel uncomfortable. This lack of attention will probably display itself in one or more of the following ways:
- difficulty staying on a task such as reading or studying
- taking frequent breaks
- restlessness
- tiredness
- Headaches and Migraines; a Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome sufferer is much more susceptible to headaches and migraines brought about by the visual distortions they are experiencing.
SSS is easily detected using painless screening procedures. At The Wellness Center we will happily administer a pre-screening at no charge for you, your child or your entire family.
Adaptation for SSS, once detected, is neither difficult, obtrusive, nor expensive. And it is recognized by the Americans with Disabilities Act so the accommodations are accepted and protected. We will proved proof for work or school for those who test positive.
Once accommodations are in place, you can expect:
- Improved reading accuracy
- Better comprehension
- Increased reading speed
- Reduced strain and fatigue
- Improved academic performance
- Improved self-esteem
- Better sports performance
- More effective study time
What do the experts say?
“I have not witnessed any other educational technique that has such an immediate impact on an individual’s reading ability.”
Bruce Ball, Staffing Specialist, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
“Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrom testing is an integral part of our screenin process for dyslexia and related disorders.”
Denise Spires, Reading Ed. Coordinator, Leander School District, Texas
“The use of colored overlays and filters may provide the fighting chance many at-risk readers deserve.”
William Henk, Ed.D Journal of the International Reading Acssociation
“All soecial education referrals must have an SSS screening as part of he referral process. We have evidence of children in three months going from non-reader to grade-level reader and no longer a behavior problem, children going from a C/D students to an A/B student immediately upon placing on the colored filters or colored glasses.”
Wes Nedrow, Special Ed Director, Lower Kuskokwin Schools, Alaska.
http://www.hale.ndo.co.uk/scotopic/ and click on the pictures to see what Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome looks like.