Well that was clever of me! Sorry, this time I really have copied it into
the e-mail.
An assessors and Disability officers guide



The Prescription of Precision Tinted overlays for people with reading
difficulties.
By
Tintavision
Telephone 017778 346811e.mail. [log in to unmask]

A Technology and protocol developed by
The Medical Research Council

For many people who have reading problems, it has now been shown that
accurately prescribed Precision Tinted Overlays do alleviate many of the
difficulties, which they experience.

Choice of the appropriate overlay or combination of overlays

Achieving the best outcome for a client depends on.

? Adhering to a strict protocol in the diagnosis.
? Integrating knowledge of the optometric/visual status of the client into
the diagnostic procedure.
? The experience of the diagnostician.

If the prescription is slightly out then the user can suffer a significant
disadvantage in terms of reduced gain, compared with the optimum
prescription.


Use of Precision Tinted Overlays and Precision Tinted Spectacles
 For people with reading difficulties

Some people, who have difficulty with reading, experience visual distortion
when viewing a page of print, or they experience a feeling of discomfort,
which they find difficult to describe. The letters may appear to move, blur,
and bunch together or other symptoms. The outcome is a reduced reading
speed, poor fluency, reduced reading stamina, eyestrain or headaches.
Literacy is often impaired for the sufferer.

These symptoms may occur with people who have binocular vision problems (for
which conventional treatment with exercises may be appropriate), but it
often occurs quite independently in people whose eyesight is otherwise
perfect.

Clinical research trials at the Applied Psychology Department of the Medical
Research Council have shown that these problems can be helped by the use of
Precision Tinted Overlays or Precision Tinted Lenses where the ‘colour’ has
been selected specifically to meet the individual needs of each person.

The effect of the use of the overlay or lenses is to give greater clarity
when reading, this increases the reading fluency, accuracy, speed of reading
and stamina. There is a reduction in headaches and other symptoms of
discomfort.

The published research has now established, scientifically, that the use of
Precision Tinting can enable many people to read faster, more fluently and
for longer time periods. The Meares-Irlen Syndrome is now accepted as a
major cause of reading problems. It is likely that material will soon be
published which demonstrates that a significant proportion of Migraine
sufferers can also be treated using Precision Tinted lenses.


Who to refer for assessment

During our demonstrations to University Disability Officers last year, most
of the students who took part had been classified as ‘dyslexic’; many were
already in receipt of DSA.
Most (87%) of these students reacted positively and in an objectively,
measured way to a specific overlay or combination of overlays. Most of these
were absolutely astounded at the gains in speed and fluency.  There were
some that did not get any gain. In some of these cases that did not respond,
it became clear that they had other visual problems which had not been
diagnosed or prescribed for. These were referred to an Optometrist or
Orthoptist.

In conclusion

In our experience it is advisable that any student who is being assessed for
dyslexia or who has already been registered as dyslexic, ought to be
assessed for colour sensitivity.

A positive response will result in a significant and instant alleviation of
a major part of their difficulty.










Visual Symptoms


Most of those who have gained had one or more of the following symptoms.


   Text fading out.
   Letters or whole words moving about.
   Patches of text blurring out.
   Letters or words ‘lifting off the page’.
   Letters or words ‘pouring off the page’.
   Colour effects on white paper with black text on it.
   Headaches when reading.
   Sore eyes when reading.
   Refractive glasses do not solve the problem, the      symptoms persist.
   They had been told that their eyes are perfect despite the     symptoms.

Many subjects do not notice the visual distortion when they start to read.
They develop a few minutes into reading.
Some believe that everybody else sees the same as them and conclude that
they must be less intelligent because they cannot read as others do.

Who to test?

1.  Any one with reading or literacy difficulties
2. Any person who suffers from headaches, sore or aching eyes after reading.
3. People who have learnt to read comfortably for only a few minutes at a
time...Hence avoiding symptoms.
4. Slow readers.
5. Any person recognising any of the symptoms listed above.









Objective assessment of the gain obtained by the use of Precision Tinted
Filters.

Our diagnostician will measure objectively the ‘Rate of Reading’ of the
client using the test developed and evaluated by The Medical Research
Council’.
The rate of reading will be assessed using a strict protocol. A value will
be obtained for a white background and while using the prescribed overlay or
overlay combination.
The gain will be expressed as a gain obtained by the use of colour as a
percentage of the rate when reading on a white background.
(An assessment will be made of the effect of light source, i.e. strip
lighting, daylight or hot-wire lamp, on the gain where this is deemed
appropriate.)

This Test allows an assessment of the rate at which the visual cortex
processes text data sent to it from the eyes.

For clients with a high rate of reading a second test is undertaken using
‘complex text’. This allows for the conclusion to be based on an assessment
of fluency as well as speed.


NOTE

Many of the students we have tested have other visual problems affecting
their access to text, which they were not aware of. For many we can advise
on how to seek appropriate professional help, on how to overcome, or walk
around their difficulty. We have to incorporate knowledge of their
optometric status
In the protocols for assessing their response to colour.


A report is written for each client detailing the outcomes of the
consultation. This report records;
? The symptoms reported by the client.
? The optometric status of the client, known by the client at the beginning
of the consultation.
? Possible relevant orthoptic/optometric problems for which there appears to
be evidence, which the client is not aware of. In this situation they will
be referred to a suitable optometrist/ orthoptist.

? Objective results regarding the Rate of reading, with and without
prescribed overlay and incorporating relevant strategies relating to their
optometric/orthoptic status.
? Subjective comment (self-reported and diagnostician based) on the effects
of the prescription on fluency and comprehension.
? Comments and recommendations regarding future consultation needs.




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