Irlen Syndrome

Irlen Syndrome is thought to affect about 50% of students with specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. The root of Irlen Syndrome is in perceptual problems caused by light sensitivity.

Students with this condition often benefit from the use of coloured overlays or coloured glasses. The overlays or glasses work by filtering out light which causes distortions to print. Problems also appear to be worse with black print on white paper, which is incidentally the most common format.

If you have Irlen Syndrome, you may have difficulty with:

• Letters merging together
• Letters appearing in the wrong order
• Twirling letters
• Words being fuzzy
• Words jumping about
• Difficulties in reading and keeping your place
• Excessive rubbing and blinking of eyes
• Words appearing as a jumbled puzzle
• Words appearing faded

If you experience difficulty with anything listed above, please contact us so we can ensure you have the best support in place while you’re studying.