What is Irlen Syndrome?

Have you ever seen someone wearing colour-tinted glasses and wondered why they might need them?

Neurodivergent people often experience sensory differences, including light sensitivity, which can significantly impact day-to-day functioning. Visual Stress (also known as Irlen Syndrome or Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome) refers to a sensitivity to light that causes difficulties in processing visual information.

It is hereditary and can be co-occurring with ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia. Tinted glasses, coloured overlays or adjusting the brightness/colour of your screens can relieve symptoms.

Here is a summary of signs you may struggle with Visual Stress:

Are you uncomfortable in environments with fluorescent lighting?

Do you struggle with glare? Car headlights from oncoming traffic?

Do you feel uncomfortable looking at things on a bright screen?

Do you get headaches and eye strain?

Do you find yourself wanting to wear sunglasses often?

Do you turn the brightness right down on your phone?

Do you avoid reading and writing or find it difficult?

Do you prefer natural light to artificial light?*

I struggled with all of the difficulties above.

I sought out a colourimetry assessment on the advice of my optician because I was getting headaches from prolonged reading and working in rooms with no natural light. A colourimetry assessment aims to determine which combination of tinted lenses best eliminates the wavelengths of light which are causing you discomfort. After trying all of the coloured tints, I found a combination that made me feel like my whole body was relaxed whilst I was reading.

The glasses I now wear are a combination of blue, purple and grey but if you saw me wearing them you’d say they were blue or turquoise. In the process, I discovered that looking through pink or yellow lenses made me feel sick; an unexpectedly strong response, but the assessor assured me it was normal. For me, it made a huge difference and I rely on my glasses daily to read comfortably, reduce glare and also to help me focus. I also use coloured writing pads, reduce the brightness on any screens I am working on and choose environments with natural light when I need to read or focus. Before I had my glasses, I even wore sunglasses in the supermarket!

What should you do if you think you might have Irlens Syndrome?

If you or your child are experiencing these difficulties, I’d recommend learning more about visual stress and consulting a professional. You can ask your local opticians if they do colourimetry testing, or go to the Irlens website. In the meantime, affordable and temporary solutions could be trying overlays you can order online (some schools may have for their students to try) or adjusting screen brightness or backgrounds to off-white or other colours. You are looking for any colours that make the words appear sharper, more defined, clearer or easier to read and any colours that reduce tension in your body. If the supermarket gives you headaches every time, why not wear sunglasses? If you find these measures helpful, then it may be worth having an assessment and considering tinted glasses.

*For a more extensive list/self-screening test, please visit the Irlens Website. On their contact us page, you will also find a list of assessors for locations across the UK.

If you want to try coloured overlays, we have an Amazon affiliate link here.

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