Pyschologist Helen Irlen, author of the book Reading by the Colors, found that many children she worked with were able to improve reading fluency when using colored lenses. She coined the term Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome, or Irlen Syndrome, to describe the condition that her approach proved effective in treating. Some symptoms of Irlen Syndrome are discomfort working under bright lights or fluorescent lights, problems with reading print on white or high gloss paper, or perceiving print as shifting or blurring.

If you choose to have your child evaluated at an Irlen Center, your child will first be screened to determine whether reading improves with use of a colored overlay; if this seems to help, your child will work with a diagnostician using a wide array of colored lenses to determine the precise color that seems to work best for your child.

You can also achieve some of the benefits of this approach by buying colored overlays from an art or theatrical supply store for your child to use. Although this is not as precise has having your child evaluated at an Irlen Center, it may afford some relief.