[senco-forum] Irlen Syndrome

Dear David,
                  I have 'done' the Irlen screening course and would highly recommend it if you get the chance - it has been one of the courses which I have used most in my teaching.
       I teach mainly one-to-one and mainly dyslexics or just weaker kids so I tend to listen out for any indications they may be scotopic sensitivity and act on this - at other times I ask open ended questions to see if there is any liklihood they are SS eg when you're tired and you'd like to stop reading but you can't because you have a piece of homework, and it's a text book rather than reading for pleasure, what's happening on the page? If they say everything's alright I don't leave it at that I ask them to tell me a bit about it - because I once asked a girl what it was like looking at the whiteboard and she said it was 'fine' and when I asked her a bit more she said the words at the end of the line on the board sometimes 'fell off' and joined the next line - and that was what she had described as 'fine'!
     Having said all that, I don't have a formal system for screening within the school. Staff are aware of it and I do get names passed to me via subject teachers. I had a 6th former recently who came via the careers teacher - through a casual conversation in which she said she had a real difficulty with clothes that were highly patterned!
  Janet

DAVID MAHONEY <patmahoney at btinternet.com> wrote:
  Would anyone happen to have a policy for Irlen Syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity) at their school.

I have been asked to produce one regarding screening, uses of overlays etc,and would appreciate the opportunity to see any which others may be using.

Many thanks

Pat Mahoney
SENCO
Gravesend