Vol. XVI, No. 1 JANUARY 2006 Irlen North American Conference Excerpts from EEG Newsletter.com Inside This Volume 3, Issue 28, July 28, 2005 Edition We just attended the annual conference Orton Dyslexia Society looks askance at on Irlen Syndrome, sponsored by Helen Irlen Syndrome because the organisation Irlen and her staff, and held in Long prefers its own perspective on the nature of Irlen North Beach. This was the twentieth dyslexia. American 1, 4-5 anniversary of Helen Irlen’s work, Some five years ago I heard Dr. Jeffrey Conference subsequent to her discovery of Scotopic Lewine of the University of Utah Centre for Sensitivity Syndrome in 1983. The Advanced Medical Technologies talk on Helen’s conference was a warm and spunky 2 Irlen at a Conference on Innovations in Corner affair. There was still the sense of “us Education being held in Salt Lake City. He against the world” in the air, but also the had been implored by Helen Irlen to utilise swagger of great self-confidence. The the newly installed New Irlen remaining adversary in 3 magneto- Diagnosticians the world at large was encephalography (MEG) nothing more at the university to formidable than investigate Irlen Around 6-8 ignorance itself. The World Syndrome. Lewine had It is estimated that resisted one overture some 100,000 people after another from Helen are now running around for many months, but Research 9 with Irlen lenses. That eventually relented. is success of a sort Among those children indeed, except when it exhibiting the Irlen Special is compared to the 10 Syndrome, there was Recognition estimate that some 26% Dr. Daniel Amen and Helen Irlen indeed a difference in their of folks have a type of North American Irlen Conference response to a pulsed visual visual processing that signal. The MEG visual Short could be affected by Irlen Syndrome. 11 evoked potential in the association area V5 Articles Helen herself looked at the downside of had a different time course and the her enduring campaign: “In twenty years, processing took place over a larger cortical we have lost another generation of In volume. This last feature could not have 11 children who could have been helped.” Memoriam been determined from EEG measurements It will be observed that optometrists are (because these measure effects only at the not currently screening for or offering cortical surface) or any other imaging New 12 Irlen lenses. They just did not want what technique (because they are too slow). The Screeners they saw as competition, even though difference showed up only in the range of Irlen’s work has nothing to do with optical 180msec to 240msec post-stimulus. correction. Thus is the public interest Lewine could convert abnormal into normal served by professional groups. Even performance (continued on page 4) Irlen International Newsletter • January 2006 Vol. XVI, No. 1 JANUARY 2006 Helen’s Corner Requesting Accommodations in Higher Education I recently read an article by Cheryl Sahien and What are the Laws? Section 504 of the Jean Lehmann in the CEC journal Teaching Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American Exceptional Children (Vol.38 No.3 Jan/Feb 2006) Disabilities Act governs policy in higher which made me aware of the need to remind education. These laws provide general people about the importance of guidelines regarding the process. The accommodations for those in the college and American Disabilities Act states that any university system. Postsecondary survival institution that receives federal funds must requires that students who are accustomed to provide access for students with disabilities being special education recipients become within the educational institution. The student proactive self-advocates. is responsible for having the necessary documentation to show that a disability exists Although postsecondary institutions have an which qualifies for these services. The student obligation to level the playing field for students will need to provide to the college results with disabilities, the rules for requesting and from recent standardized tests showing a receiving accommodations differ from the specific learning disability. Otherwise, the rules in high school. The burden of student will have to pay for an eligibility responsibility for assessment which can be expensive. A current obtaining services shifts “Postsecondary survival requires that to the student to request assessment is critical students who are accustomed to being which shows that the services. special education recipients become student has a disability I am often asked by proactive self-advocates.“ and qualifies for the former clients to sign program. forms that will allow them to be registered with DDS (Disabled Student Services) to If a student is qualified for accommodations qualify for accommodations. Often, I cannot and has made a request for a reasonable qualify the student for the following reasons: accommodation and the institution denies his (a) Irlen Syndrome is not a condition that will requests, he has grounds to file a complaint qualify a student; (b) to receive services, a with the Office of Civil Rights. student must have had a recent evaluation within the past year. Final Review. (1) Student must identify himself to DDS. (2) Student must make a request for Students with Irlen Syndrome who will need reasonable accommodations. (3) Student must to continue using accommodations after high supply documentation. Postsecondary school should have IEP’s in place before leaving institutes grant accommodations on the basis high school; otherwise, the student will need of documented needs that relate directly to to go through a costly testing process. the disability and to the identified supports needed for meeting specific class requirements. (4) If the request is denied, the student can file a complaint. 2 Irlen International Newsletter • January 2006 NEW IRLEN DIRECTORS & DIAGNOSTICIANS Sharon Smisek, EdD Christine Lee-Archer West Palm Beach, Florida, USA Melbourne, Australia Currently, Dr. Sharon Smisek is on full-time Over her 25 years as a primary teacher, faculty at Florida Atlantic University in Christine has always been concerned at Jupiter, Florida, and teaches reading the number of students who found education courses to pre-service and in- reading difficult despite the many service teachers. As owner and director of strategies being given. After training, and Excel Learning Center, she offers with a supportive principal at her school, supplementary educational services to she has spent a large proportion of her children in the state of Florida. She believes that “as time in 2005 assessing students for Irlen educators, we must do our best to help our students reach Syndrome. As well as screening, Christine their full potential in all areas and being an Irlen Diagnostician has also been busy developing a differentiated curriculum for allows me to more fully meet the needs of many children and her school and providing programs for gifted and talented adults.” Sharon was previously an Irlen Clinic Director from students within her cluster of schools. Christine has now 1988 through 1993. moved onto the next phase of Irlen training and will be working as an Irlen Diagnostician under Clinic Director Gloria Thomas. Kyung Ran Seo, MD Seoul, South Korea Keiko Kumagai, PhD Dr. Seo is a psychiatrist specializing in Tokyo, Japan psychotherapy and is also an excellent neurofeedback practitioner. She has her Dr Kumagai is Associate Professor in the own clinic in the northern end of the Seoul Graduate School at the University of metropolitan area and has been working Tsukuba, Institute of Disability Sciences. closely with Dr. Hyung-bae Park in One of her areas of expertise is in practicing neurofeedback. She is quite educational interventions for students anxious to incorporate Irlen technology into with learning disabilities. While she was a her current practice and will be working with Dr. Park as an visiting Research Fellow studying at the Irlen Diagnostician. University of Manchester for ten months, she heard about Irlen and trained as an Irlen Screener before returning to Japan in April, 2003. She returned to England to Marcia Reis Guimaraes, MD, PhD complete her training as an Irlen Diagnostician and will run the Belo Horizonte, Brazil clinic in Tokyo. Dr. Guimaraes is an ophthalmologist with Hospital de Olhos de Minas Gerais, Sang-Bo Sim, MD, PhD Directera da Scoiedade Brasileira de Kyungsangnam-do, South Korea Administracao em Oftalmolgia, Membro International Society of Refractive Surgery Dr. Sim is a urology practitioner while and Latin American Society of Ophthalmic specializing in nutritional medicine. He is Surgeons and American Academy of also very much into natural healing. He Ophthalmology. Her professional feels that with the Irlen technology, he activities are numerous and include: Professora Convidada will be able to expand the arena of his das Universidades e/ou Faculdades, Escaola Oaulista de activities to a greater extent. Dr. Sim will Medicina, Faculty of Unviersidadade Federal de Permambuco, be working as an Irlen Diagnostician with Universidade Federal do Ceara, Universidade Federal do Rio Dr. Hyung-bae Park. Grande do Norte, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas de Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Medicina UFMG, Oftalmologista Hospital de Olhos de Minas Gerais, Professor Adjunta de Jin-Woo Bae, MD, PhD Taegu, South Korea Dr. Bae, a psychiatrist, has opened a new learning disability clinic for children and adolescents. It is associated with a private academic institute with approximately 1,500 high school students with a continual turnover. It is located about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. We are hopeful that the Irlen Filters will help them, and he is working with Dr. Hyung-bae Park as an Irlen Diagnostician. 3 Irlen International Newsletter • January 2006 Irlen North American Conference (continued from page 1) when the children put on their Irlen glasses, and approach by a nine-year-old patient. He has never looked could convert back into abnormal performance by back.