Individuals who have experienced a head injury, sometimes even a minor fall, can experience cognitive changes, headaches, increased light sensitivity, and problems reading. These problems may become less severe over time but may continue to cause difficulties. Many times these problems are not taken seriously by the medical profession and the individual is left to suffer silently, trying to make adjustments and accomodations. You do not need to have been severely disabled by a head injury to find that you are now not able to do some things as easily as before.

The physical effects of a head injury (regarless of how minor) that can be alleviated by the Irlen Method fall into three categories: physical discomfort, cognitive, or learning and behavioral difficulties. Seizures, poor coordination, headaches, dizziness, fatigue and abnormal movements, such as tremors, have improved by wearing colored filters. In addition, attention and concentration may improve. Using colored filters can reduce feelings of agitation, irritability, and anxiousness that often result from the head injury.

Experts are becoming more aware of how, for those who have a head injury, some of the problems are related to sensory overload that can be caused by lighting, glare, patterns, bright colors, high contrast, and visual activities. Color, when worn as glasses, filters out the offending wavelengths of light that the brain interprets as stressful. This helps balance the brain’s ability to function ; and, when less stressed, the brain can more easily process information with less effort.

Source: Reading by the Colors by Helen Irlen MA pages 188-189 Updated Edition

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