Client Testimonials

We have her glasses. And she loves them! First thing she said is the letters are not moving? And the light is not hurting? She sounded like she did not understand that she can see better. She now sees she can live life seeing better. Will let you know how it goes with school work. Thank you, Thank you, Susan for all your help. No eye doctor has ever given Annie this kind if result. You are an angel for sure!

Lisa and Annie

"When your anxiety is swirlin', put on your Irlen®!"

"I find my Irlen® lenses to be very helpful when I'm driving and when the I'm on the computer. I thought I wouldn't wear them, but now I'm a believer."

Turner just came home and had his reading assessment for the first time since he got his glasses. He went up three levels since the beginning of the year - last year he only went up one in the WHOLE year. He is so proud!

Regina

Hi Susan,

Chance is doing really great with his lenses at school. His confidence is through the roof and his personality is really shining bright.

I am planning on getting certified as a screener at your next class! I can’t wait!

Thank you

Ashlie

Lisa with Irlen lenses Hi my name is Lisa and my new glasses have given me my life back!! The world was much too bright for me. I was getting migraines from the sun, the light, the tv, reading. Very sad. Then I was researching and came across a website that talked about the Irlen® Syndrome. I figured I definitely had it. And Susan confirmed it. The photo you see would not have been possible before these glasses. My world is now vivid and beautiful and I can play outside with my friends, family and grandchildren. I can read!! And, I can be on a computer now, which will allow me to finally be able to start school and get back to work. I have tears writing this because of my world opening up to so many things now. Thank you!

Zuri with Irlen lenses

Hi Susan!

I'm finally getting back to you about the glasses due to some circumstances at home, but I have to say that I love these glasses so much! I see so much difference in my productivity when working because the words never move around on me anymore when reading anything! I think the biggest change though comes from my perception of depth. As I drive to work, I can see how different the shapes of the trees are from further away, and the length of the road is no longer as two dimensional as I was perceiving it to be. My coordination is also slightly better and I'm a lot happier these days. I also don't have as many headaches and can work longer than before. It's amazing being able to see the world in the sunshine.

I hope that you and your family are still faring well through this historical time,

thanks again,

Zuri

I have always felt that my life has been colorful and unique, and that it imitates art in many ways. There are parts of my life that the art displayed is bright and joyful and other parts of my life that carry more muted tones. Today was an exceptional day where the muted tones came together with the vibrant colors and it turned into something more magical than I could have ever imagined. I have struggled for many years with severe and non stop headaches, dizziness, nausea and many other symptoms, all of which have been associated with a tumor I have located in my brain on my pituitary gland. Recently my son was diagnosed with Irlen® Syndrome. The more I learned about this, the more I wondered if I should be tested for it because it is hereditary. Today I went through intense testing and was blown away by what happened. Once we started using the colored lenses, I experienced my first headache free moments in years!! This alone would have been enough for me, but it got better. It corrected the trouble I have been having with my depth perception which has been a major problem for me as well. I felt calm and my nausea and dizziness went away too. By far the most surprising thing we discovered today was how much it improved my reading ability. I have always considered myself to be a very good reader, but it has always been painful for me and makes my head hurt worse than when I am not reading. I was asked to read without the glasses and like expected, I read the paragraph well, but made a few minor errors by switching words around, replacing words, or missing words. In all of those instances I caught myself and fixed my errors. When I was asked to put the glasses on I instantly was able to read without any errors and for the first time ever I realized how much I had actually struggling to read. Today I was diagnosed with Irlen® Syndrome and in two weeks I will receive my new glasses that have 7 layers of color. My lenses will be a a combination of mostly pinks and purples. This unique combination will calm my brain and help eliminate my symptoms. The best part of this for me is it is 100%drug free.

Christina O'Neil-Bourne

Kristen wrote: "“I’ll give you a hint the book lied...or was it my mind?” To whomever is reading this I’ll make you a promise. And I don’t ever make promises I can’t keep. You may have seen us in your classes, around town, or even had a conversation with us wondering— maybe even confused by the tint of our glasses. Each of us has a story, impeccable as to how the right combination of plastic colored filters are the catalyst to our successes, the keys that unlock or potential. I’ve been wearing my Irlen® filers (contacts or glasses) for almost 11 years now, and the impeccable effects they’ve had in my life are incredible. Before hand I experienced one too many of the Irlen® symptoms; I suffered from debilitating migraines, light sensitivity, seemingly absent hand eye coordination, car sickness, depth perception issues, fatigue, was seemingly depressive, I couldn’t read to save my life nor remember what I was reading, I mixed up letters because the words swirled, and it took me HOURS to do simple homework, all regardless of having 20/20 vision. With a round total of 8 different eye doctors and then some, their only solution was “I needed to try harder.” As a little third grader what would be trying “harder” when I constantly was being tutored by outside help and/or my parents leaving little time for leisure, and was already crying myself to sleep out of sadness/frustration because I KNEW I could do it but couldn’t figure out how to prove it. Without Irlen® filters its like this: my mind feels imprisoned. Internally my intelligence, creativity, and tenacity thrive but I’m unable to bring them into reality because there’s a diamond hard barrier. It’s like a dam of water, waiting to spill over but cannot because there’s a huge barrier between it and the canal it should freely flow down. My Irlen® filters are/have been the central piece kickstarting my successes, and the hero to my academia distresses whether minute or seemingly impossible. Since I began wearing them, I have succeeded in countless ways. I graduated in the top 25th percentile of my highschool graduating class w/honors, am ranked 17th in the state of Nevada for golf, pursued my dream of playing collegiate golf, am published in 3 additions of the Celebrating Art books, and now age 22 am currently finishing up pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Recreational Therapy w/a minor in Psychology at Eastern Washington University while working and volunteering. The best part being I no longer experience ANY of the symptoms I listed earlier. Upon graduating I hope to become a certified screener and Irlen® advocate. I hold high hopes that Irlen® will reach all populations of people so each mind can flourish, and no child struggles beyond capacity. When your brain has the capability to think to your utmost potential—you can be positively unstoppable. To all people eager to learn, find solutions, and keep getting better and better, there are infinite ways to learn, and infinite ways to prove mastery. Irlen® filters could very well be a piece of the puzzle within that range. Run and get tested asap because you have everything to gain, and nothing to lose. This I can promise you. In honor of Irlen® Awareness week this is a blink of my whole Irlen® story. I hope it’s helpful to others pondering whether Irlen® could help them or someone they know. Huge shout out and immense gratitude go out to my parents for fighting for me and with me throughout my entire Irlen® journey. You both are amazing. I wish everyone nothing but the best and good luck! Thanks so much for reading.💛"

Christina O'Neil-Bourne

My 15-year-old daughter went through a two-hour exam with Susan Hughes, Diagnostician of Irlen Visions in Chico, CA. We were trying determine if she has Irlen®Syndrome, which is a visual processing disorder. My daughter has suffered with severe Hemiplegic migraines for the past year, and has had migraines a few times a month for her whole life. The way she sees the world and text on pages, and images is like someone hallucinating. I fought back tears almost the entire time as I to

ok the tests alongside her and couldn't believe how she described the way she sees the world. For example, letters in a paragraph start becoming 3-d, parts of the paragraph ripple, double, or begin disappearing. She can't comprehend a multi-dimensional drawing. Parts of a the cube begin flying off the page. If she focuses on a certain object in the distance, everything else is blurry and the background begins to swirl around it. The physical response in her body as she is working so hard to process what she sees was profound. I was shocked! And her response: "I thought everyone saw things this way." She is use to living with it. In fact, she works twice as hard to get As/Bs throughout school. And now I understand so many signs along the way. Susan said she can't believe how well she functions in school given the severity of her disorder. She was off the charts in her test results showing significant visual impact. Here is the part that was like a miracle: Susan started putting colored overlays on top of the images and page of text, and after trying dozens of colors Lana found one that she said corrected everything. Boom! The text settled on the page, none of the effects happened. He brain and body relaxed. UNREAL! It was like watching a blind person put on glasses for the first time and being able to see. Needless to say, it was an emotional day to discover this issue. I can't wait until we get her the glasses. It's going to change her world.

I am so sad that she has struggled like this for so long and I never knew. She didn't know she was processing things differently than others.

The neurologist knew she was having a visual processing issue, but sent her to an optometrist, who did the standard tests and said she was normal. I don't understand why not every eye doctor has simple visual tests like this or even asks patient how they are interpreting or processing images and text. Even a neurologist could administer these tests and would have realized she wasn't seeing her world like everyone else. I am so grateful for Dr. Helen Irlen and her incredible discovery, as well as Susan Hughes, the diagnostician. We have had a life-changing experience, and will help spread the word so others can get this support.

Thanks again!

Look forward to making our appt for glasses.

Julia

Hello Susan, I posted this on one of Dave Asprey Bulletproof videos with Helen Irlen. I thought you might like to read it.
"You don't know what you don't see. I've been wearing Irlen® lenses since I first heard about Irlen® syndrome in '02. I was an English major in grad school. I was failing to keep up with the heavy reading load when I noticed an ad about Irlen® syndrome in the local paper. I had all the symptoms listed, so I made an appointment to get tested. It changed my life. I wear 3 pair of glasses, depending on the intensity of the light. My indoor lenses are lighter than my fall/winter lenses, which are lighter than my spring/summer lenses.
The day I put on my first pair of colored lenses I saw a world in 3-D. I saw it once before in a View-master toy when I was six, but I never imagine the real world looked like that. Outside, I saw tree limbs and leaves coming out from the trunk and branches. It was a truly life changing moment. If I wear my indoor pair outside I can lose depth perception, depending on the light. The lenses corrected many things, but not everything. I see 7 letters in focus with my glasses, instead of 3, but those extra 4 letters made a difference in reading and comprehension. I no longer see words move, slant, change color, or fly off the page. Words remain still where they belong. I see a domed sky, and still do. I asked Helen Irlen about it in '02. She never heard the question before I asked it. Helen told me if you don't know the question you can't know the answer. Irlen® diagnosticians began asking clients if they see a domed sky after that. Some did, like me.

I've learned my focal range is quite narrow, placing me on the severe end of the spectrum. Irlen® syndrome can run in families. It does mine. Take the test. Irlen® spectrum varies from low to severe. Find out if you have it. If you do, have your family tested. Next time you're outdoors look at a tree and the sky, then tell an Irlen® diagnostician exactly what you see. It may surprise you to learn what you're not seeing, like it did me."

Helen Irlen - Your Glass Is Always Full Through Irlen® Lenses: #291

After doing a battery of cognitive tests at the Summit Center in Walnut Creek, Dr. Michelle Freeman, whom I also recommend highly, suggested that I might benefit from vision therapy and an Irlen® syndrome screening. She referred me to Susan Hughes, who tests for Irlen® syndrome in Northern California. During an initial email conversation, Susan generously provided a scholarship to cover some of the costs of the visit and lens construction. A few weeks later, I met with Susan in her Marin County office, where she described how Irlen® syndrome can negatively affect reading and depth perception. When I tried out a series of Irlen® filters, I noticed an immediate improvement in my ability to read smoothly and to see print clearly. I also noticed a substantial decrease in bright-light induced eye discomfort, which up until then, I had lived with without knowing the cause. Making sure to find the correct combination of filters, Susan expertly narrowed down which lenses I would most benefit from. During the entire visit, Susan was very polite, knowledgeable, and helpful. I have since greatly enjoyed my Irlen® glasses, which have made reading easier and improved my quality of life. I am very fortunate to have found Susan, and I recommend her highly!

Wonderful news from Annie and her mother Lisa.

The glasses have arrived

We have her glasses. And she loves them!
First thing she said is, the letters are not moving? And the light is not hurting?

She sounded like she understood that she can see better. She now sees she can live life seeing better. Will let you know how it goes with school work. Thank you, Thank you, Susan for all your help. No eye doctor has ever given Annie this kind of result. You are an angel for sure! Lisa and Annie

I have been waiting for Tonya's picture but I am going to go ahead and copy her comments, and add the picture when it arrives., I asked her if her new Irlen® glasses were helping.

Yes and YES!!!!!
Wearing my glasses feels like turning off a faucet that has been running my whole life, that I didn't even know was running, until I put my lenses on. The relief comes in waves. Reading is actually relaxing, not fatiguing. I can read so much longer.
Everything is easier. Surprisingly, even talking is easier.

My color looks great in my frames.

More later,

Thank you so much!!!

and a day later -

Yes of course you can share

My mentor at school was just commenting on how much more relaxed I am today even, verses Monday, my first day with my lenses.

I feel genuine happiness and joy. I was so stuck in fight or flight from dealing with so many crisis situations for so many years, even when I wanted to feel happy, I was so muted and flat, like feeling happy was just out of reach. Now, with my lenses, I just feel happy. The constant friction I felt in everyday life is quickly becoming a distant memory.
And, I can study!!! For as long as I want! I can use my anatomy software without stress.

That's all for now. You can use all of this for Irlen Visions if you like.

Happy Happy, Joy Joy,
Tonya

"I find my Irlen® lenses to be very helpful when I'm driving and when the I'm on the computer. I thought I wouldn't wear them, but now I'm a believer."

And her slightly tongue in cheek optional jingle.

"When your anxiety is swirlin', put on your Irlen®!"

Rebecca and Grace

My Irlen® Story

I always had issues in school growing up. I had a lot of headaches and a hard time reading many times having to reread and reread. I also sneezed lots when in the sun or bright lights. Most teachers thought it was just allergies. At 17 I learned that I had exophoria. My eyes turned out significantly and the dr suggested expensive optical therapy. I learned some of what they did and used the therapy on my own to assist with my eyes. My brother had many issues as well with school being diagnosed as dyslexic. He took all his exams orally and aced them but was put into special ed classes because of his disability but without required paperwork in school, I believe he would be considered a genius. My brother has struggled all the way through school but has never been tested for Irlen®.

Now fast forward 20 years to when my son was 7. The testing he received at school proved he had a visual processing disorder but when we went to the specialist he was baffled. He suggested that we take all media away from our son. No computer, tablets, phones, not even TV shows or games. I said he was giving us unreasonable advice. I let my husband know I didn’t want our son to follow up with him as I knew in my gut that answers were out there but not with him.

One day while watching my son in his karate class I sat next to a woman that was wearing yellow tinted glasses. Of course I always like to talk and this lady proceeded to tell me that her tinted glasses were indeed irlen® filters. She gave me the irlen.com web address and the rest is history. I knew immediately that I had found my sons, and MY own answers. Not only that but I also had a daughter with 24/7 headaches and another daughter with tourettes and reading difficulties. I took my son to a local woman that screened him for Irlen® and he definitely had it. I knew we had to have everyone tested but that price would be an issue. I called the irlen® institute and that is how we found Susan.

My husband is a pilot so distance isn’t an issue. We flew out from Kentucky to Chico, CA to see Susan and she dedicated a day and a half to help my family. We all had Irlen®, except my husband, and I had 2 kids that were too young to test but we felt like my 2nd son had Irlen® as well. After a few years we now have myself, my 2 oldest daughters and my 2 sons in Irlen® lenses. My youngest is still too young to be tested. The improvement that has happened with my family has been wonderful. My oldest only gets headaches rarely now. My 2nd more control over her tics, and has improved with her reading difficulties. My older son is doing great in school and is very outgoing. And my younger son has suddenly begun reading. I also don’t get headaches as much and it helps my depression and anxiety as well.

Irlen® has turned my family’s concern into understanding. Knowing there is an answer out there has made a huge difference. Thankyou Susan and thank you Irlen®

Heidi Lozano

Susan, You saw my son Alex last summer and tested him and found his color of glasses. He is doing great with his glasses, they have helped his migraines significantly. His current job requires him to be on a computer a fair amount of the time, and he is able to tolerate this better than he has ever been able to. Thank you!! He will be seeing the eye dr soon and will probably need a new prescription, so I was wondering what the process is for him to get his new glasses coated with his color. Thank you, Debbie

Thank you!

I love my glasses, my world feels safer and calmer. I actually want to get a second pair! Let me know when I can drop off my glasses. Deep gratitude, Catriel

I just rechecked a young man of 11. He has 5 sisters. He was still seeing a slight wiggle in his peripheral vision. I added a light lavender to his color and stopped the wiggle. He wears his glasses all day long.

I asked him how they had been helping him
He told me before, his whole world moved all the time. Now it stayed still. He was not dizzy any more and he did not get car-sick." I can read really fast now, "he said, "and my mom said I do not get angry any near so much...
Also I have had no night terrors since wearing them, and I have less crazy thoughts. I am less afraid of heights."
His mother and two of his sisters also wear the glasses. He says his mother loves hers and won't go anywhere without them, and his older sister says hers are perfect.
HIs younger sister does not get migraines since having hers ,but came along with him for the recheck, as hers felt a little dark. We lightened hers a little too. A happy family. I hope to have a picture of them soon.

Dear Susan

We received the lenses today. Nathaniel says he can see leaves on the trees now

Kimberly

Dear Susan,

My name is Dayann Pettit and I love my new Irlen® filters! They help me have a clearer perspective on things, as well as help me with both depression and anxiety by making me have a better view of the world around me. Many people have complimented me and have asked where to get these wonderful glasses. They really do make a huge difference in my life!

Smiles, Dayann

I really love my Irlen® Filters. They make a world of difference! I enjoy typing and watching movies with them and I want to learn to read more with them on too. My sister likes them also. My eyes work together now and they seem less strained It has been a significant change for me and it may be the best decision I could've made! All my friends are happy to see me in them and I have a couple of friends that would like to have a pair for themselves.Isn't that great?

I just wanted you to know how happy you made me and what a difference you made with me. Thanks a million for all your help! I sure do love my new filters! Everyone seems to see all the positive efects they have on me and that makes me so very happy. I havent used my filters on a esculater yet but I will soon and see what happens They sure work when I am going down stairs! It is awesome! I really enjoy going outdoors in them too. Now I notice even the smallest things in life. It really is something to see Susan. I wish you could come celebrate it with me. You may use my testimony to help others if you wish.

It would mean a lot to me if you do.

Your Rainbow Friend, Dayann

Hi,

I thought you would like to know that Andrea received her Spectral Filters in the mail Wednesday and wore them to school for the first time today. Some of the kids teased her about wearing glasses, but she kept them on and had a great day! Her teacher even told her that she acted like a
totally different person (which is a good thing!). Andrea said that she didn't trip at all today, and even when she was excited she didn't go
crazy like she normally would. I actually had my doubts that they would work, but if things keep going even half as well as they did today I will consider them a roaring success. I am including picture so you can see how cute she looks in her new, awesome spectral filters.

Thanks for all your help, and I will be making an appointment for myself soon!

-Mary

Dear Susan,

Just wanted to share with you Amanda's latest triumph. Just to "set the stage" a bit, I'll go over a little of her history.

By 2nd grade, the special ed Teacher that tested Amanda was telling us she had a very low IQ and would never be able to do what the other kids could do. She was doing her best and we should just accept that. Her Dr's had all told us, however, that she was very precocious. Her speech therapist and teachers all insisted that she was very bright and had a high IQ as well. So something else had to be wrong.

Her speech teacher finally, towards the end of third grade was able to run some hearing tests for a problem that is not recognized in our local school districts. She diagnosed central auditory processing disorder. At this point in time Amanda was only able to do beginning 1st grade work. With help for that problem, she was able to advance a year to 2nd grad work, by the end of 4th grade. Before 5th grade, we had an epa meeting with her speech teacher, 4th grade teacher, new 5th grade teacher and the title one teacher. she had to sit in on all epa meetings even though Amanda had never been a title one student. I always had Amanda with me at these meetings. I described to the speech therapist that over the summer, Amanda had finally been able to convey to me that she when she read, the words "went into her eyes" the same way "they went into her ears", all confused and mixed up. The title one teacher gave a squeal and jumped and ran, yelling over her shoulder "dont go anywhere". When she returned she had a copy of Helen Irlen's Read By The Colors.

It was after that, that we contacted you and finally had some answers and some help. By the end of 6th grade Amanda had caught up scholastically with her school mates and we were being told, that because of her learning disablities, they were unable to test her IQ. However, because of the way and the short length of time it had taken her, that her IQ must be phenominal.

Amanda has continued to work hard and with determination. Many of her studies come very easy to her and some, as normal for any student, require a lot more work. That alone sounds like quite a triumph, BUT, that's not all!

Amanda is one of only 4 sophomores out of a class of well over 500 sophomores, that was invited to apply for the National Honor Society. And this student, remember, is the one we were told only had a very low IQ.

Irlen® Institute and Susan Hughes have our highest regards. This triumph fills my heart to overflowing. I wanted to cry but cannot do that in front of Amanda. So, I share her joy and the pride of her family for her accomplishments.

She has placed her application and it must now be approved by one of the Deans or Counselors. But she was invited. And so my daughter is amazing.

Thank you, Susan.

Kate helped Gabby get the spectral filters when she realized the girl , her neighbor, was 11 but barely reading at a 2nd grade reading level. That was 3 months ago. The last time I saw her Gabby was reading Moby Dick.

Gabby now has her bifocal Irlen® Spectral Filters and is
elated about it. She also received her first report card since she has
had her reading Irlen® filters and she earned six A's and a B on her
report card. I had a chance to meet with her teachers to find out
where she needs a little extra help to catch up, and they are all
amazed with her. I really thank you both for having the technology and
resources for helping her and giving her a tool to function capably in
life. Kate

nbsp; The letter she wrote to you is in her own handwriting, and I will send you the original.

'Thank you Susan for my filters. Without you I would still be struggling to learn and get to class on time. Now because of you I can see a lot better then I use to be able to before. I insist you to try this out if you to determine if you are just like me and cannot see right and people are calling you dumb. Thank you.'

Gabby C.
I am so proud of Gabby and and so thankful that you could help her. She walks with her shoulders square and her head up now. Kate

Susan:

I am attaching a photo of my soon-to-be-17-year-old son Sean. He loves his Irlen® filters! They have made such a difference in his life! He is able to happily participate in events (like weddings) that would have incapacitated him with severe headaches previously. Having his Irlen® spectral Filters has given him his life back..... thank you so very much! Janet

Hi Susan
It was great having you and Stella at Abba's Child the past couple of days! Here are some comments my granddaughter, Devyn made right after she got her first pair of Irlen® filters, and the following few days:

"I never knew the glasses would make such a change--it's amazing!", "Now I know I've seen a pretty day--the sky is blue and the world has completely changed, everything is clear and has texture." "It's amazing, I never knew what a beautiful day looked like.", "Sadly, all I can say is, boy have I been missing out on life!", "I'm not the same person any more."I guess I was missing somethings from my brain, and now I have them!"

About a week after Devyn got her glasses I asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. This was her answer: "I want to stand up in front of people and tell them how they can be helped if they have problems." Then she added: "I always thought I would never be able to accomplish anything in my life, and now I know that I can!"
I didn't even know eight year olds thought about "accomplishing" things in their lives!! I hope you enjoy knowing the positive difference you and your work makes in peoples' lives!

Bless you, Jackie

Good Morning Susan,

My daughter is a walking testimonial for Irlen® Syndrome and the desperate need our Reno community has for information regarding this condition. My husband and I searched for answers for Kristen for nine years. We held her in Kindergarten because we knew she "saw things differently than we did." We saw 5 eye doctors, hired a private specialist for Dyslexia testing, pursued speech therapy and psychological evaluations and tutoring The results of each endeavor always ended with: "She is perfectly fine, she just needs to try harder." We also contacted our local school district. Kristen spent three, long days being tested for a learning disability. At the end of that session, I was told that my daughter qualified for every level of every service Washoe County had available because she didn't test at grade level for any subject; especially reading, phonics and spelling. Never once did they discuss Irlen® Syndrome, it's symptoms or colored overlays.

In my heart, I knew Kristen wasn't the way they described her. While I ignored their dire diagnosis to pull her from her current school, I did continue my quest for answers. Kristen did attend tutoring every day for 6 months, saw several more eye doctors and took over two hours every night to do homework that should have taken 30 minutes. Washoe County School District does not currently know, or understand Irlen® Syndrome,

In fact, we only found out about Irlen® Syndrome from a former employee who knew the difficulty our daughter was having and happened to think of us when she attended a Holistic Health Conference and heard Charlotte Cage speak. Since my daughter's initial visit for Irlen® screening with Charlotte Cage in August 2007, I have referred over 10 other children for Irlen® screening. I know that 6 are now successfully operating with various overlays, 1 is due to have his appointment next week, and 3 have been sitting on the fence .

My daughter can identify Irlen® Syndrome children in a blink and often says she wants to grow up to be an eye doctor who understands this condition, so she can help kids like her. Thank you again so very much for spending so much time with Kristen. She is wearing her filters faithfully and is a completely different child. She is excelling in her studies and now wears a smile during school. Best Regards, Rita

Hello
I am a high school student who is currently living with a traumatic brain injury. The effects of this injury would be almost debilitating if weren't for the aid of my mental rehabilitation techniques and my Irlen® color filters. Before I got my spectral filters I had an incredibly hard time with school work as well as my daily life. I found it extremely difficult to focus, both with my eyes and my mind. I had a very hard time reading and writing. I also had incredibly bad mood swings.

After about a week of wearing my spectral filters however I noticed remarkable improvement with all of these problems. My reading became much more fluid and I noticed that I was retaining more of what I read. I stopped having the 'morning blues' which made it much easier to get up and do what I needed to get done that day. My grades improved. All of the little tasks, such as driving, became much more effortless and seemed like less of a burden. I also noticed that the filters had positively affected my behavior. I found it easier to interact with people and was surprised to find myself making new friends without trouble. I recommend color filters for anyone who has trouble reading or in school.

Sincerely,
Lance

Susan I have been meaning to write you and tell you how much Breann's spectral filters have helped her she went from 43 words a min. to 87 words a min. in one day. She is just beaming with pride, although they didn't make a difference in gymnastics :) she loves them. Thanks so much.

Gayle

Susan, I have sooo much to share, I have to share with you what a great success your Diagnosis and subsequent scotopic filters have made in Sean's life.
Sean's is in the 4th grade and every teacher in his young life had had concerns regarding his skills with regards to reading, handwriting, attention and focus in class. Sean is a polite, hardworking child and has always has be able to pull "B's and C's" in school. Although he would be moody and frustrated much of the time, it was a real struggle. His fourth Grade teacher also mentioned concerns with all the above and suggested we consider testing and meds for ADD.

We discussed my primary issues with Sean which were his attention and his stilted reading ability... he would read as if each word had a comma after it or as if he were reading a list. Leslie , my friend, shared with me that one of her children really struggled with attention issues and with reading also as AFTER FOUR years she was finally diagnosed with Scotopic sensitivity.

Meanwhile, the ADD school test showed my son NORMAL, so I immediately scheduled with you, you recommended Irlen® filters with specific colors and now just 3 short weeks later.... his Teacher, almost reluctantly, informed the School Psy. that Sean is MUCH improved in his attention and focus. Handwriting is on the line instead of floating between the upper and lower lines. His math scores and spelling scores are both Topnotch!! His Self esteem is much improved. The Kid couldn't see!! and with my own limited vision, I believe he was facing his own internal fears.

Susan, Thank you so much. You have changed our lives. You alone have changed my son's life for the better. A humble mother thanks you so very much.

Bless you, Liz

Hi. My name is Merlynne
I grew up knowing there was something "wrong" with me. I saw things my friends didn't, took twice as long to read anything, couldn't develop my eye-hand coordination no matter how hard I worked at it, and had constant headaches from the age of 8. My parents assumed I was faking and my teachers assumed I wasn't trying. I sound bitter; maybe I am but to their credit, no one had ever heard of Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome yet.

After my children started school, I noticed some similarities between their hardships at school and mine. Headaches, stomachaches, loved to play sports but always seemed to miss the ball, trouble lining up multiple numbers in math, and my girls read very well (like me) though much slower than their classmates. My son is my youngest and by the end of 1st grade he could not read. We tried Hooked On Phonics, Reader Rabbit, Scholastics' Phonics Reading Program, and a host of other program to try and "fix" the problem. No matter what we tried, it was the same result. He couldn't read. Not even the simplest words: the, on, is, it. But this did give me my first clue. Every time he would try to sound them out differently. Sometimes using letters that weren't in the word. But they were in the previous word or in the word that came after. Eureka!

Thinking my son was dyslexic, I began researching the condition. While some things matched up many more didn't. Again I was at a loss. One day, during a conversation with my mother-in-law, I mentioned my frustration and explained how confusing his reading disability was. That was the first time I heard of SSS or Irlen® syndrome. She had taken a class about it a few years ago while at a teacher's convention with the Head Start program. She ordered me a test kit through the mail. I gave him the test, but it was inconclusive (more to my incompetence than anything else) so I set out in search of a diagnostician in our area. In the mean time, I put my children back in school.

From that first day with those overlays until the day we met up with Susan, his reading level jumped from primer to late 1st grade! It's amazing what you can learn when the words always look the same way every time you see them! We were on the right track. Knowing how close we were made waiting for his spectral filters nearly unbearable. At last they arrived and the true test began, would they do all we were hoping they would?

Yes, they did. My son finished the year reading at a beginning 3rd grade level. He gained as much in those 6 weeks with his spectral filters as he had the whole rest of the year without them. Fourth grade went much better though he continued with the Special Ed. This year however, he made McGill Elementary history, we just signed the papers to officially make him the first child to ever be removed from this Special Ed program. It might actually be District history. He does have a 504 that stipulates specific things the school must do to accommodate him like allowing him to wear a cap or visor, sit in natural lighting, no fluorescent lighting while on the computer, etc.

My girls just got their spectral filters two days ago. Not once has there been a headache, complaint while reading, or doing homework, and my youngest daughter is reading twice as fast. She's amazed at the results. The real test will be my eldest's driving. Her depth perception was so bad, I was afraid to teach her! Now we are looking forward to it.

That's our story. Hopefully next year I'll get a pair of my own. In the meantime, I rejoice as my children gain ground in leaps and
bounds.

Merlynne

This is Teri writing to say THANK YOU!!!!! I just wanted to write to you and say thank you very much. I received my spectral filters about two weeks ago. My life has changed since receiving them. I did not realize what a difference that they would make for me. I had no idea how many of my headaches were caused by not having my filters.

I forgot to wear them to work about three days after receiving them. It was one of the worst days that I can remember. I had a headache almost immediately and was very cranky. I will never forget them again.

I just tried to copy something down off the computer without them, silly me, and now my head hurts. I truly didn't realize how much my life could change.

I now understand just how much these filters have helped Katherine. I don't know how she can ever stand to be without them. I knew that hey helped her with her school work, but I didn't realize just how much they affected her everyday life. I feel awful that she has ever had to be without them. She is so happy with her new filters.

Kat has become much more confident and relaxed since her filters arrived. She is doing very well with her schooling and even made the honor roll. Thank you so much for everything that you do.

like you. Thank you and God Bless You!!

Teri

Thank you for that letter. I have had a similar experience. Cody refused to wear them for the longest time. I didn't push it until one day he had a total melt down during homework. I made him put them on. He did his math homework in 15 minutes with no help. I could actually read his writing. He also had 4 other homework items to do & finished them in less than 20 minutes, again with no help. He now wears them all the time! Me too! Thank you for everything!

Sent 1 month later

I wanted you to know that Cody has made the honor roll for the first time! We will be celebrating HUGE! Thank you for everything! Also, Sylvan learning called me to ask where they can refer some of their clients & I sent them the brain pictures & gave them your #.

You are awesome. Cheryl

Susan,
MacKennah got her spectral filters today. She let out a nice sigh when she put them on and said 'now I can relax.' After we picked them up from the post office, we went to the eye doctor's office to make sure they were adjusted correctly. As she was walking to the car, she said "now I don't have to figure out where everything is".

Then, she went to her first baseball practice today. She caught almost every ball that her partner threw to her. She was using her mitt. Two days ago, I tried to play catch with her and within 60 seconds she was throwing her mitt to the ground and crying because she could not catch the ball. Now, keep in mind that her partner today was a 5 year old. His throws were not consistent but she was catching them anyway.

On the way home from practice, she was reading every sign that she could get her eyes on. She usually spells them to me and then asks me what they say. She did not do that once and she was reading.

My husband was stunned when I told him how things went. His response was an open mouth and then he said just think about all the little kids who's parents say "Just keep your eye on the ball". He has been playing ball with MacKennah and that made an impact on him. He knows how hard it is for her usually.

Thank you so much Susan. We are truly blessed to have you.

I have another observation on MacKennah. She has been grinding her teeth for a very long time. It is something she does 24 hours a day. She has been frustrated by it. I even bought her several mouth guards to wear when she is at home and sleeping. She was choosing to wear it frequently. I just realized that she has stopped grinding her teeth all together. She said that her jaw does not bother her any more. I have more profound words from MacKennah. She was describing to our neighbor lady what the filters do for her. This is what she said. "With the glasses on, I don't have to rush around anymore and I feel relaxed."

Anyway, she is so good at expressing herself, I thought you might like to know.

Have a good day. Rachael

I have been meaning to write to you and thank you for giving me the gift of reading. It has truly been a gift in my life and I appreciate you so much for helping me to learn that I actually like to read, for fun... I read the entire 2500 page Twilight series in 6 days with my lenses, the first time that I have ever read anything because I wanted to! A miracle!! This is not to mention that I read all my required reading last semester, my first of my master's degree, and earned a 4.0 GPA too... :)

I don't know if I need a re-check, I guess we could if you think it is necessary, let me know, and again, thank you so very much for this wonderful gift, it has changed my life...

Molly