Dyslexia and the role of the optometrist
College clinical adviser Daniel Hardiman-McCartney MBE FCOptom speaks to optometrist Bhavin Shah MCOptom MBABO FBCLA about how he provides help and support to patients with dyslexia in his practice, the difference between dyslexia and visual stress, as well as his views on colour and tinted lenses.
Guidance for eye care professionals on publicity on dyslexia (essex.ac.uk) (Word document)
Play Season five, episode two
Further reading
- Barbur, J & Conway, M.L. (2017) Coloured overlays and precision-tinted lenses: poor repeatability in a sample of adults and children diagnosed with visual stress OPO 37
- Creavin, A., Lingam, R., Steer, C. & Williams, C. (2016) Ophthalmic abnormalities and reading impairment. Pediatrics. 2015 Jun;135(6):1057-65. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-3622.
- Palomo-Alvarez,C. & Puell, M.C. (2008): Accommodative function in school children with reading difficulties. Graefes Archives of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 2008;79:228-34
- Ciuffreda KJ. (2002)The scientific basis for and efficacy of optometric vision therapy in non-strabismic accommodative and vergence disorders. Optometry 73,735-762
- Elliot,D.B. & Wood, J. M. (2017) Coloured filters show gender differences and poor repeatability. OPO 27
- Evans BJW (2017) Coloured filters and reading: reasons for an open mind. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 37(1),105-107
- Evans BJW and Allen PM (2016) A systematic review of controlled trials on visual stress using Intuitive overlays or the Intuitive Colorimeter. Journal of Optometry 9(4), 205-218
- Evans BJW and Allen PM (2017) Reply to Letter to the Editor by Griffiths et al. commenting on Evans & Allen. Journal of Optometry 10(3), 200-202
- Evans, BJW, Allen, PM and Wilkins, AJ (2017). A Delphi study to develop practical diagnostic guidelines for visual stress (pattern-related visual stress) Journal of Optometry 10(3), 161-168
- Fischer, B.& Hartnegg,K. (2008) Saccade control in dyslexia: development, deficits, training and transfer to reading. Optometry & Vision Development
- Griffiths PG, Taylor RH, Henderson LM et al (2016) The effect of coloured overlays and lenses on reading: a systematic review of the literature. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 36(5), 519-544
- Griffiths PG, Taylor RH, Henderson LM et al (2017) Authors’ response. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 37(1),109-112
- Griffiths PG, Taylor RH, Henderson LM et al (2017) Letter to the Editor concerning “A systematic review of controlled trials on visual stress using intuitive overlays or colorimeter”. Journal of Optometry 10(3) 199-200
- Hall, R., Ray,N., Harries, P. & Stein, J. (2013) A comparison of two-coloured filter systems for treating visual reading difficulties
- Palomo-Alvarez,C. & Puell, M.C. (2008): Accommodative function in school children with reading difficulties. Graefes Archives of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 2008;79:228-34
- Raghuram, A., Gowrisankaran, S., Swanson, E., Zurakowski, D., Hunter, D. G., & Waber, D. P. (2018) Frequency of Visual Deficits in Children With Developmental Dyslexia.
- Reichle, E.D. P.Liversedge,S.P., Drieghe, D., Blythe,H.I., Joseph,S.S.L., White, S.J., & Rayner, K. (1998;1999): Using E-Z Reader to examine the concurrent development of eye-movement control and reading skill
- Scheiman, M. , Blaskey, P., Ciner,E.B. , Gallaway, M. , Parisi, M., Pollack,K. and Selznick, R.(1990): Vision characteristics of individuals identified as Irlen Filter candidates
- Stein, J. Dyslexia: the Role of Vision and Visual Attention. Current developmental Disorders Report 2014; 1(4): 267–280.
- Stein, J.F., Riddell, P.M. & Fowler, S. (1988) Disordered vergence control in dyslexic children. Br J Ophthalmol
- Sterner B., Abrahamsson, M. & Sjӧstrӧm, A. (1999) Accommodative facility training with a long-term follow-up in a sample of school-aged children showing accommodative dysfunction. Documenta Ophthalmologica Suttle CM,
- Suttle CM, Lawrenson JG, Conway ML. Efficacy of coloured overlays and lenses for treating reading difficulty: an overview of systematic reviews. Clin Exp Optom. 2018 Jul;101(4):514-520
- Taran, N., Farah,R., DiFrancesco, M., Altaye, M., Vannest, J., Holland, S., Rosch, K., Bradley L., Schlaggar, B.L. & Horowitz-Kraus, T. (2022) The role of visual attention in dyslexia: Behavioral and neurobiological evidence
- Wilkins AJ (2017) Risk of bias in assessing risk of bias. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics 37(1),107-109
- Wilkins, AJ (2021). Visual stress: Origins and treatment. CNS, 6, 74–86
- Yeatman,J.D. (2016). What is the Role of the Visual System in Reading and Dyslexia?