Bad eyes

[Oreo Cookie]

The long lights in the hospital and the vets make my eyes hurt because the flicker really fast and i do not like it. lots of lights do this and writing does it sometimes as well. how can i make it stop

[Suze]

does wearing sunglasses help?

[DaisyProudfoot]

I remember on the programme about the Jackson family that they got two of the boys to wear specially coloured lenses.

 

There was an optician posted on here before Christmas about it, name was Ian Jordan, and he gave out his email address which was IanJordan@visualdyslexia.com. Perhaps you could go down this route - apparently it makes a big difference.

 

Daisy

[Tylers-mum]

I was going to suggest what Daisy said about the Jackson's family program but she beat me to it!" LOL

[Ian Jordan]

please e mail me - very straightforward to sort this one!

let me know which area of the country and I will recommend someone that can sort it out

best wishes

Ian (the optician on the TV programme)

 

The long lights in the hospital and the vets make my eyes hurt because the flicker really fast and i do not like it. lots of lights do this and writing does it sometimes as well. how can i make it stop

[shell]

i waer yellow tinted glasses and they really help me.

[Canopus]

Old fashioned fluorescents flicker at 100Hz and some people notice it. Most modern fluorescents drive their tubes at a high frequency so don't flicker.

 

There were lots of pre 1980s fluorescents including those with big fat tubes at my special needs school. One of the kids found the flickering objectionable and it affected his reading. The head couldn't understand what all the fuss was about and called in an electrician. The electrician checked the lights and found there was nothing wrong with them. The same kid was also affected by flicker from video games. He blamed it on the TV because he wasn't affected by his TV at home with the same game console and same games.

[jen]

We took our son to a optician that specilises in tinted glasses for dyslexia children. Our eldest child had also had tinted glasses years ago so we used the same one. Get a quote for costs cause some optictions charge a lot of money.

 

Basicly all they do is hold different coloured glasses over the childrens eyes and see what colour the child finds more comfortable.

I like the attitude of our opticion he says it might make a difference or it might not its a case of trial and error.

 

The opticion on the Jackson family had a posh camera (obviously its will cost more to cover the cost of the camera).

[Ian Jordan]

AS the optician on the Jackson documentary I do not have a posh camera - but I do use equipment and techniques that are at a different level to holding up lenses. That method is shockingly bad and I would consider it bad practice, and show a lack of knowledge if anyone uses that method!!!!!!!!! It will almost certainly NOT get the best colour and will miss a high proportion of people with problems that can be alleviated. I can get 16 million colours, check how they affect a person and then adapt them to any environment. I can use flicker too and check how it influences responses. IT is NOT trial and error! Don't go anywhere that uses such a poor technique. We even assess non verbal / non cooperative.

I check the effects on all sensory systems - and much more. The effects shown on the Jackson documentary are just the start of what can be done.

 

Please do not speak for me - the things we do are the most advanced in the world in visual processing in ASD (and many other conditions too) Yes it will cost money - I would prefer it if the NHS paid for it - have a word with your MP. But it works much better than any other method, we can stop the symptoms described immediately in virtually all cases. With these symptoms there are usually many others - in each sensory system - they should be addressed too.

 

As for instruments - I do not believe that it is possible to assess adequately without adequate equipment - and training. The good news is that I have written a 20 week post grad diploma course to give a basic level of knowledge to those who want to learn about this subject. It is enormous!!!!!

There are a few people I can recommend - send a message - they are at a different level to basic assessments - and it they are not expensive either! If you go for the cheapest you will get exactly what you pay for - the best lenses e.g. VDex Precise are a lot more expensive and you cannot prescribe them without instrumentation. Standard optical tints (most types prescribed by most opticians are a LOT cheaper - but nothing like as good in most cases)

Edited January 22, 2006 by Ian Jordan

[Zemanski]

Oreo

 

glasses can be very helpful if you are finding flickering lights bother you.

You may also have other visual sensitivities and perceptual differences that might be helped with lenses.

 

the methods discussed above both use coloured lenses to help reduce glare and change a persons visual perception.

 

The first method is usually known as irlen and quite a few opticians do the tests, sometimes a machine called a colorimeter is used, sometimes coloured overlays are used and you just decide which suits you best.

This would probably be fine if you just need to reduce the glare (both my children have these sort of lenses and they do help with their reading and with glare) but it is quite likely you have other visual perceptual problems.

 

My son Com has lots of problems with his vision because of his AS, including not being able to see in 3D properly, or to see faces and the irlen lenses don't help much at all with these and only a little with flickering lights.

 

Ian's method is much more accurate as it tests reactions rather than just asking the patient what seems best. It also has much more potential to help people with a wider range of visual problems like Com's.

I am going to take Com to see Ian because I think Ian's lenses can help him much more than the irlen lenses can.

Also I know that Ian understands autism and how a person's vision can be affected so I know he will look to see if Com has any other problems we aren't aware of; we only found out that Com can't see faces last year and he is 13!

 

Ian is doing a talk about ASDs and visual perception and how lenses can help in Sunderland in March if you or Das would like to hear about what he does

 

Carol has just posted about it on this link

 

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=5919

 

if you can't go to hear him in Sunderland then Ian is usually very happy to write to you if you PM him

 

Zemanski