The Light Barrier: Understanding the Mystery of Irlen Syndrome and Light-based Reading Difficulties [Paperback]

Rhonda Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2003

Rhonda Stone's children were both struggling in school with reading. By the fourth grade, her oldest began coming home almost daily with bright red eyes, fatigue, and headaches. A chance encounter directed the family to a controversial condition being diagnosed worldwide-Irlen Syndrome.

Now, this journalist and mother of two shares all she learned about the condition and methods to identify and address it. Completely revised and featuring a new chapter, the paperback version includes important new information about the connection between reading difficulties and this highly prevalent, commonly overlooked, but readily addressed problem.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I commend Ms. Stone's book: it is needed and it is timely. She has an acute insight into the problems that children with this syndrome face and is well qualified to act as their advocate.'
--Arnold J. Wilkins, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and author of Visual Stress

"An important exploration . . . Clearly written, with a passionate yet no-nonsense approach to this fascinating subject. I hope that it will be widely read and that many more people with this condition will be helped as a result of this book.'
--Bruce J. Evans, B.Sc., Ph.D., FCOptom, DCLP, FAAO, Institute of Optometry, and author of Dyslexia and Vision

"A story that not only needs to be told, but holds a great interest to parents of children with reading problems and for the professional community."
--Helen Irlen, Executive Director of Irlen Institute International HQ and author of Reading by the Colors

About the Author

Since discovering her own daughter's struggle with reading and Irlen Syndrome, Rhonda Stone has become one of the nation's foremost advocates for both Irlen Syndrome sufferers and people with reading difficulties in general. Known for her ability to translate medical jargon into lay-person terms, Stone is a featured public speaker, most recently addressing the Irlen International Conference in Vancouver, the New England Area Association of Irlen Practitioners in Boston, and the Texas Conference of Education in Austin.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (December 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312320280
• ISBN-13: 978-0312320287
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,610,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Factual AND Important, October 26, 2004

By 

Kitkat "Kitkat" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Light Barrier: Understanding the Mystery of Irlen Syndrome and Light-based Reading Difficulties (Paperback)

It is a sad state of affairs when medical doctors and reading experts "pretend" that dyslexia can only be caused by a failure to pronounce words because they don't yet know how to properly test children for visual processing problems. Visual processing problems are REAL and the research that documents their existence is consistently ignored--hurting millions of children throughout the world. This book lists study after study that documents visual processing problems and color as an appropriate intervention. The American Optometric Association even recently changed its opinion on color to reflect that it DOES benefit some individuals with reading problems. Any one who would dismiss the physical properties of light (our brains know them as color, but really it is all about wavelengths and particles) as relevant to reading and physical comfort obviously is ignorant about physics and simply doesn't "get it." Poor them! They'd rather we live in the "dark ages" (forgive the pun). Way to go, Rhonda Stone! I have light sensitivity, too. It's about time someone wrote about it.