This is written from two perspectives, mum 41 yrs old found out she was dyslexic at the age of 32, thanks to a friend giving me some information. We moved to New Zealand four years ago. I went for colour remitter testing (same as Irlen testing) in England where I am from and was diagnosed dyslexic. We did the test and found out wearing coloured lenses (mine are a mix of seven shades) helped the words on the page sit still and my brain is not over worked, this was the biggest change in my life. All through school I was told by my teachers I was stupid and no good, because I struggled with English and writing and spelling and got into trouble often. I came out of school with nil qualifications and little hope. I sat my driving test three times, sat entrance exam for nursing three times and sat my nursing exam twice. Whatever I tried was always hard to achieve but I never gave up. Working as a intensive care nurse I did a high diploma and that was hard, it took me two times to pass but I did it. Then at 32 some one told me about the colour remitter testing and I followed it up. By this time I was injecting myself with headache medicine as my migraines where so far advanced that I was getting them weekly and so bad I would pass out, not good when working in intensive care.
The migraines where less and now very infrequent. My work place environment was better, the bright lights and flashing equipment did not bother me, I could concentrate better and my skills improved.
I know I will never correct the method of learning I have but I am able to live a more normal healthy life. Also, dyslexic people are GIFTED people, we think out side the box and we can accomplish amazing things. My IQ was tested and it is pretty high so the teachers where wrong! I have worked hard and my job is now clinical nurse manager of a rural hospital. I also talk to children in school about my dyslexia hoping to show them things can be different.
As a mum of two girls I started to watch them closely as the condition passes to girls easier than boys. My oldest is fine, very bright and beautiful and did well in school. Now my youngest Elle she struggles (funny but the same things I did). I asked her teachers to watch her and have extra help with reading etc and at seven years old took her to Mark Eagle to check her eye sight and was told about the Irlen testing done in NZ. Mark was having a visit for a professor from Auckland with regards to the Irlen testing and he used Elle to show Mark what to look for. Elle came away with coloured films to place over her book page to relax her retinas. This worked well and Elle was doing well - no more complaints about tummy ache which was her escape mechanism for over active brain after school. She is now eight and needs the Irlen lens tint glasses so she can do board work easier. No matter how many times I told Elle's teacher about the white wipe boards being no good for her to copy off they still wrote on the wipe boards. She now has glasses (three colour tints) which she is proud to wear and does not mind telling the other kids she is dyslexic, 'GIFTED' as her mummy says.
Elle says a big thank you, she loves her glasses and is doing well in school.
