Using pastel backgrounds instead of white can help dyslexics define words. Colored overlays or filters can reduce eye strain and improve reading speed and accuracy. Exact color is determined with a colorimeter. Color is a treatment, not a cure, and does not help all dyslexics.
Studies have shown that there is a connection between color and dyslexia in that using a pastel background instead of a white one can help the dyslexic better define words. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that makes reading, writing and spelling difficult. Different colors are preferred by different people, so background and text colors should be user defined. Why there is a connection between color and dyslexia and how color change helps is not known.
The color problem affects many people who have difficulty reading, not just dyslexics. In a recent study involving children aged 7 to 11, half of the children reported perceiving text better when colored overlays or clear vinyl sheets were used. The difficulty some people, including dyslexics, have with the glare off a page is known as ‘Meares/Irlen Syndrome’ or eye strain. When color filters are placed on the blank page, glare is reduced and people report being able to read faster and longer than before. Also, they feel less tired and can understand more what they have read.
Using color for dyslexics is not a cure but rather a treatment and does not help all dyslexics. It is thought that 60% of dyslexics suffer from eye strain. There is a test called Lucid ViSS that identifies visual stress that makes reading difficult. This is helpful not only for those with dyslexia but also for the 15-20% of the population who are sensitive to the glare from a blank page, whiteboard or computer screen. Using colored pages, colored glasses, or using a color filter are ways to treat dyslexia with color. People with eye strain who need glasses or a filter must have exactly the right color otherwise there is no beneficial effect.
Determining exact color is determined by the use of a colorimeter, which illuminates text with color of a specific hue, saturation, and brightness. The patient looks into the colorimeter and experiments with colors until he finds one that makes the text more readable. This color is then used in eyeglass lenses. As a result, dyslexics who suffer from eye strain are able to read faster and more accurately.
Being sensitive to glare is just one of the visual impairments experienced by dyslexics. Other signs of dyslexia include seeing letters that are blurry, letters that are moving or that appear to be backwards. Frequent headaches, especially after or while reading, are a symptom of dyslexia. After using an appropriate color, these symptoms were either non-existent or drastically reduced. The connection between color and dyslexia may hold the key to solving many people’s reading difficulties.
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