A recent study has confirmed that specialist tinted lenses may provide a vital lifeline of support for dyslexia sufferers by correcting an imbalance in the way that messages are passed from the eyes to the brain.

One of Cantor & Nissel's leading ophthalmic consultants has been pioneering the use of ChromaGen™ lenses for dyslexia. His recent study involving over 400 children found that over 90% of the subjects reported a significant improvement in reading, writing and comprehension levels when wearing ChromaGen™ coloured glasses and contact lenses and showed a minimum 45% improvement in their reading, writing and handwriting skills over a 6-month assessment period.

Tests covered reading speed and accuracy, and handwriting accuracy and presentation. The performance of each child was measured throughout the six-month period.

The results were as follows:
112 showed over 90% improvement
131 showed over 75% improvement
97 showed over 60% improvement
51 showed over 45% improvement
18 showed over 30% improvement
11 showed over 25% improvement
9 showed over 15% improvement
5 showed no improvement

In the majority of cases, the subjects were discovered because of some academic failure or inability to keep up with their peers. Over 86% of the subjects had already tried at least one other method to help remedy their poor learning and / or co-ordination skills, with little or no success.

Commenting, the ophthalmic consultant said, "Each method used to resolve dyslexia will have its advantages and disadvantages, and successful implementation will depend greatly on the convenience and ease of use experienced by both clinician and sufferer. The ChromaGen™ filters offer an approach that is quick and easy to perform and the response is relatively rapid.

"It is important to appreciate that psychology, motivation and other aids to learning also play their part in improving educational performance and therefore it is impossible to isolate the filters as the sole factor. However, in the majority of these cases, the lenses appear to have played a role in kick-starting the dyslexia sufferer on their progressive journey. One of the greatest benefits reported by dyslexia sufferers when using the ChromaGen™ filters is the tremendous boost in their self-esteem.

There remains a fundamental role for the special needs teacher to help with the on-going learning skills of the sufferer."