Rhonda Stone, author of The Light Barrier (about Irlen Syndrome and
treatment; St. Martin's Press, 2003), whose two children wear Irlen lenses,
has this comment. (She has had problems becoming a member of this list and
asked me to post this.)

Dear Charles,

The American medical establishment would much rather believe that we read
through our "ears" (phonemic awareness and phonics) than through our
"eyes" -- which, in the view of the field of ophthalmology, is limited to
all of the "equipment" associated with the eyeball. Everything that happens
with vision and visual perception in the brain appears to these medical
doctors to have nothing to do with health and learning.

Now, how logical is that??? Every other organ of the human body can have
variations in function and dysfunction depending upon a host of factors --
but, in their view, the visual pathways and visual perceptual centers of the
brain cannot.

Children should not have to suffer because "scientists" prefer to look only
at the puzzle piece they hold in their own hands. The speech-and-language
(phonemic awareness and phonics) scientists look no further than their own
puzzle piece. Ophthalmology looks only at its puzzle piece. Etc., etc.,
etc., etc. In the mean time, 20 million children in America continue to
struggle with reading.

I am thrilled that my children are now outstanding students -- but my heart
breaks for every child being diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and dyslexia who
really has an undiagnosed problem with visual perception.

Best wishes,
Rhonda Stone
Parent Advocate, Reading Issues
Author, The Light Barrier