My son has dyslexia and has complained with headaches when reading black and white print. Has it been proven that people with dyslexia read better from different colored paper?
Re: Dyslexic
Some people do have sensitivity to the amount of contrast between print and paper. Colored plastic overlays change the amount of contrast, and your son can experiment with them to find out if a particular color creates the right degree of contrast.
Not all dyslexics have this sensitivity, though.
Headaches can be caused by vision problems other than contrast. If you haven’t done so already, you might want to take him to a developmental optometrist for a developmental vision evaluation. This includes about 20 tests of visual function not included in a regular eye exam. You can find more info at http://www.children-special-needs.org and a listing of developmental optometrists in your area at http://www.covd.org.
Some developmental optometrists test for contrast sensitivity in their evaluation.
Mary
Re: Dyslexic
My son was diagnosed with dyslexia at 8yo he had just had a full evaluation by a pediatric specialist. 1 year later he had a significant change in his vision (correctable with glasses) with the orders to follow-up in 9months. His sight had changed again. The doctor said that at this age with a great deal of physical growth eye sight changes quickly. You may want to get his eyes check for general vision changes in addition to other issues.
Re: Dyslexic
Not all dyslexics suffer from vision sensitivity. Often times, people with dyslexia require many disciplines to assist with the learning challenges they face. In your sons case, an evaluation by an optometrist could lead you in the right direction.
Some people do — if it helps, you do it. Look for information on “Scotopic Sensitivity,” though like everything else, read everything with a grain of salt firmly in hand realizing that generally there *aren’t* simple answers to complicated questions.