We have been busy this year! Read below to find out more about specific projects and programs we funded.
Research At Cornell University
ISF awarded Cornell University neuroscientist, Dr. Adam Anderson, and his team of researchers at the Cognition and Affect Lab an ISF Research Grant to support their current brain imaging research. Dr. Anderson and his team are using fMRI to show that colors alter the speed with which visual stimuli are processed and perceived. They are examining the brain bases of this finding with the hope of providing objective evidence for a widespread role of color in shaping visual sensory cortical processing and its influences on higher-order brain regions. By influencing how visual sensory cortices communicate with higher brain regions, color filters may regulate brain activity patterns supporting various forms of high level cognition.
Individual Scholarship Awards for Irlen Testing and Spectral Filters
ISF has awarded aid scholarships to more than 30 individuals since 2016. These scholarships provided diagnostic testing and Irlen Spectral Filters for children and adults from low-income households who would otherwise not be able to afford Irlen services. Among our scholarship recipients, we have serviced youth from the juvenile justice system, civil servants, and disabled veterans. Our recipients have enjoyed relief from their debilitating physical symptoms and academic struggles. One recipient was a former law enforcement officer whose on the job brain injury resulted in migraines, vertigo, and seizures that prevent her from working, and another was a high school student who had missed over 50 days of school in one year because of migraines and extreme fatigue caused by light sensitivity. Please check back for follow-up stories about our ISF scholarship recipients on our blog.
Irlen Pilot Schools: Philadelphia, PA and Coachella Valley, CA
ISF awarded an Irlen Pilot School Program Grant to the Mastery Charter School Pickett Campus in Philadelphia, PA in 2016. Mastery Charter services a particularly high percentage of at-risk students in grades 6-12, with over 25% of the student body identified as having some type of specific learning disability. As an Irlen Pilot School, Master Charter will implement screening for Irlen Syndrome and provide colored overlays to students who require intervention. Student progress and improvement will be tracked and analyzed over a 1 year intervention period. Find out more about our pilot school program.
Our newest Irlen Pilot School is Coral Mountain Academy, in Coachella Valley, California. The project kicks off this year with 2nd graders, but ultimately, the goal of this project is to provide screening for Irlen Syndrome for the entire Coachella Valley School District. Donate to the Coachella Valley Irlen Screening Project.
Irlen Training and Colored Overlays in Ghana
ISF partnered with the nonprofit, CLED – Campaign for Learning Disabilities, to educate teachers in Ghana about Irlen Syndrome and strategies for supporting students with the condition. We also provided Irlen Screener Training to CLED staff to implement intervention for Irlen Syndrome in over 50 schools in the country. CLED-Campaign for Learning Disabilities is a grassroot NGO with the goal of helping children with learning disabilities and co-occurring difficulties to improve their learning and reach their potential so that they can become valued members of their community. CLED trains parents, teachers, and communities on different subjects related to the needs of children with learning disabilities and co-occurring difficulties. We are excited about this new international partnership, and the opportunity to bring solutions for Irlen Syndrome to school children in Ghana.