Symptoms
About 15% of the GENERAL POPULATION suffers from Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome together with or separate from dyslexia. These individuals suffer from:
- Slow reading rate
- Inefficient reading
- Poor comprehension
- Inability to read for a length of time
- Eye strain or eye fatigue
- Difficulty judging distance
- Headaches
- Eye strain when using a computer monitor
Common Characteristics
What are the clues to look for when Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome is suspected? (Only some of these will apply to any individual.)
General Characteristics
- Reads in dim light
- Bothered by glare
- Light sensitive
- Red and/or watery eyes
Complaints
- Headaches
- Burning, scratchy or itching eyes
- Falls asleep when reading
- Words double, move or look fuzzy
- Words are blurry or fuzzy
- Words disappear
Observations While Reading
- Rubs eyes
- Moves closer to or further from the book
- Excessive blinking or squinting
- Must incorporate breaks into reading
- Moves book to reduce glare
- Moves head or reads close to the page
- Reads word by word
- Uses fingers or other marker
Types of Reading Difficulties
- Skips or substitutes words
- Repeats or skips lines
- Cannot read for long
- Loses places
- Reading is slow and hesitant
- Reading skills and comprehension deteriorates as reading continues
Complaints on Computers
- Eye strain and fatigue and headaches
Writing
- Writes up or down hill
- Unequal spacing between letters and words
- Inability to write on the line
- Makes errors copying from books or blackboard
- Squints or blinks while copying from blackboard
Depth Perception
- Difficulty getting on and off escalators
- Clumsy
- Walks into table edges or door jams
- Difficulty judging distance
- Drops or knocks thing over
