A.

Luisa Cabrera #4 / SPED 5326 - Duchaine / Summer 2017

COLOR
OVERLAYS
1
A strategy that uses colored filters to improve visual perceptions. WILKINS ET. AL, 2001
Colored overlays and
their benefit for
reading

Color overlays provide clarity and relief from visual stress

by reducing the contrast of text and pictures as well as
creatively communicating with the central nervous system.
2
SMITH & WILKINS, 2007
Changing the color of a visual object alters the distribution
How many colors are
of neuronal activity in areas that code for space and necessary to increase
movement. Symptoms of visual stressors are most distinct the reading speed of
when reading printed text, and include "motion" of letters, children with visual
blur, glare, complications with brightness, and spacing. stress? A comparison
of two systems

There are 10 colors in Intuitive Overlays:

rose, purple, aqua, lime green, orange, grey, yellow, mint
green, blue, and pink.
3
LUDLOW ET. AL., 2008
Color overlays
enhance visual
perceptual
performance in
children with Autism
Spectrum Disorders

4
JEANES ET. AL., 1997
Prolonged use of
coloured overlays for
classroom reading
 Wilkins (2001):
Out of 426 children in 12 different schools, 50% stated that the overlay RATIONALE
improved CLARITY OF TEXT and 5% read more than 25% faster.
Of those students, 50% continued use for more than 3 months and their READING SPEED increased.
Smith & Wilkins (2007):
There were THERAPEUTIC benefits (when reading speed increases by more than 5%) from choosing for clarity over preference.
Ludlow (2008):
26 children ages 9 to 15 diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder were tested using "Raven's Matrices", a visual that uses picture cues
with students who are non-verbal. All students performed with more ACCURACY and used LESS TIME using self-selected overlays.
74% of the same group of children increased their reading speed by 5% when using an overlay, and 38% of children read more than 25%
faster. In comparison, 23% of the control group (typically developing students) improved performance, and only 6% showed more than
25% increase in reading speed.
*Measurement of READING ACCURACY: by number of words read correctly in the appropriate order, NOT by speed.

Cortical Hyperexcitability Theory (Wilkins, 2003)

Different colors shift the locus of activation away from hyperexcitable areas of
the visual cortext to areas that are less hyperexcitable. The individual's choice
comes from a neuronal signal toward a color that reduces perceptional distortion.

Works for:

POPULATION Students in general education

Children with Irlen syndrome (scotopic sensitivity syndrome) or visual stress
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with/out concurrent intellectual impairment
Children with dyslexia
Individuals who have central nervous system disorders (see Cortical Hyperexcitablity Theory):
photosensitive epilepsy, migraine, head injury, multiple sclerosis)

Sensory processing ( auditory, vestibular, touch, oral) difficulties have been widely reported in children with ASD.
This strategy focuses on VISUAL processing.
Color overlays helps to support detection of stable detail and reception of information during rapid changes in the visual scene, especially for children
with dyslexia.
"To date, only one scientific study has been carried out investigation further the effect of colored overlays in children with autism." (Ludlow, 2008)

Obtain color overlays online or in teacher stores. Apply over desired PROCEDURE
text or visual. May be used to cover a portion or the whole page.

References:
1. Wilkins, A., Lewis, E., Smith, F., Rowland, E., & Tweedie, W. (2001). Coloured overlays and their benefit for reading. Journal of Research in Reading, 24(1), 41-64. doi:10.1111/1467-9817.00132
2. Smith, L., & Wilkins, A. (2007). How many colours are necessary to increase the reading speed of children with visual stress? A comparison of two systems. Journal of Research in Reading, 30(3), 332-343.
doi:10.1111/j.1467-9817.2007.00343.x
3. Ludlow, A., Wilkins, A., & Heaton, P. (2008). Colored overlays enhance visual perceptual performance in children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(3), 498-515.
doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2007.10.001
4. Jeanes, R., Busby, A., & Martin, J. (1997). Prolonged use of coloured overlays for classroom reading. British Journal Of Psychology, 88531-548.