Testimonials - Abilities OT & Irlen Diagnostic Center

IRLEN CLIENT TESTIMONIALS updated 2/2024

(see lower portion of the section for AOTSS & Irlen Seminar Participant Testimonials)

See LinkedIn for many other professional and client testimonials

Mother of Two Sons with Irlen Syndrome

The Irlen filters have had a positive impact on both my sons. Thanks you so much !!!!

Connor is much less tired and has a resiliency throughout the evening that is wonderful and new, and very positive for relationships. Connor keeps talking about how “sleepy” he is, but he doesn’t act tired … I think he must think of a relaxed feeling as being sleepy. He is completing college applications and a bit stressed with that whole process, but his level of anxiety is much decreased, as well.

Quinn’s handwriting is much improved (without mention or instruction). I’ll send a before and after only 10 days into wearing Irlen filters. The difference is astounding! One of Q’s teachers from last year complimented him on how much more organized he is this year. Q’s reading is much faster. Now with the Irlen tints, reading and math are easier and more enjoyable, with less stress. His anxiety (probably his 2nd biggest problem after reading speed) is not in evidence at all. And this without any medications.

Mom of Teenage Daughter with Severe Headaches, Anxiety, and Reading Challenges

Within one week of wearing Irlen filters, Nancy’s headaches , anxieties, attention and reading fluency improved. Now two months later, her academic performance and self esteem have skyrocketed . She is 14 years old and this progress happened almost immediately upon wearing her Irlen Tinted Lenses. This after years of tutoring , therapies, and medications.

She has so much less stress and is enjoying getting “A’s” instead of overworking to attain her usual excellent grades. The anxiety she always felt is almost eliminated and she is enjoying school and life with a joy we have not seen since her childhood. Her therapist says she is able to communicate with greater insight and openness, since she can now articulate her feelings and insights, with out being so blocked by mental, emotional and physical stress and anxiety.

Technical Writer with ADD, Light Sensitivity, Severe Anxiety, Reading Problems, Fatigue, and Work Related Issues

At 52 years old, I have lived with stress, anxiety, depression, and learning challenges all my life. I am a technical writer and worked for a company for years, when I was let go suddenly last year due to poor performance. This shocked me to find solutions to help my issues impacting my relationships and ability to organize and maintain focus, especially when working at a computer screen or under fluorescent lighting which was 90% of my work day. All my life I just thought I was impaired and just “too” sensitive. I was always exhausted and. Could never read a book for pleasure, falling asleep after a page or while reading to my kids.

My wife prompted to to get help and I had been researching for years for a solution. When I found Irlen Method in the Internet, the symptoms sounded so familiar.

After one month of wearing my Irlen Tinted Lenses, I am a different person. I can drive and go out into bight sunlight and see colors and depth I have never experienced accurately and without pain. And stress. I read a 300 page novel in one weekend and enjoyed it thoroughly and read books to my kids with ease and energy. I can tolerate fluorescent lighting and focus for hours for the first time in my life . I am laughing more and enjoying life. Thank you!!! I cannot imagine life without these lenses ever again. I am getting a second pair as a backup!!! Also I am not in any medications for ADHD or anxieties. That feels fantastic also! My therapist wants to attend your trainings and learn more too. I will be bringing my son as well, who has ADD and many if my issues. Tom E.

Note: 4 years later he is feeling and functioning with excellent productivity and emotional wellbeing. His teenage son is now wearing Irlen tints and will not have to go through a lifetime of struggle as he did. Dad was able to see in his son what he now sees in himself as a lifelong issue. In the last few years 4 family members have been helped by irlen spectral filters. Early detection by an educated parent have saved this teenager so much agony and challenge.

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Young Life Saved from the Horrors of Concussion & Undiagnosed Issues

My 6-year-old daughter had a severe head trauma, fell on the wet floor at private school and hit the metal bench with the back of her head. Since then her life was a nightmare of health problems that where crashing on her one after another.

Physical pain, severe head-aches, nightmares, confusion, fear of everything – places and people, scared at all the times, short term memory loss, disrupted eye and hand coordination, poor balance, falls, cannot learn any new school material, increased asthma and allergies, severe eczema – to name just a few. Doctors found nothing. We were told to wait and all problems will go away as time go by.

Problems did not go away they got worse. Ten long years of trying to find help and answers what is wrong with our child, ten years of bankrupting out of pocket medical expenses for every imaginable treatments and therapies, and doctors. We were going from one doctor’s office to another, multiple times a week, year after year, and all that brought no results or answers. Ten years after the accident my daughter decided that she cannot and does not want to live with “all that stuff” and physical pain any longer.

The trip to Irlen Visual Learning Center in Pikesville, MD in February of 2016 was the lifesaving trip for my 16 year old daughter. After six hours of intensive testing Shoshana Shamberg confirmed that my child has a severe form of Irlen Syndrome, a visual sensory processing disorder exacerbated by sensitivity to light and visual distortions.

At that time, my daughter was heavily medicated withpsychiatric medications to suppress her suicidal tendency, severe OCD, depression, panic disorders, anxiety, and visual and auditory hallucinations. She went through two prolong hospitalizations, multiple changes of medications, and continuously increased doses. Despite all that, her symptoms persisted, some got worse, she was bedridden and unable to function, did not want to live, and worst of all – all the hope for help was gone.

Shortly after she started on medication, in addition to multiple side effects, she developed a mysterious symptom of black outs and collapsing. She fell at home, outside, inside the public buildings frequently and daily, especially on the bright sunny days and under huge fluorescent lights. Two episodes are clear examples of her light sensitivity that no one could point out and explain. Psychiatrist recommended the light treatment for depression with a special lamp that left her bedridden and unresponsive for three days. Another, I took her for a walk on extremely shiny and bright winter day, (bright days supposed to help to uplift the spirit of depressed), when I started to walk faster, I found that my daughter is not next to me, but lying flat on her back on the shiny snow and not able to stand up. Ten years of her misery ended in the loss of the last hope for relief. Her life was unbearable, our family was devastated.

Shoshana explained about the visual distortions and problems with the depth perception people with Irlen Syndrome have. She showed examples of how affected people see surroundings and printed materials. My daughter commented that how she saw things since the concussion, but never was able to describe them or make sense of them. She told us as a little girl she could not explain the changes happened to her vision, she was terrified of distortions: the walls that caved in, trees that seems to fall, letters that were floating away or swirling, jumping in and out the page, or disappearing. When she got older, she assumed that something really wrong with her and was looking for some logical explanations. Did not find any. By mid-teen years decided that life like that was not worse living.

During that long testing appointment with Shoshana, the hope came back to both of us. I could see the excitement on my daughter exhausted face. When Shoshana was testing reading skills with and without the Irlen filters, we all saw that with filters my daughter face would relax and she read fluently and fast. Without the filters her face would stiff up and her reading would slow down. I knew right there that Irlen Syndrome was that lost puzzle piece that can explain all the unexplainablesymptoms my daughter had for ten years. Also It was very clear to me that having Irlen for nearly 10 years explains that visual distortions and severe problems with natural and artificial lightening provoked the bunch of psychiatric illnesses that she was dealing currently. Illnesses that were not responding to traditional psychiatric treatments. Actually, the psychiatric drugs made her Irlen syndrome worse by intensifying the light sensitivity. One of the major side effect of many psychiatric medication is increased light sensitivity. My daughter was severely sensitive to light before the meds, and when she was put on the medication, the light sensitivity become so severe, that she was collapsing, having black outs multiple times and daily.

Irlen Syndrome was a piece of a puzzle. From there, I knew what I must do to help my child. Shoshanna found the combination of filters that corrected the visual distortions and ordered special glasses for my daughter. I took my daughter off all the medications while we waiting for her new glasses. Then when we got them, the new period in our life started. The recovery period has started. Shoshanna was a great support during her re-adjustment period and providing help with her professional knowledge of Irlen and guided us. My daughter could see surroundings clear, details, objects were not shifting, printed letters stayed in place, her depth perception was improving. It was not an easy adjustment. It took at least 2 months up to the point when she could wear her new filters for the whole day without getting exhausted and overwhelmed with clear vision. She told me: “After seeing distortions ineverything surround me for such a long time, seeing clear is so weird! And unreal” Shoshanna warned us that it will take possibly up to a year for eyes and brain to re-adjust to the clear vision. My daughter is still in the recovery stages. However, all the positive changes that happening continuously with my daughter’s health are obvious.

Currently, my daughter is not on any medications. Her psychiatric problems, that were the result of having undiagnosed and untreated Irlen, are slowly but steady fading away. She is able to exercise, walk, run, swim with enjoyment and confidence. I do not need to be by her side every minute to catch her and prevent the falls. She can see flowers, animals, people, objects and enjoys photography. For many years, her pictures were off, with the photographed object in the corner or cut of, out of focus. Now all her pictures are focused, with the photographed object located where she wants it to be. She has made hundreds and hundreds of pictures of the flowers. “I see them, actually see them for the first time in my life!” Often, I see the curious look on her face when she is looking at things, look of a person who sees things for the first time in her life. She is attending the community college full time and her grades are on the top. She can read, work at the computer, and write in an efficient and productive way. I do not see the devastated and exhausted child who struggles to complete the school work, as it was the case for many many years.

Along with being in the process of adjusting to her Irlen filters, my daughter is in multiple therapies currently that are helping her to deal with the past head injury and acquired psychological problems. chiropractor, acupuncture, and group therapies with psychologist are all working together to help her to recover from that long nightmare that she endured for ten years.

With the Irlen filters, I feel confident that at some point in her future my daughter will drive a car. The driving with Irlen is tricky, dangerous and can be deadly. The damaged depth perception makes it difficult to judge the distances, distances between the cars, between the lanes, object locations. The light sensitivity gets worse from all the headlights and fast movements of the passing cars. The visual distortions get worse because of the fast-moving cars and passing objects on the sides. I can say that if Irlen was not diagnosed I would never let my daughter to drive the car with all the symptoms she had, because it was same as asking for a car accident to happen. Today, with all the improvements in her coordination, vision, and depth perception, I can say that she will drive a car, but we need to let her more time to recover. I will update my testimonial regarding the driving progress in the following months.

During the past Thanksgiving, we were thinking about Shoshana and how much our life, my daughter’s and our family, has changed, since our first appointment with Irlen Vision Center. We are deeply thankful for Shoshanna and her mission to help people like my daughter, and bring the hope and life back to them. The life that once again feels meaningful, worth living, and beautiful through the Irlen filters.

Thank you from all my heart, Olesya

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Hi Shoshana! I haven’t responded since getting my Irlen tinted lenses because I have been trying to form a coherent thoughts about the benefits. Here’s some insight to how I have been doing:

Weeks prior to receiving my irlen tinted lenses, I had a total of 5 panic attacks, including one that landed me in an ambulance, last month. This has been my situation for years.
With Irlen tinted lenses, I’ve had one mild attack and the benefits have not subsided.

Weeks prior to receiving my irlen tinted lenses, I would get a migraine after my second class, now I have gone days without a headache, much less migraines.

I finally feel like I can live in my own skin, the decrease in anxiety is so freeing.
Thank you so much!!

Every year , in the drama program I’m studying in at Carnegie Mellon, we have ‘Playground Week’ which is a week when students can create any kind of theater and art, I submitted a piece that was chosen out of 150, to show my personal journey with Irlen Syndrome and education about it. It is a 15 minute video that will be shown on our main stage. I can’t thank you enough for your work and when it’s allowed me to become!

Annette, college student

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I was so impressed; I jumped at the opportunity to become trained by Shoshana as a Certified Irlen Screener. During my 2 days at her office, I found out first hand how professional, compassionate and knowledgeable she is.

My son is now back to college with his Irlen spectral filters, and able to perform without the former visual disturbances and headaches.  He is happy and enjoying life with greater ease, comfort, and a lot less stress. Shira K., SLP, Irlen Screener, New Jersey

Registered Nurse in her late 20’s with lifelong, disabling, severe migraines and light sensitivity obtains immediate, drug-free relief when wearing Irlen spectral tints

I have suffered from debilitating migraines as long as i can remember. If you have had migraines you know the feeling, stabbing pain behind one eye, flashing lights, nausea, vomiting, inability to deal with the smallest sound and noise. My migraines limited my ability to stay outside, or get overheated. I have been through CT scans, MRIs. I have lost many days to my dark room. I have missed many family gathering, dates and days of work.

As I grew up my migraines only got worse throughout stress, hormones, ect. I am a nurse and grew up within a medical community. So I looked through all the data regarding migraines, possible reason and triggers. I eliminated all food triggers, and took up yoga to decrease stress. As i began working more nights. This did not help. My neurologist encouraged switching to days and decrease me stress. I then tried acupuncture, chiropractors, herbalist. Only the herbalist seemed to help that much.

I continued to have at least 5-7 migraines per month. I changed to a school job, but my migraines did not decrease. They were out of control. They increase my medication to “the highest level, they felt comfortable with”. They encouraged me to think about botox. I did the research and I hate to put more medications in my body then i have to. And considering that botox just deadens the nerves left me feeling unsettled. So at this time I was taking two medications daily for migraines and herbal. At this point I could not work more then one day at a time.

My husband is a fixer. He wanted to know what was wrong and what could fix it. He spent many days and nights looking on the internet for answers. He fell into Irlen syndrome. He sent me the link and information. I admit it was skeptical.

As many nurses, and doctors know that we live in a brightly lighted, computers, and constant electronic use. I did research on the syndrome and was still skeptical.

Then I was hit with a migraine that almost sent me to the ER. Which is the worse place for a migraine sufferer. That was it. I scheduled with Shoshana Shamberg, Irlen Diagnostician in Baltimore, MD. After four hours working with her, the Irlen /Environmental/Perceptual Testing and her Irlen colored lenses, I was amazed my brain could feel so relaxed and calm no matter how bright the lights were.

I didn’t want to wait for my glasses to come. And then my life changed……… my glasses came just in time. I put them on and felt completely different. The next couple days i was scheduled to work (4 days in a row) This was the ultimate test.

I have been wearing my glasses for two and half weeks with not one migraine. I have been able to study without pain or knowing that a migraine was eventual.

I have been telling everyone i know about this. Once I pass the boards, I want to take the information to various classes and professionals, because i believe that this could save many people from suffering for any longer then they have to. Hopefully i will be able to decrease my medications and start living a life with fewer and fewer migraines. Thankfully, Danielle

Parents of Ashley, 19 Year Old College Student

I wanted to let you know Ashley’s lenses came in yesterday and she’s absolutely thrilled with the difference they make. ..she said they’re life changing! She’s been doing homework all morning and her eyes aren’t tired at all, like they normally are when she studies.

We went outside and she was amazed at the depth perception of the tree branches. She said previously viewing the world was like looking at a flat painting. Then she got a golf club out and hit the wiffle ball every time without missing. Now we’re going for a walk to see what she can see.

When we were outside she remarked that she could see the perspective of birds flying, one in front of the other, when they used to look like they were flat against the sky. She also mentioned that when driving across a high bridge over the Mosel River in Germany, we used to talk about how beautiful the valley was below, and she said “now I get it”…where to her it looked like a field under the bridge.

We, Ashley’s parents, are so excited that we found a solution for her. I can’t imagine her going 19 years thinking what she saw was normal. I’m so happy for her and the opportunities this will open up for her. We can’t thank you enough!

Mom and Teenage Son Wear Irlen Tints. Mom is an acupuncturist and nurse.

I mostly notice that I don’t get as tired from feeling overwhelmed with light. I feel much more relaxed and at ease in my whole body, not just my eyes. I don’t feel the eyestrain that I used to feel. My reading comprehension is improved as well, as I don’t have to re-read to get the meaning of a passage. And the biggest benefit in some ways is that the world looks so much more beautiful, as I see depth that I wasn’t aware that I didn’t see before. When I first put the glasses on and looked out the window, it took my breath away, that the world was so much more beautiful! Thank you!

My son is much more comfortable under bright lights in school. His attention span, focus, and reading have improved considerably. He has benefitted greatly from wearing tints in school and when he drives. The visual stress is much less!!! He thanks you!

Heather Dorst MAc, RN, Licensed Acupuncturist, Ruscombe Mansion Community Health Center

Dr. Armine speaks about Irlen distortions and psychiatric diagnosis. His son wears Irlen tinted lenses.

I am a physician and have a son who six years ago was diagnosed with bipolar disease and schizoaffective disorder. During that time he was recalcitrant to numerous traditional and alternative therapies which failed to ameliorate his visual hallucinations and fluctuations in his mood. He is extremely intelligent and motivated, with a high IQ, who loved to read and enjoyed the intellectual challenge of high school and college. His disease robbed him of his ability to concentrate on his reading, causing extreme distress and his inability to remain in school. He had consistent headaches and anxiety. For several semesters we needed to medically withdraw him from classes. He was unable to progress in his studies.

At the suggestion of his recent psychiatrist, we were asked to investigate Irlen Syndrome. Upon reading the website and performing the self-tests, it was apparent that my son could possibly be suffering from Irlen syndrome. His symptoms included the printed word being fuzzy, letters moving around, the background competing for his attention, visualizing in two dimensions rather than three dimensions, difficulty with night vision, difficulty with depth perception, etc.

We were directed to an expert in the field, Shoshana Shamberg, Certified Irlen Diagnostician, who performed an evaluation and within two hours found the combination of tints that ameliorated his visual difficulties. I was able to observe my sons inability to read and visual hallucinations reversed by the use of these tinted lenses.

Within two weeks we had a set of glasses with the proper tinting and my son showed immediate improvement. He was able to read without difficulty, his anxiety decreased significantly, his visual hallucinations were eradicated, his headaches (which were apparently caused by him concentrating very hard on each word to make it stop moving) were relieved and, for the first time in several years, he was able to complete his semester.

Clearly, Irlen syndrome is a true entity that causes numerous visual, learning, and psychiatric manifestations. In children with the aforementioned difficulties, Irlen syndrome should be placed within the differential diagnosis and screened for. Each school could have their own trained and Certified Irlen Screener on staff with the 15 CE hour trainings provided by Irlen Diagnosticians worldwide, including Shoshana Shamberg.

I am grateful that we found the existence of Irlen syndrome. I’m grateful for the expertise of Shoshana Shamberg, who so expertly provided an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. My son’s ability to read returned to him, with many of his symptoms relieved. He returned and completed his college degree and is not happily and successfully working.

Sincerely, Dr. Jess P Armine

Educator and Reading Specialist, Irlen Screener for 20 years, and Irlen Client

We are so lucky to have Shoshana Shamberg OTR/L, MS, FAOTA in our area – there are few Irlen Diagnosticians in the US. The closest to us for Irlen diagnostic referrals in the Washington Metropolitan area was New York and North Carolina – so we Irlen screeners were thrilled to have her add her services in Baltimore and Reston. While screeners are a first step for Irlen overlay remediation, it was unfortunate to have to send clients for Irlen lens assistance so far away. Shoshana offers a variety of services with quality client care first in her mind.

Why do we need Shoshana? Is it Dyslexia? Is it just a headache? Is it really ADHD? Is it Irlen Syndrome, also called Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome?

Light can play tricks with what we see and no one person sees the world the same as another. Irlen is about light. Light sensitivity can cause people to see print distortions or even distortions viewing the world in its 3-D form. The person who has migraines or feels ill or tires when reading for a long time may also have Irlen syndrome.

Irlen Syndrome is a neurological condition that many do not notice as a cause of reading problems until students are struggling in middle or upper grades or into adulthood when reading demands are greater. It can accompany learning disabilities, brain injury, autistic spectrum disorders or other conditions that make learning difficult. It can happen to the gifted person or to average folks with no special education issue.

I have been a reading specialist since the 70s and an Irlen Screener since the early 90s. I have seen the ecstatic faces of clients using Irlen overlays for the first time when they suddenly see the world more clearly.

Because this is not an eye problem per se, your eye doctor may not treat it. The first step is Irlen screening – that is testing by a trained screener to see what combination of special colored overlays will filter the light spectrum to make reading more comfortable and less stressful. The next step is a visit Shoshana, an Irlen diagnostician, who can similarly assess the client and prescribe lenses or contacts – to change the world for the better.

Lainge Bailey, Nexus Coordinator
Member of the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens’ Associations’ Committees
For Education and for Health and Human Services
Clinical Reading Specialist, Irlen International Institute – Screener, FCPS (Ret.)

Parent of Child with Irlen Syndrome who received an Irlen Screening and Uses Colored Overlays for reading and working at the computer

I spoke with my administrator and she’s afraid our county will not embrace learning more about the screening process because once they offer it, the financial burden falls on the school system.

(Comment: The Irlen Screener Training cost is minimal, only 2 days of training, and would considered continuing education for professionals. The overlay cost is $7, and if purchased in bulk $3.50, so that argument is not a rational or truthful one, and if fact could save the school system thousands of dollars in support services that my daughter is already receiving).

Kristina took her reading benchmark test using her Irlen overlay on Tuesday. When she took the reading test in the fall she scored a 60%. This time she scored an 85% when using the overlays. Amazing and can be documented with immediate testing and hearing her read out loud with and with out the overlay.

Thanks so much for getting us on the right path to help her. She’s so much more confident in so little time. I hate to think what could have happened if we had waited any longer. All children who struggle with reading should be screened by a trained Irlen Screener as early as possible before the problems become progressive and pervasive.

Sincerely, Meg S., mom of Irlen Client in Elementary School

Mother of Irlen Teen with Migraines, David Arcola, who has tens of thousands of views of his video on Irlen Syndrome. Mom is an Irlen client, Irlen Screener, media consultant, and writer.

Today I cannot imagine life without Irlen lenses. My symptoms without them: I have a constant mild to moderate headache on the top of my head. I can’t see but about three letters clearly at one time and my eyes don’t “glide,” which makes reading tiring and makes it impossible to scan for information. Under fluorescent lights, I feel hyper and feel like I’m talking too much. Driving at night and having to look at car lights makes me just about weep from the stress. And my depth perception isn’t really 3-D, which makes me a very cautious driver in a parking lot. With Irlen lenses, I don’t have these symptoms unless I’m under strong fluorescent light and there is a lot of “light leak” around my lenses. I’m also calmer in general wearing lenses. My husband kept asking me if I felt okay because I was so much quieter after I got my Irlen lenses.

Despite my symptoms, which came on in mid-life, I would never have guessed I was sensitive to light (We don’t know how others experience light) or had Irlen syndrome because I still considered myself a good reader and I had excelled in school. (Looking back, I think I developed mild Irlen syndrome after some head and neck injuries and the symptoms worsened at mid-life.) In fact, I took my son for an Irlen screening and reacted to the testing much worse than he did. Even though I then realized I had a problem with visual stress, I thought the lenses were too expensive. I didn’t use the overlays because they weren’t quite right and they were putzy. (The help from lenses is so much more precise and lenses are easier to keep track of. Plus they help with all visual stress, not just reading.) Over the next few months, I began to realize how much I was compensating for my light sensitivity and the symptoms bothered me a lot more once I realized there was help. For example, I began to realize I didn’t read long because my eyes would become stressed, not for some other excuse.

I became an Irlen screener and got my first lenses at about the same time in early 2002. I’d say my first and second lenses were good, my third lenses were very good and my fourth lenses, which I got a couple of years ago, are excellent; they also include a .5 prism, which relieved more visual stress and probably doubled my reading speed. (My theory is that I am light sensitive plus my eyes don’t work together well. The Irlen lenses alone helped the eyes work together, but the prism adds even more help.)

People spend $2,000 each for hearing aids, often out of pocket, so really the cost of Irlen lenses isn’t so bad. And the improvement in quality of life can be tremendous.
Until we moved to the Minneapolis area in 2006, my husband, a speech-language pathologist, and I, a public relations consultant, were the only screeners in central Minnesota and brought knowledge of the syndrome to central Minnesota through seminars, outreach and the media. We even had diagnosticians to come from out of state and had them stay in our home for a few days so they could help people with lenses.

The work I’ve done as an Irlen screener has been perhaps the most gratifying work I’ve done in my life. I could tell you many miracle stories about children and adults whose lives had been changed by overlays or Irlen lenses. The most dramatic change I saw in a child was a little girl whose reading scores rose from Grade 1 to Grade 6 because an overlay made the letters stop swirling. And most dramatic change I saw in an adult was a young man with a high IQ who would fall asleep whenever he tried to read.

My son didn’t have enough Irlen symptoms to bother with overlays in 2002, but when he was about 13 a couple of years later, he began getting terrific headaches from sunlight. (Most people have worse symptoms from fluorescent lights, but his worse symptoms are from sunlight.) He’d lie on his bed and moan until some pain meds kicked in. We took him for Irlen lenses right away. I suppose if we hadn’t known about Irlen lenses, we’d have taken him to medical professionals and gotten chiro treatments and acupuncture and biofeedback and probably meds and who knows what for him. He never had a reading issue or depth perception problem. When my son was 18, he created a YouTube video about IS that the Irlen Institute has on its web site. It’s also on the home page of this web site. His website iswww.ReadingAndLight.com.

Son and I are both grateful for Irlen lenses. It has been amazing how many of our friends or people we just run into have visual stress. I once watched a woman at a conference and mentioned light sensitivity to her. It turned out she has a neurological problem. Now she wears Irlen lenses and has improved balance and less stress. When I talked with one school board member, she said she’d always read in the dark and squirmed in her seat; now she “craves” her Irlen lenses. A friend who’s an Army major loves his overlays. A tax accountant friend who used to trick her clients into reading numbers to her now reads numbers and the tax code with ease with Irlen lenses. And the list goes on.

Julie Evans, Bloomington, MN, Writer, editor, communications consultant, Irlen screener & client

Scientist speaks of daughter’s Irlen Syndrome and SATs/reading problems

I just wanted to thank you for providing us with a resource for Irlen screening and diagnostics. My daughter was initially identified as having scotopic sensitivity when she was in 6th grade. Reading was becoming difficult for her and we couldn’t figure out why she didn’t like to read. She couldn’t focus on reading for more than a few minutes at a time, which worried us that she’d fall behind in school. The Irlen filtered glasses that she got after her testing with Maxine Jaubert helped her so much. She was able to focus on printed material for a longer stretch of time without getting a headache. Unfortunately, the coating on the lenses didn’t last forever, which was why we came to see you for re-testing and re-tinting of the lenses. My daughter is now in 11th grade, doing wonderfully, and the new filters/tints she got have helped her tremendously. I don’t know how she’d ever be able to take AP History with all the reading required without these special lenses. She has been wearing the glasses almost constantly since we got them in December because she feels they are better for all around 3D visual perception.

Irlen/scoptopic sensitivity syndrome is a very curious condition. It cannot be diagnosed by an opthamologist as it has nothing to do with the physiology or cellular function of the eye and its attendant structures. Rather, it appears to be more of a visual perception issue that must occur at in singular neural locus in the brain. Until we have better tools to diagnose these visual perception issues, it would be such a simple thing to have children screened in school or at the pediatrician’s office, much like we do auditory screening tests. It certainly would have saved us a lot of time, but unfortunately, until children begin to exhibit difficulties in reading or eye-hand coordination, one doesn’t really think of Irlen. At the very least, we need to do a better job of educating teachers and pediatricians on what to look out for when otherwise bright and driven children experience difficulties in specific areas. Thanks for all you do and for taking such care with my daughter’s Irlen Testing. Ethel Rubin, PhD

Irlen Screener, Occupational Therapist, College Academic Fieldwork Coordinator

I first learned about Irlen Syndrome in Donna Williams’ book “Like Color to the Blind” (1996). Ms. Williams is an adult with autism who has written and spoken around the world about her experiences growing up with autism and being misunderstood. Her beautiful descriptions of her unique visual perceptual understanding of the world around her literally and metaphorically opened my eyes to the unique visual experiences of children and adults with autism. Her specific experience of suddenly being able to visually perceive the entirety of her fiancé once her Irlen lenses were in place (rather than just being able to visually perceive and process one facial feature at a time—can you imagine? And this woman was driving!)

I began to explore this phenomenon of Irlen Syndrome in the literature. It appears that it is embraced more readily in Australia and Europe but there is a growing body of evidence and acceptance in the U.S. now. Entire American school districts are requiring Irlen screening. Given that as many as half or more of “typical” classrooms may have unidentified visual perceptual issues (I learned this at an AOTA presentation many years ago from an Israeli OT who screened all the 7th and 8th graders in a nearby typical school), it is apparent to me that we as OTs are missing an opportunity to empower children and adults to achieve more and be more functional. Irlen Syndrome is one of those visual perceptual issues that we need to be trained in to best provide complete assessment for our clients. Something as seemingly easy as a colored overlay may make the difference to a student between reading easily for comprehension and a headache after only 5 minutes of reading without it. It could mean the difference between a safe driver wearing colored Irlen lenses and an unsafe one missing the visual cue of the changing light or the pedestrian in a crosswalk. I encourage all occupational therapists to research this phenomenon for themselves and then attend the training to become an Irlen screener or diagnostician. For more information, go to www.irlen.com and also check out Helen Irlen’s book “Reading by the Colors” (1991).

Christine L. Achenbach, MEd., OTR/L, Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Occupational Therapy Department, Elizabethtown College

Parent of College Student with Reading, Depth Perception, Migraines, and Extreme Fatigue resulting from a Brain Tumor

Meredith’s glasses have made such a difference in her life. Not only has her driving has improved, as she has better depth perception, she has fewer migraine headaches, which were overwhelming her life. Her reading has improved, which means her grades have improved. She calls her glasses her “super-hero” glasses. She even said that she is less exhausted at the end of the day as she doesn’t have to concentrate and focus as hard all day long. She tells anyone who will listen, how wonderful her glasses are and what a difference her Irlen glasses have made in her life. Her only regret is that she didn’t find out about Irlen Visual sooner, which would have made high school a lot easier. Thanks so much Shoshana! I’m also so glad the doctor that tested her originally was actually informed about Irlen.

Leslie V., mother of 20 year old Meredith (see her testimonials as well) an Irlen client using spectral filters since 2009

Irlen Client of 20+ Years, Teacher, and Parent of Irlen Client.

I’m now going on 25+ years with my lenses, since I was a teenager. They changed my life back then and they continue to be a very important part of my life now. I have to say I wouldn’t be where I am now, an Art Teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools, if it wasn’t for my mother taking me to get screened in 1990 in Harrisonburg VA. I was struggling my way through college as I had done through High School. I can still picture my mother crying when I read for the first time with color overlays as I read for the first time, at age 20, without hesitation, stopping at simple words and skipping my way through sentences. Not to mention understanding what I was reading as I was reading it. It has also made a huge impact on the way I feel I fit into the world. Before I got my lenses I saw the world but didn’t feel like I fit in. Once I got the colors right, for the first time in my life I could experience myself in the area I was in and not work so hard at trying to understand it. To say the least, my lenses changed and saved my life all at the same time. I’m not sure what I would have done without them. Thanks has to go to ’60 Minutes’ TV broadcast for showing a segment on Irlen and for my mother, after watching that program, tracking down how she could get me tested. Thanks for all you do, too.

Brooke being is doing very well. She says keeping up with her reading and the ease at which she reads is much better. Her enjoyment is also going up which is what I hope will help her get into a better routine of studying and finishing her school work in less time, with less effort, and of course better grades.

Derek P. and daughter, Brooke. Teacher and Irlen spectral lens user for 25+ years. His daughter has been wearing Irlen spectral filters since 2005

Academic Support Director and Assistant Principal of Private High School

H. said that his time with you was very valuable and validating. He was so relieved to hear that you understood him and that he wasn’t the only one. He told me that he is using the filters at home, but he didn’t want to take them to school for fear of losing them. We are going to try using colored paper for his handouts at this point and see if that helps a little.

Deborah L. R, Director of Academic Support, Community High School

Neuropsychiatrist Speaks about his Daughter with Disabling Migraines and Light Sensitivity Since Her Teens.

Elizabeth’s Irlen filters have made all the difference in the world. She no longer suffers from extreme light sensitivity. Her daily migraine headaches have been 99% reduced.

Dr. Joseph Annibali, parent of IrlenVLCMD client with Irlen Syndrome Liz Annibali and director of the Amen Clinic of DC and neuropsychiatrist. Liz,has been wearing Irlen tinted no RX glasses and tinted contact lenses for the past 14+ years.

Dr. Annibali, MD, director of the Amen Clinic of DC and Neuropsychiatrist

Father of Irlen Client. Passionate advocate for Irlen Testing for clients who suffer from ADD/ADHD, brain injuries, migraines, dyslexia, and light sensitivity.

I have referred a number of patients for Irlen screening and treatment. Others of my patients were diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome before coming to me. Typically, patients with Irlen Syndrome experience dramatic relief in light sensitivity, headaches, and reading strain, when they use their specially-prescribed Irlen filters. This little-known condition deserves to be understood by all physicians, educators, and parents.

Dr. Joseph Annibali, father of Irlen Client Liz Annibali and director of the Amen Clinic of DC and neuropsychiatrist. Liz, has been wearing Irlen spectral filters since her teenage years (14+ years)

College Student with Brain Tumor and Severe Migraines

Immediate benefits after years of suffering: I love my glasses. My headaches have decreased and I have noticed that my motor skills are quicker! When I play video games I am quicker and see the TV better. I also do not get a headache when watching the TV or when I am on the computer. I could not function without these tinted glasses and could not have gotten through college and the stress of reading.

Update a few months later after wearing tints consistently: I just wanted to keep you up to date with everything. My glasses have been such a blessing! I have notice an improvement in my driving, my school work, and my overall well- being. Last week I went on a conference in Boston and ended up leaving my glasses there. Luckily they were shipped home to me in only three days. But the three days I did not have my glasses I did notice my migraines came back, I was not able to be a passenger in a car with another person, class time was miserable, and homework was extra hard. I do not want to make my glasses a crutch, but I do believe my life has been improved because of these glasses.

The purpose of this e-mail is to update you on how I am doing with my glasses, but also you mentioned back in the fall about a brain trauma test with the glasses and being a volunteer for the Irlen program. I have talked to so many people at school and it seems that a lot of people would benefit from these glasses. I am really excited about this! If I cannot help I understand, but just know these glasses are just great! Its nice to go one day without a headache (it’s a weird feeling for me).

Meredith , college graduate, married and mother with traumatic brain injury, severe migraines and coordination problems. Her condition is closely monitored by neurologists, educational psychologists and support services and has worn her spectral tints since 2009.

Middle Aged Woman Achieves Relief from Lifelong Visual Perceptual Problems

All going well, I haven’t yet had the chance to go to the movies to really test them out, but a visit to the theater was very comfortable. I also will put them on at work if I start to feel I have some eyestrain or I have to talk to someone wearing a striped shirt. So yes, a definite improvement . Here are the areas of excellent (5) improvement with Irlen Spectral Filters:

Comfort level with lighting indoors – Strain or Fatigue – White stands out/sparkles – Headaches – Problems looking at the computer screen

Louise, middle aged, using Irlen spectral filters since 2009. Bothered all her life with visual perceptual problems, aversion to striped/high contrast patterns, headaches, eye strain, computer stress syndrome, and trouble feeling calm and comfortable when watching movies, theater and TV.

Shoshana Shamberg’s Son with Traumatic Eye Injury, Migraines, and Light Sensitivity to Fluorescent Lighting in High School

My mother made me get Irlen glasses cause I kept complaining about lights hurting my eyes and being stressed at school. I have read and done my homework in a dark room with only minimal lighting, since I had an eye injury a few years ago. I almost lost my eye, but now I am blind and very light sensitive in the injured eye. Darker rooms feel better. With my Irlen glasses I can take tests with less tiredness and more accuracy . They make everything easier to see and relieve the stress I always used to feel in my eyes, especially at school, where I cannot control the light levels and there are bright, florescent lights everywhere. I also feel better watching movies and using the computer/TV monitors at school. I really like my Irlen filter and I am now happy my mom, an Irlen Diagnostician, made me get them. The test was really long and sometimes frustrating and boring, but worth it now.

Dovid Shamberg, age 15 years old in 2009, son of Shoshana Shamberg, Irlen Diagnostician, athlete, honor roll student in honors classes. He sustained a paint ball injury to one eye when he was 11 years old and was legally blind in one eye til age 19 years, and has greater then 20/20 vision in the other. He has different tints for each eye.

Mother of 11 Year Old Irlen Client with Severe Reading Problems

Joy is thrilled with her glasses. It was a little while before she made a habit of wearing them all the time. When she had worn them for about a week of schoolwork, regularly, she lifted them up to scratch her nose and said, “Oh my gosh, Mom! All the words all ran to the middle of the two pages!” I hope you, your coworkers and family are all well. God bless. Nanette

Nanette, mother of 11 year old client with severe reading problems but above average intelligence. She has compensated with an excellent memory and problem solving ability. She is also extremely light sensitive and is presently home schooled due to the stress of the school environment.

Retired Physician’s Assistant and Former College Administrator of Student Support Services. Suffered a stroke at 50 years of age in 2002 .

It is hard to believe that a group of colored lenses (different tints in each eye as well) make such a difference in my balance, coordination and visual perception after 8 years of suffering from the effects of my stroke. I have seen neurologists and visions specialists, spent thousands in alternative and traditional interventions, worn expensive RX glasses that only helped minimally, and until you tested me for Irlen Syndrome, I had no relief.

I have been unable to safely navigate stairs, uneven surfaces, read comfortably for sustained periods, work at my computer and do any close up work involving eye hand coordination with out extreme stress and migraines. I have compensated for my severe double vision and depth perception problems, but with much effort and anxiety.

Thank you so much for introducing me to the Irlen Method, I am very much looking forward to using my Irlen spectral filters which I will wear over my RX glasses as needed. For the first time in 8 years I can see the computer screen without working to keep the words/images from moving, walk confidently and gracefully along uneven surfaces, and walk up and down stairs with ease and comfort. Fluorescent lighting is finally tolerable and bright lights are not glaringly uncomfortable. When I get tired my right leg drags and I can easily trip. As we both saw, when I put the lenses on my leg felt stronger and I did not limp and I could see where I was going with much greater accuracy. How do colored lenses on my eyes affect the coordination of my leg and whole body balance?

The combination of different colored lenses does not feel like sunglasses, so my vision feels normal inside and outdoors. As an artist I am grateful since I still see the beauty of the colors around me accurately, and I paint and draw with greater ease and comfort and much less distortion, yet the lenses are a dark color. Amazing. I really am surprised at the results. As a medical professional, I am even more amazed that they worked better for me then so many other traditional treatments by my doctors and therapists.

Joy B, PA, retired physician’s assistant and former college administrator of student support services. She suffered a stroke at 50 years of age in 2002 and has compensated for her visual perceptual, muscle fatigue, and balance problems until Irlen tints immediately improved mobility, coordination and working at the computer.

Woman with Migraines, Sleep Disorder, and Stress Related Illnesses since Childhood

For years I suffered from stress related illnesses – IBS, Fibromyalgia, TMJ – and I had trouble with driving due to my lack of depth perception and spacial judgment. I was a chronic insomniac; my body was forever tense. I was always extremely light sensitive especially when under fluorescents but who wasn’t? Or so I thought. When I first heard of Irlen I was skeptical to think that some colored plastic could help me with so many seemingly unrelated issues. However, when I went to get tested for glasses I could not believe my eyes (pun intended)! I walked along the sidewalk and on longer feared falling off (trust me, it used to happen – often)! The sun was no longer my enemy; snow no longer blinded me; I could make a right turn while driving and not fear taking off others’ side mirrors! To my utter surprise, I felt tired at night; I slept full long restful sleeps. Secretly, I wished my color lenses would turn out to be orange (my favorite color) but instead I ended up with some beautiful layered shades of purple – I now had a reason to wear that purple necklace that’s been sitting in my jewelry box for years! Of course I went out and bought some cute purple tops to match! But on a more serious note, I do not know how I lasted so long without my glasses or what I would have done had I never gotten them! They changed my life and I highly recommend to anyone who has vision, learning and/or stress related illnesses to get yourself tested. It will do no harm and it has the potential to change your world like it changed mine!

Tova B., highly intelligent and creative teacher’s aid, musician, former office manager of Irlen Diagnostic Center, Pre-Screener for Irlen Syndrome. Helped by Irlen spectral filters since 2009.

Woman with Lifelong Learning Challenges, Seizure Disorder, ADHD, Organization Problems obtains relief with Irlen tinted RX lenses

Dear Helen Irlen: I would like to take the time to thank you and show you my gratitude for inventing the Irlen method. Irlen Spectral Filters with my prescription glasses have made a world of difference for for my life, giving me a whole new lease on life altogether. Before I was diagnosed and treated for Irlen Syndrome, I had an extremely difficult and complicated life. During my childhood I suffered from medical problems such as ADHD, epileptic seizures and dyslexia, which caused severe learning difficulties in the classrooms. I was extremely hyperactive, unfocused, had poor social skills and had a hard time making friends in grade school and getting good grades in school.

My doctors had me placed on Ritalin to help me stay focused, Zarontin and Dilantin to help manage the seizures. This helped me to manage the symptoms of my medical problems. I was just barely getting through school with the help of my parents and tutors enough to pass to the next grade level each year.

As I approached adolescence my self-esteem continued to plummet as my anxiety levels continued to soar to new heights. By the time I started 7th grade in Jr. High School I did see some improvement in my school work, but still had a great deal of problems with anxiety. I did not have very many friends and was severely depressed to the point that I no longer felt that I had a reason to live. I know feel that life has unlimited possibilities and wearing Irlen Spectral Filters has been a major help!!! I am eternally grateful. Please help others who suffer with similar symptoms and hopefully as early as possible.

Young Life Saved from the Horrors of Concussion & Undiagnosed Issues

My 6-year-old daughter had a severe head trauma, fell on the wet floor at private school and hit the metal bench with the back of her head. Since then, her life has been a nightmare of health problems that where crashing down on her, one after another, day after day, with no relief.

Ten years after the accident my daughter decided that she cannot and does not want to live with “all that stuff” and physical pain any longer.

Despite all that, her symptoms persisted, some got worse, she was bedridden and unable to function, did not want to live, and worst of all – all the hope for help was gone.

Another, I took her for a walk on extremely shiny and bright winter day, (bright days supposed to help to uplift the spirit of depressed), when I started to walk faster, I found that my daughter is not next to me, but lying flat on her back on the shiny snow and not able to stand up. Ten years of her misery ended in the loss of the last hope for relief. Her life was unbearable, our family was devastated.

Shoshana explained about the visual distortions and problems with the depth perception people with Irlen Syndrome have. Sheshowed examples of how affected people see surroundings and printed materials. My daughter commented that how she saw things since the concussion, but never was able to describe them or make sense of them. She told us as a little girl she could not explain the changes happened to her vision, she was terrified of distortions: the walls that caved in, trees that seems to fall, letters that were floating away or swirling, jumping in and out the page, or disappearing.

When she got older, she assumed that there was something really wrong with her and was looking for some logical explanations. Did not find any. By mid-teen years decided that life like that was not worse living.

I knew right there that Irlen Syndrome was that lost puzzle piece that can explain all the unexplainablesymptoms my daughter had for ten years. Also It was very clear to me that having Irlen for nearly 10 years explains that visual distortions and severe problems with natural and artificial lightening provoked the bunch of psychiatric illnesses that she was dealing currently. Illnesses that were not responding to traditional psychiatric treatments.

Actually, the psychiatric drugs made her Irlen syndrome worse by intensifying the light sensitivity. One of the major side effect of many psychiatric medication is increased light sensitivity. My daughter was severely sensitive to light before the meds, and when she was put on the medication, the light sensitivity become so severe, that she was collapsing, having black outs multiple times and daily.

I took my daughter off all the medications while we waiting for her new glasses. Then when we got them, the new period in our life started. The recovery period has started. Shoshanna was a great support during her re-adjustment period and providing help with her professional knowledge of Irlen and guided us. My daughter could see surroundings clear, details, objects were not shifting, printed letters stayed in place, her depth perception was improving.

It was not an easy adjustment. It took at least 2 months up to the point when she could wear her new filters for the whole day without getting exhausted and overwhelmed with clear vision. She told me: “After seeing distortions ineverything surround me for such a long time, seeing clear is so weird! And unreal” Shoshanna warned us that it will take possibly up to a year for eyes and brain to re-adjust to the clear vision. My daughter is still in the recovery stages. However, all the positive changes that happening continuously with my daughter’s health are obvious.

Often, I see the curious look on her face when she is looking at things, the look of a person who sees things for the first time in her life. She is attending the community college full time and her grades are on the top. She can read, work at the computer, and write in an efficient and productive way. I do not see the devastated and exhausted child who struggled to complete her school work, as was the case for many many years.

Along with being in the process of adjusting to her Irlen filters, my daughter is in multiple therapies currently that are helping her to deal with the past head injury and acquired psychological problems: chiropractor, acupuncture, and group therapies with a psychologist are all working together to help her to recover from that long nightmare that she endured for ten years.

With the Irlen filters, I feel confident that at some point in her future my daughter will drive a car. The driving with Irlen Syndrome distortions is tricky, dangerous and can be deadly. The damaged depth perception makes it difficult to judge distances between the cars, between the lanes, and object locations. The light sensitivity gets worse from all the headlights and fast movements of the passing cars. The visual distortions get worse because of the fast-moving cars and passing objects on the sides.

However, I can say that if Irlen Syndrome was not diagnosed, I would never let my daughter drive the car with all the symptoms she had, because it was same as asking for a car accident to happen.

Today, with all the improvements in her coordination, vision, and depth perception, I can say that she will drive a car, but we need to let her take more time to recover. I will update my testimonial regarding the driving progress in the following months.

During the past Thanksgiving, we were thinking about Shoshana and how much our life, my daughter’s and our family, has changed, since our first appointment with Irlen Diagnostic Center.

We are deeply thankful for Shoshanna and her mission to help people like my daughter, and bring the hope and life back to them. The life that once again feels meaningful, worth living, and beautiful through the Irlen filters.

Thank you from all my heart,
Olesya

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AOTSS and IRLEN TRAINING TESTIMONIALS from SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS

Internet-Based Training: I have learned more from this Internet course, than I learned in any workshop. You made me use my brain, instead of just listening to a lecture with handouts. The interactive method of looking up information to respond to specific assignments with personal feedback, helped me immensely. I am thankful for the extensive resources you provided which I could not imagine attempting to find myself. You responded to my needs promptly and provided personal guidance and attention when needed which was very encouraging for a person beginning a private practice. Sincerely, Jamie Temple, OT

Internet-Based Training of 8+ years: I constantly benefit from your personal mentoring, vast experience, thorough and honest critiques of my documentation, and sharing of product ideas and resources. I always feel that your comments are well thought out and insightful. How enormously reassuring to me to know that you are there to guide, challenge, and support my efforts to deliver a “best practice” service. Even though I have practiced OT since 1964, I am a relative newcomer to this specialty area. Your mentoring provides the necessary guidance as I achieve greater levels of knowledge and experience. This has been a very personal, totally enjoyable, educational experience. You are a most professional and innovative role model. I commended you for your “cutting-edge” approach to teaching. With appreciation, Susan B., MA, OTR/L, FAOTA

Internet-Based Training of 8+ years: As I developed my expertise in this specialty area, my dilemma was finding training that would fit into my schedule, while working as a full-time OT. With Your internet training has enabled me to learn at home on my own time schedule, avoiding travel expense and time. The videos/DVDs, manuals and extensive resource materials provided became my library of references and crucial tools for my practice. The AOTSS Network Membership enables me to keep learning indefinitely with a group of professionals at different levels of expertise. My husband has decided to work with me and is also benefitting from my learning. When I question my ability to create a sustainable consulting practice, she guided me forward and providing ongoing support as I worked on various projects. It was like having a virtual business partner and I was able to use my work for CEUs. I consider it an honor to study under Shoshana, as an expert in this area of speciality and OT profession. I consider it an even greater honor to know her as a person of integrity and faith. Angie Kidd, COTA, Accessibility Consultant

Internet-Based Training of 4+ years: I am continuing my learning with the AOTSS Network Yearly Membership. I am enjoying the constantly updated information, personal feedback, and CE specialty lessons. Kevin, PT, ATP

Internet-Based Training for 3+ years: I appreciate you as a mentor, giving me perspective and careful guidance. I really respect your work ethic and your advice. Thank you. Allison, PT

Internet-Based Training: I completed several lessons in the AOTSS “Accessibility Consultation, Home Modifications, and Assistive Technology Internet Training” with mentorship from Shoshana Shamberg between 2013 and 2015. I found the training to be highly valuable to my occupational therapy practice. I was planning to make a change from working in acute care to the community, and this training gave me some of the knowledge and confidence that I needed to transition into community occupational therapy practice. The resources provided by AOTSS were very helpful including sample reports and articles related to accessibility and home modifications. The training was also well rounded because it included lessons on legislation, and required learning about assessment processes in the home and other community environments for clients with a variety of health conditions. I also enjoyed learning about a wide range of home modification and environmental solutions. It was helpful to be able to finish lessons at my own pace and to receive feedback through mentorship. Tracy Dietrich, Occupational Therapist

2-Day On-site & Internet Training COMBO: The “stuff” you brought to “show and tell,” got me back in touch with thinking “out of the box”, being creative and practical in applying adaptive techniques, principles of modification,etc. The course gave me the validation I needed to become totally convinced, committed and optimistic about immersing myself and dedicating my remaining career years into this opportunity of “accessibility consulting.” You demonstrated the importance of knowing how to find needed information and having a mentor to streamline and guide you. Your passion is contagious. Your expertise and experiences…. inspirational! Kate Akers, OT, Houston, TX

2-Day On-Site and Internet-based Training COMBO: You seminar was by far the best I have ever attended. I have shared much of what you taught me with my fellow workers and clients with confidence. Knowing that you are a phone call or email away for further mentoring, helped to set aside any doubts I had. The knowledge and resources you share open new doors for me, and I am continuously excited about what I can share with others. Kristen Curley, OTRL, ATP, Hartford, CT

2-Day On-site Training hosted by University of UT OT Department, Salt Lake City *Wow!! Thank you for such an informative workshop. *The best one I have ever attended. *Great resources, handouts, and evaluation forms. *IT was great fun too!!! *I now have some “meat and potatoes” to add to my knowledge. More resources then I could ever imagine. Fabulous information! *Thanks for sharing so much of your knowledge and experience, as well as, your passion to bring this to so many diverse groups of professionals.

2-Day On-site Training in Hartford, CT hosted by Hudson Home Heath: Comments by various participants: Stories and case studies of your (Shoshana Shamberg) personal experiences was very valuable and informative. Amazing and informative!! I am very excited to get started and now have the tools. I loved your enthusiasm and the resources are fabulous! Very organized with lots of information to digest. Easy style of presenter made the atmosphere warm and personal. I would definitely recommend this seminar to other! The workshop was much more comprehensive then I expected, as well as inspiring!!!

2-Day On-site Training: Wonderful presenter! There wasn’t a minute that I did not pay attention. Everything was so so useful!! Time flew by so quickly, I could have stayed 2 more days! I am definitely continuing with your Internet-based Mentoring Program.

2-Day On-site Training hosted by Slidell Memorial Hospital, New Orleans, LA area: Your personal stories of your clients and your experiences, provided practical, interesting and more technical information that could be readily used then any other training. Thanks bringing your “low-tech” school inventions and the many accessibility and design resources to share with us. Dian Wise, PT/OT

2-Day On-site Training, hosted by Slidell Memorial Hospital, New Orleans, LA area: Your training manual is extensive, well organized, and filled with valuable information. Given the baby boomers are aging; I see this specialty practice area growing more valuable. My extensive background in ergonomics and jobsite evaluation from industry is a great segway into home accessibility consulting. Do not change your teaching style, you made this seminar an exciting learning experience! Don Perkins, OTR, Department Head of Rehabilitation Services, St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Covington, LA

2-Day On-site Training: I found your seminar to be one of the most valuable workshops that I’ve ever attended! I am putting together a presentation about home modifications for one of my networks using the valuable information you provided. Shirley, OT, Private Practice Consultant

2-Day On-site and Internet-based Training: Your seminar really brought the material off the page into reality. I am excited to begin my training as an accessibility consultant with your guidance and mentoring. It is a timely specialty area as our aging population grows. Stephen L. Edmonds, MPT, CSFA,PT private practice

2-Day On-site & Internet Accessibility Consultation & Home Modifications Training: I use the knowledge I learned in your 2 Day seminar every day, since I attended 6 years ago in 2007!! Thanks so much for sharing such valuable information and your personal wisdom and stories for us to learn from. Your personal guidance through emails afterward is also very supportive and helpful. Cassie, OT

2-Day On-site Accessibility Consultation & Home Modifications Training: Your seminar and meeting you was such an enlightening experience. If I had not attended this seminar, I would never have learned how difficult and depressing it is for a person to be suddenly put in a wheelchair and finding out that they can’t go back to the home they have known for years. You have demonstrated to me how important it is to be a provider to these families and to be there to guide them as they adapt or build accessible homes. I look forward to a continued relationship with you and Handypro, myself, and our CEO, Robert Gurinowitsch. Keith H Osterman, Building Contractor,Handypro

2-Day On-site & Internet Accessibility Consultation and Home Modifications Training: I will always think of you my mentor. You open doors for people like me who benefit from your hard work and follow in your foot steps. Your training has been invaluable. The networking, resources, vast sharing of knowledge and experience continues to inspire and guide me. Thanks for the fantastic training and support. Larry, Building Contractor

2-Day Brain Gym, Irlen Method, & Sensory Motor Activities on a Shoestring Budget: Your school-based pediatric courses have provided excellent possibilities that I could not imagine before. Low-cost solutions and resources were extremely helpful to implement technology integration for our students with severe cognitive and physical disabilities. The pre-vocational training programs are excellent tools for inclusion of students with disabilities into society with adequate support systems. Thanks so much for your creativity and positive attitude that there are solutions to every barrier. I also appreciate your advocacy training for our parents and professionals, so that they can develop their skills, in helping children to maximize their independence both in the educational environment and in the community. Victoria, special education supervisor of public school district and college professor

2-Day & Internet Accessibility Consultation & Home Modifications Training: Your expertise shines through in your efforts to keep people focused on important, practical knowledge about home modifications across the lifespan, from pediatrics through geriatrics. Your work should be applauded. Cheryl, Ph.D. in aging policy, gerontologist, RN

2-Day Brain Gym and Sensory Motor Activities Training, Mumbai, India: I now use Brain Gym and Irlen Pre-Screenings for my clients with excellent results. Recently a 7 year old client, who day dreamed in class and was very confused with his spelling and math, improved greatly using PACE and Lazy 8’s. Another child was weak in phonetics and writing and now is now able to encode. My own son uses the Irlen overlays and has improved drastically in math. Vaanditaa Gupta, OT, Mumbai, India

2-Day & Internet-based Sensory Motor, Brain Gym and Irlen Method Training: I feel re-energized & empowered with new ideas to work with some of my most difficult to reach students. Adrianne Roth OT & Special Educator

2-Day Brain Gym, Irlen Method, & Sensory Motor Activities on a Shoestring Budget: Thanks so much for the inspiring Brain Gym training. Your energy is wonderful! A day after the training, I was able to demonstrate PACE to a group of special educators and they were quite receptive! RB, Physical Therapist and director of OT/PT

Irlen Webinar Training: Visual Stress, Learning, & Behavior: I have been an Irlen Diagnostician in Australia for nearly 20 years and during that time have assessed over eight thousand clients. I run an Irlen clinic full time and see about four hundred clients a year. Never in all those years have I seen such a comprehensive, easy to understand presentation as the webinar I have just watched. The best part about your webinar is that it is freely available. This is the only way we can continue to spread the Irlen word. I have done school presentations at no cost for the last twently years and teachers say “Why have we not heard about this before”? You are indeed a dynamic, professional educator, dedicated to helping educate the public and thereby enabling some individuals to lead a productive life. I have seen your responses on the chat line from time to time but this is the first time I have stopped to read thorougly what you had written. I am really impressed. Gloria, Irlen Diagnostician for 20 years

Irlen Webinar: Visual Stress, Learning and Behavior: Your presentation and you were fantastic- clear, concise, interesting, and very professionally delivered!!!!! Yehudis Schamroth, CRNA FANTASTIC PRESENTATION, SHOSHANA!!!!!!! Great use of power point and video. Examples of symptoms were clear and very well presented. Love the one with the woman in the car! Then, there were the cartoons. Great variety! It was so easy to watch and totally lose track of the time. Ann Hosmer, CEO Building Winning Teams

Irlen Syndrome Webinar and Amen Clinic Lecture: You did a great job. Your presentation style was calm, warm, professional, and authoritative, but not stuffy at all. The video by David Arcolla was really cute. He’s quite creative. If I were a dictator, I would mandate that everyone involved in healthcare, everyone involved in education, and every parent, watch your webinar. One can dream….. Congratulations on a very well-done effort. I am sure that your webinar will profoundly affect the lives many people. Dr. Joseph Annibali,Director of The Amen Clinic of DC and parent of Irlen client

3-Day Brain Gym 101 and the Sensory Motor Activities on a Shoestring Budget: These seminars revitalized my professional career, as well as my personal development. As an OT for over 25 years, I thought that there was not much more I could learn. I was mistaken! My enthusiasm for your fun, creative and stimulating teaching style and course content keeps growing as I keep coming back to AOTSS. I loved the group projects, team building strategies, personal development work, and hands-on approach with a low-cost perspective. Barb, OT/Special Educator, School District in PA

3-Day Brain Gym 101 Certification Training: Thank you for an amazing experience during the past 3 days. I have learned so much. Due to your openness I was able to fully participate and felt so empowered. My husband and I have done PACE each morning since I returned. After a few days he asked: “would you be my trainer for these exercises?”It must be making a difference b/c he is such a skeptic! I’m so excited to start the new school year with this new tool. Ellen S, OTR

3-Day Brain Gym 101 Certification Training: Since I returned to NY after the seminar, I have had some very positive changes in my life. I was very lacking in activities that were social, group, creative, and fun/playful. I joined a chorus and a dance group that fulfills all of those needs. The energy and people I am making contact with are healthy for me, providing positive and growth filled challenges. I am now moving around a lot of stuck energy in my life and having a cleansing experience whilst having fun. Sally A, social worker, music therapist, healer

3-Day Brain Gym 101 Certification Training: Thank you so much for a life-affirming seminar. Truly a gift. After the first two days of the seminar, I felt extremely exhausted and spent. But last night was different; I went to my yoga class that I hadn’t attended in months and found myself (by accident) in yoga nidra at the end of class (that has never happened). My children and I did PACE right after breakfast, and they loved it, even my teenage son. I am using my BG folders every day. Cathy, Home School Parent and Lawyer

3-Day Brain Gym 101 Certification Training: I cannot thank you enough for the time, effort and energy you put into the Brain Gym Course. I immediately began using PACE and other BG exercises with my class for listening and comprehension. I have shared what I learned with my colleagues to promote visual & perceptual motor, directionality, handwriting, listening and comprehension, creative writing, memory,and bilateral integration skills. Also to use with those students who are considered at risk for ADHD. People like you make the world a better place. You are a gift! Gloria J, classroom teacher

3-Day Brain Gym 101 Certification Training: I want to thank you for an awesome Brain Gym workshop! You are a phenomenal person. I learned so much from you both professionally and personally. You have an abundance of knowledge which you readily share with clarity and creativity. I feel so honored and so blessed to have learned from you. You are extremely kind, thoughtful and generous, with a big,loving heart! You touched my life in so many ways. Thank you for that. I hope to attend another workshop (especially the Irlen workshop). I wish you continued success and joy! Adie T, OT, Irlen Screener, Arkansas

Irlen 2-Day Screener’s Certification Training and Mother of Irlen Client : Shoshana Shamberg is an outstanding OT specializing in Irlen Syndrome. I am an SLP and highly suspected my freshman college son’s issues were due to Irlen Syndrome, having done a little research. We chose to travel the 3 hours to her office as it is located in the town my husband is from. She easily accommodated us, fitting my son into her busy schedule within the week and determined what I suspected to be the issue. I was so impressed; I jumped at the opportunity to become trained by Shoshana as a Certified Irlen Screener. During my 2 days at her office, I found out first hand how professional, compassionate and knowledgeable she is.

Helen Irlen, Educational Psychologist, Founder and Creator of Irlen Method, CEO of Irlen International and Irlen Foundation

Shoshanna Shamberg is an excellent diagnostician. She is highly skilled, compassionate, and has outstanding results using the Irlen Method. I hear nothing but glowing reports from her clients. I am proud to have such a talented diagnostician representing the Irlen Method. Her trainings of medical and educational professionals have produced outstanding results and educated thousands of consumers and professionals about Irlen Syndrome. She receives the highest ratings on her Irlen Screener Certification Trainings from every participant and has brought many medical professionals, including OTs, in our International Irlen Screener’s Network. She is a passionate advocate and professional.

Helen Irlen , Educational Psychologist and Inventor of Irlen Method which has helped millions worldwide to improve academic performance and working productivity for children and adults. Recently Irlen International has been funded to provide hundreds of brain injured Wounded Warriors Irlen Method testing and spectral filters. Results have been outstanding!

Irlen Screener’s 2-Day Certification Training: This training is the most enlightening and profound experience I have had in over 25 years as a school based therapist working with children of all ages with learning challenges. Irlen Method is the MISSING LINK in the puzzle of remediation for learning and behavior challenged children who were never properly diagnosed or misdiagnosed. I can now help students and their teachers find students who can be helped immediately with Irlen testing, method, and accommodations in the younger grades. Saving time, money and lives from the agony of poor grades and mental , physical and emotional problems. We may be able to decrease the need for support services for many of those who are helped.

Sharon, OT, Special Educator and Director of Special Services for a public school

Fantastic and relevant training! I learned more in two days about the neurobiology of learning and the brain then the years of studying in classes and professional journals. Shoshana is a wealth of information and experience and her passion for what she does comes through in all her interactions and instruction. I have referred clients to her services and she has helped to find a piece of the remediation puzzle for our special education students that no other educator, psychologist or physician had figured out. Thanks so much for all you do!!!

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