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Irlen Training Courses

Some people experience difficulties with visual processing when reading, working with print or interacting with their visual environment, even when eyesight itself may not fully explain their difficulties. These experiences may be described as visual perceptual or visual processing difficulties.

Reported characteristics may include discomfort when reading, visual distortions, light sensitivity, eyestrain, difficulty sustaining focus, headaches or migraines, and reduced efficiency with reading, spelling, copying or written work.

The Irlen Method developed from work begun in the 1980s exploring the effects of colour on visual comfort and reading for some children and adults experiencing persistent learning or reading difficulties. It is used alongside, and not as a replacement for, appropriate educational, health and vision care.

Three levels of training

There are three levels of involvement in the Irlen organisation.

  1. PASS (Pre-Assessment for Scotopic Sensitivity). A short training session. The test is easy to give: the manual shows exactly what to do and say, and the student ends up with a score that shows the severity. The cost covers the materials and training. A typical user is a learning support or special education teacher looking into a student’s learning difficulties.
  2. Screener. A free online course, then about 10+ hours of live training over two days, in person or online. Screeners give a structured screening with the Irlen Reading Perceptual Scale (IRPS) and refer clients for comprehensive assessment when indicated. Screeners do not diagnose Irlen Syndrome. Formal qualifications are required.
  3. Diagnostician. Further training supervised by the Irlen Institute in California, for experienced screeners. The Irlen Institute requires formal qualifications to train as a Screener or Diagnostician, for example a degree in Education or Psychology.

PASS training course

Presenter: Dianne Bevan, B.A., Dip. Teaching, M.Ed., Gr.Dip. Mental Health, M.A.A.I.C.

Cost: $500 for the training, a screening kit and two sets of transparencies. Each extra attendee pays only for materials: $50 for a kit and $100 for a set of transparencies.

  • Teachers learn what to look for and how to cater for these students in their classrooms.
  • The presentation takes teachers through the testing procedures.
  • With a Screening Kit, selected teachers can be certified as Pre-assessors for Irlen Syndrome and screen students at their school.

Screener training course

This program prepares eligible professionals to conduct structured Irlen screenings using the Irlen Reading Perceptual Scale (IRPS), communicate screening results appropriately, and refer clients for comprehensive assessment when indicated.

An Irlen Screener gathers relevant information, administers the screening, records and interprets the findings within the training framework, and discusses the outcome with the client or parent/carer. Where the findings indicate that further investigation may be helpful, the Screener refers the client to a local Irlen Clinic or appropriately qualified Diagnostician. Screeners do not diagnose Irlen Syndrome or provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment.

Part 1: online course. Required before Part 2. It can be completed in less than one day and is free for trainers and trainees. Trainees complete all modules and receive a completion certificate, which the trainer sights before Part 2; trainees also provide it to the Irlen Institute through the training sign-in form. Overlay instruction and practical task practice are covered in Part 2.

Part 2: live training. About 10+ hours of guided learning, practical work and support over two days, in person or online with the trainer:

  • IRPS scoring: a brief review of scoring procedures
  • Task administration: a brief review of Box A, Box B and Pumpkin
  • Practical practice of Box A, Box B and Pumpkin
  • Overlay instruction and practical practice
  • A complete screening from beginning to end with a partner

During the training you will learn to:

  • Recognise common learning, behavioural and visual-perceptual characteristics that may warrant screening
  • Understand how visual processing may affect reading, spelling, mathematics, copying, depth perception and sensory integration
  • Administer the IRPS in accordance with the Screener Manual and training procedures
  • Score and interpret IRPS responses to identify characteristics and severity within the screening framework
  • Recognise reported visual distortions, light sensitivity and related reading or perceptual concerns
  • Consider practical classroom, workplace and everyday support strategies, including the appropriate use of coloured overlays
  • Communicate screening results clearly and sensitively, and identify when referral for comprehensive assessment is appropriate
  • Apply the screening process confidently through supervised hands-on practice

Course content (guided learning, individual reading and practical sessions):

  • The Irlen Method: background, facts and definitions
  • How the method was developed, populations that may benefit, relevant research and mind-body connections, including stressors
  • Review of the Screener Manual and the structured IRPS process
  • IRPS administration, scoring, interpretation and documentation
  • Classroom and workplace considerations, communication and referral pathways
  • Professional practice, outreach resources and relevant websites
  • Practical screening exercises and supervised administration

Help accessing the online course, or a meeting to go through the process, can be requested from the Irlen Institute.

Screener requirements and cost

To apply you must:

  1. Hold a teaching certificate or a graduate degree in education, psychology, counselling, assessment, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, health or a medical field, or have relevant literacy-program experience, including work in a prison literacy program.
  2. Have at least two years of experience in the relevant field.
  3. Provide a current resume outlining your educational background and work history.
  4. Provide credentials demonstrating eligibility for registration in your professional discipline, where applicable.

Download the application form (Word document), complete it and email it to Dianne with your resume and supporting credentials. Enrolment is confirmed only after your application has been reviewed and accepted.

Cost: $1,000. The course fee includes:

  • Screener Manual USB: process outline, forms, sample reports, research documents, dyslexia information, order forms and flyers
  • 12 original IRPS forms
  • One Irlen Chart
  • Two sets of overlays
  • Parent and Teacher Toolkits (downloadable from the Irlen Syndrome Foundation)
  • Helen Irlen’s Reading by the Colours, The Irlen Revolution and Sports Concussion & Getting Back in the Game of Life

To be certified you must:

  1. Complete Part 1 and provide its completion certificate before Part 2
  2. Complete Part 2, including the required practical training
  3. Complete 10 individual IRPS screenings, including a range of client presentations where practicable, such as adults and clients whose screening does not indicate Irlen-related characteristics
  4. Submit all 10 completed IRPS forms to your trainer for review, with any other required documentation
  5. Meet the certificate requirements your trainer advises

Completing Part 1 alone does not qualify for certification. Certified Screeners communicate outcomes appropriately to clients and parents/carers, work within the Screener role and their own professional scope, keep secure records, and maintain a record of continuing education.

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