Incidence of Meares-Irlen/visual stress syndrome in reading and learning disorders: does fluorescent lighting in classrooms affect literacy and numeracy?

Abstract

In recent years there has been mounting discussion in educational psychology journals concerning the incidence of school students in developed nations with inadequate literacy and numeracy skills. There has also been evolving debate as to whether these vital skills have only been declining in Western countries. Adding to the current discourse surrounding educational issues, the media has seemingly had little difficulty obtaining anecdotal reports from employers and tertiary educators suggesting that a decline in literacy and numeracy skills first became noticeable in school leavers during the 1990s. This theoretical critique examines the literature pertaining to both recent and long term trends in literacy and numeracy in OECD countries. The degree to which changes to the classroom environment in recent decades may have adversely impacted upon certain reading and learning disorders is also scrutinised. In particular, this report evaluates the role that a specific visual perception deficit (Meares-Irlen/visual stress syndrome) may play in overall literacy and numeracy statistics, and explores the added possibility that the trend towards increased fluorescent lighting and bright visual media in classrooms have enhanced that contribution. Thus, the scientific literature presented in the following pages encompasses diverse areas of research.