Efeitos do uso de lâminas espectrais para tratamento da Síndrome de Meares Irlen em alunos do ensino fundamental do município de Alfenas-MG

Abstract

Meares-Irlen Syndrome (MIS) is a visuoperceptive disorder due to a deficit in the primary visual cortex and / or the Magnocellular pathway. The MIS is characterized as a sensitivity of the visual system to certain spectral wavelengths, which can cause distortions in the postretinal processing, compromising not only the ability to read and write, but also the quality of life of individuals. The objective of this research was to identify, through the methodology developed by Irlen (1987), the Irlen Reading Perceptual Scale (IRPS), students with SMI in municipal schools of Alfenas / MG and implement actions aimed at improving reading and the quality of life of these children. Of the 58 children evaluated at the end of the selection process, the majority presented moderate difficulty (62%) and mild discomfort (43%) for reading activities. Of these children, 42 (72.4%) were diagnosed with moderate to severe MCH, and the remaining 16 (27.6%) did not present or reported a very mild MCH symptom, integrating the intervention group placebo (GP). Overlays were selected and distributed to students for use for a period of three months, at the end of which the children were reevaluated. Based on the results, we identified a prevalence of MIS of 18%, with a higher prevalence of girls in our sample. The research also showed a clear benefit of the use of overlays in the children of the GI group, who presented a performance average greater than 10% in reading speed. Among children with reading difficulties, 17.2% increased reading speed by more than 15%. Interestingly, this beneficial effect was not observed in the GP group, indicating the high specificity of the diagnosis and the proposed intervention. Thus, our study confirms the use of overlays as an intervention method of high efficiency, low cost and simple management for MIS treatment. It contributed to the diffusion of knowledge about this syndrome among parents, health professionals and education, as well as to rescue the selfesteem and to value the learning capacity of the children diagnosed with MIS.