Looking for the collective wisdom of the forum.

My DD is motoring along well at school but has always disliked reading. She reads in a single monotone out loud and doesn’t seem to take and enjoyment from a book.

However since lockdown I have dug out their old kindle fires and we have uploaded some books. She swapped the background to balcony with white writing and suddenly her fluency and enjoyment has increased.

I’m sure I remember speaking to a patient whose mum was explaining both her girls had been diagnosed with something similar and had glasses which made reading black on white much easier but I can’t remember either the patient or the clinician and I recall she travelled for a diagnosis.

Has anyone heard of anything similar as obviously most books are black on white paper.
Thank you advance

Is this anything to do with Irlen's syndrome?

Some people do find the stark contrast of black on white difficult. Irlen’s syndrome is a possibility and it may well be worth getting an optician to check it out.

Try different coloured paper to print worksheets etc, coloured overlays or ‘reading rulers’ are available and you can even get exercise books with coloured pages.

I’m dyslexic and find some combinations better than others. (Letters twitch and move less) Black on turquoise works particularly well for me. Having moved to windows 10 at work I’m now unable to switch the theme to do this, but I can switch to white on black for some things and do find it easier.

I have also been able to do this on my iPad for somethings too.

It sounds like a visual processing disorder/visual stress which was previously known as Irlen Syndrome or Meares Irlen Syndrome.
Some Opticians specialise in testing to see which colour is best, and some Orthoptists based in Hospital Eye Clinics.
At the moment most Eye Clinics are shut except for emergencies but you could look at colours online while you wait to speak to your GP for a referral.
www.crossboweducation.com is good.
If you click on shop now/ visual stress/ software they have a trial of their tint and track software which may be useful?

That is really helpful

Our optician rang today and suggested seeing DD once open again and then would recommend from there - he suggested possibly swing a behavioural optometrist which sounds great

Thank you for the tips
Xx