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Sensory Processing Disorder and Tinted Lenses
Former Member
:)Posts: 2,072 Boards Champion
Hi, so I know I've made a few posts recently but I just really wanted to express myself and my discovery - something life changing happened for me today.
Basically as you know I likely have Aspergers Syndrome but still need to be officially assessed. Hence I've been learning a lot about Aspergers/autism and finding a lot of characteristics in myself. Anyways I've always been really sensitive to light- my eyes hurt even when it's not sunny, bright lights (that most people can stand) make me very uncomfortable etc. As I've now learned I may have AS and people with it also have sensory sensitivities , so started thinking maybe my light sensitivity is a part of having AS. It's not just light sensitivity but this lead me to discovering a speacialist opticians, and booking an appointment there today. I even travelled an extra hour on the bus to go here, as they are the only opticians who offer "sensory testing" in Scotland and even one of the very very few in the whole UK.
I didn't know what would happen today and if they could help me with my light sensitivity - but turns out they have and SO MUCH MORE! So I went for a standard eye test (to rule out any other issues) first with the optician wife, then I had another appointment straight after with her husband - who carried out additional sensory tests that almost none opticians carry out. Turns out there is no problems with my vision ie. I can pass a standard eye test you get anywhere. However I discovered I have a lot of sensory problems (more than I though) during the second part of my appointment e.g. I hate crowded environments, very light sensitive, dislike touch, sensitive to noise, difficulty filtering out background noise ( although it's an opticians for the sensory aspect they cover all senses and how they are linked to the eyes, so did you know that your eyes can affect your hearing, taste etc ? I didn't until today). Anyways the guy told me I have severe sensory processing disorder (I never knew this, and it would explain so much about my life).
Anyways after a questionnaire he let me look at different colours of light in a special room. He asked me to compare a range of colours in terms of comfort and ability to see- the yellow light was very painful for me and I couldn't focus at all, and the red was also very uncomfortable but we narrowed it down to the blue. Then tested out different shades of blue again in terms of comfort until I found the most comfortable cool our on my eyes.
Afterwards he did a comparison test where I had to do a range of seemingly strange things whilst looking a red and blue lights e.g. Counting backwards, wiggling fingers, and so much more. Everything seemed so much better in the blue - I could count backwards easily on blue but as soon as he switched to red I got tongue tied. I know this seems confusing so I won't go into it in too much detail, and it's one of those things that is really amazing and interesting but you need to have the experience yourself to truly understand what I mean.
So then afterwards he let me try out blue lenses (of the exact colour I identified was helpful for me)- this was amazing- I compared it to my normal vision - I felt so calm and relaxed, noises didn't bother me as much they were just there, the lights didn't hurt my eyes at all. It was so weird as I've just realised this is how most people see the world and that I've been seeing it in a totally different way........ It's hard to explain but it's the same idea as how children with poor hearing don't know they have poor hearing until tested because that's how they have ALWAYS heard things etc. So they don't know what everyone else can hear. Well this was the same idea of what I experienced today, and I felt like crying with relief and happiness after- life is so different to how I've always experienced it. I'm now awaiting picking up my new glasses , and have just realised what this means for me, when I wear these glasses:
- my eyes will no longer hurt in light
- I can concentrate better
- a lot less anxiety
- not bothering as much with crowded and noisey environments
- better balance and bumping into things less
And more and probably stuff I don't even know now.
Of course I am a bit nervous though as I've never worn glasses in my life (mine will be purely for sensory problems , and not vision problems). I really want to wear them and I plan to as I will feel better with them. But of course I worry that people will stare at me as not many people wear coloured glasses. Yet I know a few other people in my uni class wear coloured lenses for dyslexia (they have a variety of uses) and no one stares at them! But then I think I don't really care what people think as they help me, and I picked a pair of frames I think I suit and I do actually think I suit blue (as I'm quite pale and very light brown , goldenish hair , with Natual dark blonde highlights too it (the kind of colour most adults have when they used to have real blonde hair as a kid))and I feel I will look okay with them and may even suit them (although I'm not wearing it for a fashion statement lol, it is still good to feel comfortable in yourself).
Basically as you know I likely have Aspergers Syndrome but still need to be officially assessed. Hence I've been learning a lot about Aspergers/autism and finding a lot of characteristics in myself. Anyways I've always been really sensitive to light- my eyes hurt even when it's not sunny, bright lights (that most people can stand) make me very uncomfortable etc. As I've now learned I may have AS and people with it also have sensory sensitivities , so started thinking maybe my light sensitivity is a part of having AS. It's not just light sensitivity but this lead me to discovering a speacialist opticians, and booking an appointment there today. I even travelled an extra hour on the bus to go here, as they are the only opticians who offer "sensory testing" in Scotland and even one of the very very few in the whole UK.
I didn't know what would happen today and if they could help me with my light sensitivity - but turns out they have and SO MUCH MORE! So I went for a standard eye test (to rule out any other issues) first with the optician wife, then I had another appointment straight after with her husband - who carried out additional sensory tests that almost none opticians carry out. Turns out there is no problems with my vision ie. I can pass a standard eye test you get anywhere. However I discovered I have a lot of sensory problems (more than I though) during the second part of my appointment e.g. I hate crowded environments, very light sensitive, dislike touch, sensitive to noise, difficulty filtering out background noise ( although it's an opticians for the sensory aspect they cover all senses and how they are linked to the eyes, so did you know that your eyes can affect your hearing, taste etc ? I didn't until today). Anyways the guy told me I have severe sensory processing disorder (I never knew this, and it would explain so much about my life).
Anyways after a questionnaire he let me look at different colours of light in a special room. He asked me to compare a range of colours in terms of comfort and ability to see- the yellow light was very painful for me and I couldn't focus at all, and the red was also very uncomfortable but we narrowed it down to the blue. Then tested out different shades of blue again in terms of comfort until I found the most comfortable cool our on my eyes.
Afterwards he did a comparison test where I had to do a range of seemingly strange things whilst looking a red and blue lights e.g. Counting backwards, wiggling fingers, and so much more. Everything seemed so much better in the blue - I could count backwards easily on blue but as soon as he switched to red I got tongue tied. I know this seems confusing so I won't go into it in too much detail, and it's one of those things that is really amazing and interesting but you need to have the experience yourself to truly understand what I mean.
So then afterwards he let me try out blue lenses (of the exact colour I identified was helpful for me)- this was amazing- I compared it to my normal vision - I felt so calm and relaxed, noises didn't bother me as much they were just there, the lights didn't hurt my eyes at all. It was so weird as I've just realised this is how most people see the world and that I've been seeing it in a totally different way........ It's hard to explain but it's the same idea as how children with poor hearing don't know they have poor hearing until tested because that's how they have ALWAYS heard things etc. So they don't know what everyone else can hear. Well this was the same idea of what I experienced today, and I felt like crying with relief and happiness after- life is so different to how I've always experienced it. I'm now awaiting picking up my new glasses , and have just realised what this means for me, when I wear these glasses:
- my eyes will no longer hurt in light
- I can concentrate better
- a lot less anxiety
- not bothering as much with crowded and noisey environments
- better balance and bumping into things less
And more and probably stuff I don't even know now.
Of course I am a bit nervous though as I've never worn glasses in my life (mine will be purely for sensory problems , and not vision problems). I really want to wear them and I plan to as I will feel better with them. But of course I worry that people will stare at me as not many people wear coloured glasses. Yet I know a few other people in my uni class wear coloured lenses for dyslexia (they have a variety of uses) and no one stares at them! But then I think I don't really care what people think as they help me, and I picked a pair of frames I think I suit and I do actually think I suit blue (as I'm quite pale and very light brown , goldenish hair , with Natual dark blonde highlights too it (the kind of colour most adults have when they used to have real blonde hair as a kid))and I feel I will look okay with them and may even suit them (although I'm not wearing it for a fashion statement lol, it is still good to feel comfortable in yourself).
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Comments
I have mixed with a lot of people with autism as we thought I had it and I personally know a very high social worker who has a daughter with autism. I think if coloured glasses will help it dosent matter what others think. Hope it all goes well for you.
This was really interesting to read! So great to hear that these new glasses will help to improve so many aspects of your day-to-day life :yippe:
It sounds like you feel confident about what's to come! When do you get to start wearing them?
Thanks for your reply Raich
I do, they said they will phone me when they have arrived- usually it's 10-14 days time, so probably not next week but the following