Identifying distortions
As part of our assessments, we evaluate our clients’ perceptual distortions. After they describe what they experience when viewing text and patterned images, we use a set of illustrated distortions to help them further describe what they perceive. Many clients are surprised to see images illustrating what they personally experience. This is often the first time they are able to explain what they see and have someone believe them. These images are very useful in helping people convey to their teachers, employers and families their challenges and the importance of accommodating them.
Over the past 35 years, multiple research papers have consistently reported the following perceptual distortions: intermittent blurring, duplication, jumping, switching and fading of the visual image.
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(Rivers or parting words)
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(Dissolving or fading letter)
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(Sliding, doubling or overlapping)
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(Bending, bulging or sinking letters)
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(Shimmer or heatwave)
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(Ribbons)
Distortions
Warping
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Shadow
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Rolling Waves
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Ribbons
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Ripples
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Rivers or parting words
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Heatwave
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Washout
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Indigestion, bulging
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Fading in and Out
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Random Letter Loss
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Bouncing Letters
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Bouncing Bolo Letters
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Blur
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Double
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Tornado
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Tunnel
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Cheerios
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Colours
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Gold Ribbons
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Samples of static distortions
Below are samples of commonly reported static distortions.
Note: samples of animated distortions are currently unavailable.
WARNING: The following images can cause discomfort and trigger negative reactions in some individuals.