Jennifer Corley BVMS MRCVS DECVS, Irlen Screener for Kildare and Offaly

Jennifer qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1998. After four years further training and practise she became involved in veterinary education and taught at the Royal Veterinary College and has lectured internationally. In 2008 her first textbook for vets ‘The Equine Hospital Manual’ was released and she has since produced a book for horse owners ‘The horse professionals guide to colic’ as well as many scientific papers in the veterinary field. Having been diagnosed as dyslexic, with poor spelling and countless school reports saying ‘must try harder’, these were not attainments that anyone who knew Jennifer as a child could have predicted. Irlen filters have been so important in achieving her goals that Jennifer decided to train as an Irlen screener in 2011 and is determined to help the many other students who are needlessly struggling due to light sensitivity.

“I was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome and dyslexia when I was 18. I had managed to get in to Veterinary College but once I was there I found I was struggling to keep up. I now realise that this was because I couldn’t handle the very glossy textbooks that were used. I can still remember the shock when I realised that how I saw the world was not ‘normal’ and that there was a very good reason why I had to work so much harder than everyone else. I didn’t really appreciate how badly Irlen Syndrome was affecting me until I had my filters. I thought I was a migraine sufferer, but after I started using my filters my headaches went away completely. Life with filters was so much easier, calmer and more comfortable. I am so grateful I was diagnosed. I have no doubt that without the glasses I would have ended up failing in college and being written off as just not quite good enough. I have now trained as an Irlen screener to try to ‘pay it forward’. Irlen Syndrome can be so effectively diagnosed and treated, no child should have to go through what I did at school.”