Catherine Barnes is both founder and director of Silver Circles, Inc. which she opened in 1980.
Catherine has worked many years with both children and adults who need various forms of academic intervention. The last several years have seen her focus on SSIS: Scotopic Sensitivity Irlen Syndrome.
Catherine is a certified diagnostician and screener training instructor for the Irlen Institute of Long Beach, CA. She regularly holds seminars and works one on one with clients around the country. Catherine has been an Irlen Screener since 1991 and an Irlen Diagnostician since 1995.
Irlen Syndrome [SSIS] is not a vision problem. SSIS is a perceptual dysfunction that affects an estimated 12-14% of the general population from being able to learn, read, or study efficiently. For good readers, it can limit the time an individual can read with comfort and comprehension. It also affects 46% of individuals with reading and learning difficulties, 33% with ADHD, 33% with autism, and 55% with head injury, concussion or whiplash.Irlen Syndrome is not detected by standard educational, visual, or medical tests. www.irlen.com
Individuals may have slow and inefficient reading, strain, fatique, or poor reading comprehension. Writing, copying, math computation, and/or computer use can be affected. Those with Irlen Syndrome often do not make significant progress from instruction and remediation.
The Irlen Method is a patented technique which uses colored overlays and precision tinted filters, worn as glasses, to reduce or eliminate perceptual difficulties and light sensitivity. An intensive diagnostic assessment is necessary to determine the most beneficial filter color from an almost limitless number of color combinations.
Copyright © 1998-2010 by Perceptual Development Corp/Helen Irlen. All rights reserved
For more information contact the Irlen Institute:
or e-mail Catherine at:
Catherine C. Barnes
Silver Circles, Inc. Director
Irlen Diagnostician
Catherine Crouse Barnes AA, BS, MA
Population Served:
Individuals ranging in age from 2 to adults who require academic intervention and visual perception accommodations.
Services Provided:
Irlen Method www.irlen.com
Interactive Metronome Therapy
Psychological and Educational Evaluation
Sensory Profile
Handwriting Camps
Listening Therapy
Herman Reading Method
Socialization Skills
The Interactive Metronome (IM) is a computer based technology that enables individuals to directly exercise and improve the process of motor planning and sequencing. Motor planning and sequencing are a part of a variety of developmental and learning challenges including dyspraxia and other motor problems, language difficulties, attentional challenges, different types of cognitive problems, and a range of sensory integration challenges.
The IM is a PC-based interactive system based on the traditional music metronome. Hand and foot sensors are used to objectively measure a user's planning and sequencing performance during a variety of tapping exercises.
