Visual perceptual problems in reading: the effect of colour and contrast

Previous research on visual processing has suggested that colour and contrastmanipulations may benefit students with a suspected transient deficit while reading. Theremoval of long wavelengths (red) from the display and the removal of high to mediumspatial frequencies work on different underlying mechanisms in order to balance therelative timing of the two visual processing streams. Three out of six experiments wereconducted to investigate visual manipulations on reading components of rate, accuracyand comprehension. Two experiments investigated visual manipulations on readingactivities related to learning to read. One experiment investigated visual manipulations ona pure perceptual task. All experiments were presented on a computer monitor and thecolour and contrast of the background were manipulated. Results for the readingcomponent experiments indicated, in general, that students with a suspected transientdeficit can improve their reading through the use of colour or contrast. Their performancefor comprehension during oral reading improved with a blue background, whereas theirperformance for comprehension during silent reading improved with low contrast.Accuracy of word reading improved with both blue and low contrast material. However,using these two manipulations together, ie., blue, low contrast background, showed moreconflict than assistance. Activities, with limited dynamic visual processing, that are used todevelop reading showed that the performance of students with a suspected transient deficit. did not differ from those students with normal transient processing and that visualmanipulations made no difference to their performance. The performance on theperceptual task showed that students with a suspected transient deficit improved with theassistance of a blue background. Findings suggest that, a blue background or a lowcontrast background, used separately, may provide assistance for students with asuspected transient deficit on reading and perceptual tasks that require transient typeprocessing. It was concluded that for students with a suspected transient deficit and areading disability the use of colour and contrast can be used to augment reading strategiesand assist these students to realise their full reading potential