The Harris Foundation

The Harris Foundation is a ‘Non-Profit’ body (i.e. it is not  a business retailer) that was formed by David Harris to supply support, help and advice for those with learning difficulties (for example dyslexia) throughout the World.  To read David Harris's background,  click here to read his Professional Profile in PDF format, written originally for media exposure in Canada

A Message from David Harris

"I've been incredibly moved by many of the stories dyslexics have to tell.  These stories include the failure of authorities to recognise problems and taunting by school friends.  The slide into depression is all too common. I was alarmed to find that reading difficulties could have deep and far-reaching effects, impacting heavily on self-esteem so that an otherwise happy and bright child could turn disobedient and disruptive.  No person should ever be placed in that position.

The fundamental aim of The Harris Foundation is to provide practical help to both children and adults by ensuring those who can benefit from this technology have the opportunity to be assessed for improvements.

We are fully committed to retaining our clinical research programmes that will provide further help for problems other than those already addressed... and by continuing to increase awareness through education to professionals and sufferers alike we can help to eliminate the negative impact that dyslexia and reading difficulties have on the everyday lives of so many people."

David Harris

Founder of The Harris Foundation
clinician, optician, psychologist, writer, researcher
General Optical Council, Affiliate member British Psychological Society,
Member International Dyslexia Association, certified in Simultaneous Multi-sensory Teaching  (Canadian Dyslexia Association)

The dangers with dyslexia

Many, many dyslexics have problems because they have reduced confidence and self-esteem.  The problem is that people often associate reading ability with I.Q. and so they often think that dyslexics are stupid when, in fact, they usually have much higher I.Q.'s than their friends.  These effects on dyslexics are one of the main reasons that David Harris formed The Harris Foundation - to try and provide the most assistance that he can.

The International Dyslexia Association recently published an article by Michael Ryan in their Perspectives journal and this covered some elements of self-esteem and the effect that lack of confidence can have.  To read the article as a scan in PDF format (and to print it), click here.  To get Acrobat Reader to read PDF documents free of charge, click this logo:  

The article is reprinted with permission from The International Dyslexia Association quarterly periodical, Perspectives page 1, 30:4 2004 Michael Ryan

How did this start?

In 1996 David Harris invented the lenses that are now marketed by a contact lens manufacturer as ChromaGen lenses, originally to help people who were colour deficient (colour “blind”).  His work received an enormous amount of media coverage and one example of BBC News coverage can be seen on the BBC website here

Later, with the help of Susan MacRow-Hill (an independent researcher) and Anita and Tamsin Lightstone (also independent) a pilot study was carried out at The Corneal Laser Centre at Clatterbridge Hospital, Wirral. This showed very significant improvements in dyslexic’s reading ability with the lenses and David Harris and Susan MacRow-Hill went on to investigate the effects on reading with a "gold standard", randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study.  The pilot study and the abstract or summary from the double blind, placebo controlled study (published in an American peer reviewed journal in 1999) are available from the Links and Research page

Although the application of the lenses in dyslexia was found to be highly significant, David Harris has continued to develop the filter technology and now finds that the latest developments with the lenses that are now used (‘Harris Filters’) mean that he no longer needs to use ChromaGen lenses with dyslexics but he will still supply them where it is appropriate for colour blindness.

Do you need advice or support?

If you are worried and feel that you need help or advice, please feel free to contact The Harris Foundation.  Simply telephone the local rate helpline or e-mail support@harrisdyslexia.com There is no charge for this service

The Harris Foundation and web site were formed without funding from external sources.  There is no advertising associated with this site and no funding is received from this source

Last modification 30 April 2006