Three years ago Ms Tasker's nine-year-old son was diagnosed with Irlen syndrome, which is described as a perceptual processing disorder.

It suggests the brain is unable to properly process visual information due to sensitivity to certain wavelengths of light and people may see the words visually moving around.

Up to 46 per cent of children with reading problems, dyslexia or learning difficulties have the syndrome, while it affects 12 per cent of the general population.

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Ms Tasker said her son was an intelligent six-year-old but he struggled to make progress with words during his first year of school. He complained to his mother twice within a year that he could not read properly and he needed glasses.

Ms Tasker said she put her son's symptoms down to her son's other conditions, because he had perfect vision, until her mother raised the possibility of Irlen syndrome.

Ballarat's certified Irlen screener, Christine Phillips, then diagnosed the six-year-old boy with severe Irlen syndrome.

Ms Tasker said the diagnosis completely changed her son's world. He started wearing Irlen lenses which are tinted dark blue and dark green to filter certain wavelengths of light.

The Ballarat North mother said her son was much calmer and could concentrate better in the classroom.

"It completely changed everything. He is rapt he has made progress with school and he is now up to scratch," Ms Tasker said. "It's been an uphill battle and I wish more people knew about it."

Most medical professionals do not recognise Irlen syndrome and it is not widely known among educators.

Ms Tasker encouraged Ballarat families who had children who were non-readers to ask a simple question, 'can you tell me what the words on the page are doing?' and get a Iren screening.

"It can be the game-changer of a child," she said.

Ms Phillips, who performs Irlen diagnostic assessments in Ballarat, wants to shine more light on Irlen Syndrome.

"We've had children who have been non-readers, after diagnosis and a treatment plan, have then been able to jump up reading levels. Young clients who have been fidgety and lacking concentration are now calmer and engaged in the classroom", Ms Phillips said.

"Some children, when they read words, actually see the words visually moving around and have no idea that this is not normal, so often don't say anything. These children can have normal eyesight and be intelligent but their brains are not processing what their eyes actually see. A correct diagnosis and treatment really is life-changing."

Ms Phillips said Irlen syndrome was overlooked and some children were misdiagnosed with ADHD.