About us

The History and Development of BlickLabor

BlickLabor originated from the Optomotor Research Group at the University of Freiburg in southern Germany. Prof. Dr. B. Fischer has been investigating the neural processing of vision and saccade control for over 30 years. (Saccade control is the ability of the brain to fix the eyes on a particular point and to move them quickly to another point of interest)

In 1991 Prof. Dr. B. Fischer started examining saccade control in dyslexic children and teenagers to find out whether they had difficulties in performing saccadic eye movements and if this would explain their at least part of their reading difficulties. In learning to read the eyes must be able to focus letter-by-letter, word-by-word, and line-by-line. Prof. Dr. B. Fischer discovered that up to 80% (depending on age) of dyslexic children had dysfunctions in visual and/or auditory processing and /or optomotor control.

After six years of research a standardized test procedure was developed to identify problems in visual processing and saccade control. In 1997 BlickLabor was founded for the purpose of making these diagnostic examinations available to the public. BlickLabor is non-profit consulting organisation of the University of Freiburg.

Gradually BlickLabor broadened its research into dyslexia to include other groups who exhibited reading and writing difficulties, such as slow learners, children with learning problems and ADHD and children with dyscalculia. The research into fundamental visual skills was supplemented by research into fundamental auditory functions. Aural tests were developed to assess children’s ability to discriminate volume and pitch, or to detect a gap In a stimulus, or the judge the temporal order or side order of two different tones. These abilities are indispensable for the acquisition of spoken and written language. The tests were standardised and norms were established for different age groups.

One important early definition of dyslexia, derived from the Wechsler Test, also diagnosed number difficulties such as sequencing and patterning. Nowadays, problems with number operation may be treated separately as "dyscalculia" but often arithmetic difficulties are still included under the umbrella of "dyslexia". A test for visual subitizing was introduced to identify difficulties in processing simple number operations. Visual subitizing is the capacity to recognise of a certain number of items in one gaze.

For each diagnostic auditory, visual and optomotor test BlickLabor developed and evaluated a corresponding training programme to rectify weaknesses diagnosed before.

BlickLabor Today

BlickLabor offers testing, diagnosis and training for people who have difficulties with reading, writing and/or arithmetic. While reading, writing and arithmetic problems often become apparent at school the assessment and training is not limited to children and adolescents but is open to people of all ages. The assessment and training has benefits not only for dyslexics but also slow learners and those with learning problems and ADHD.

Hearing and Sight Tests are required before an assessment at BlickLabor to make sure that the sense organs are functioning normally. . The training at BlickLabor does not correct deficiencies in hearing and eyesight, neither is it a treatment for ADHD. It is important to exclude, prior to the assessment at BlickLabor, weaknesses in hearing and/or sight that may cause of learning difficulties.

The assessments at BlickLabor analyse the processing of auditory and visual information from the eyes to the brain. These fundamental auditory and visual processes are "low-level" in the sense that they happen automatically. As individuals we unaware if these processes are functioning well or not. It is only by the analysis of these processes that deficiencies become apparent. Prof. Dr. B. Fischer has developed ten tests and training programmes to diagnose and rectify these dysfunctions.

Accurate visual and auditory processing is indispensable for successful learning in school. Learning to read places high demands on visual motor and saccade control, deficiencies may surface as reading problems. A child with binocular instability will find learning to read frustrating. Subitizing is important for the acquisition of basic number skills and for the recognition of word patterns. Auditory discrimination is essential for learning language.

Training rectifies weaknesses in auditory and visual processing and facilitates higher level learning processes. Studies show that some children show progress in reading, writing and arithmetic even before completing the training. In other cases parents report improvement later.

BlickLabor: Education, Research and Training

As a non-profit organization Blicklabor informs parents, teachers, educationalists, practitioners, therapists and doctors of the educational implications of its research so that children, teenagers and adults with learning difficulties can benefit from its assessment and training.

Research continues into the connection between auditory and visual processing and learning difficulties. Assessment and training procedures are revised, updated and improved.

Prof. Dr. B. Fischer makes frequent presentations on his scientific research, its educational implications and assessment and training. Please ask for details. He also accepts invitations from interested groups and institutions in order to make the work of BlickLabor more widely known.

Blicklabor also offers training for teachers, educationalists, therapists and consultants who are involved in or moving into the field of learning difficulties. A qualified Associate of BlickLabor can assess and offer training programmes to those with learning difficulties in their own region or country. There are BlickLabor centres throughout Germany as well as Hungary and Greece.

For more information please download our brochure (PDF-file, 350 kb).

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