TINTED OR COLORED LENSES APPEAR TO NOT AMELIORATE READING DIFFICULTIES

From Opthalmic and Physiological Optics reports:

There are many anecdotal claims and research reports that coloured lenses and overlays improve reading performance. Here we present the results of a systematic review of this literature and examine the quality of the evidence. 

While many studies report improvements with coloured lenses, the effect size is generally small and/or similar to the improvement found with a placebo condition.

Consistent with previous reviews and advice from several professional bodies, we conclude that the use of coloured lenses or overlays to ameliorate reading difficulties cannot be endorsed and that any benefits reported by individuals in clinical settings are likely to be the result of placebo, practice or Hawthorne effects.