Learning disability charity Manx Mencap is to fund therapy sessions by a London-based centre for another year.

The charity has supported and sponsored The Sound Learning Centre, which has helped more than 100 children and adults in the island since 2009.

Therapy by the centre covers a range of difficulties including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and speech and language difficulties.

This week its founder and principal, Pauline Allen, has visited the island to provide talks about the centre and what it does.

Mrs Allen said: ’We opened up 25 years ago and have helped a range of children and adults and over 100 people here in the island.

’Depending on the age of children and their abilities, we do formal assessments - visual, auditory and developmental tests. These are critical observations. If it’s a child, we’re looking at all these areas.

’If we have an adult, we give immediate feedback. This is a routine report with any accompanying formal tests we did with explanations. From there people can decide what they want to do.’

The assessments, which test all frequencies of sound and light etc, establish the individual’s thresholds.

Mrs Allen, who is a qualified neurodevelopmentalist, dyslexia therapist, and practitioner in sound, light and colour therapies, said these assessments take some time.

Bringing equipment from London to Centre 21, Greenfield Road in Douglas, Mrs Allen and colleagues carry out the assessments in springtime before coming back in summer for two weeks to provide therapies.

The centre doesn’t ’diagnose’ as it doesn’t want to provide a label, but rather find out what neurodevelopmental systems are ’under stress’ as it affect’s people’s performance, development and self-esteem.

The centre states it has found that sensory difficulties may underlie emotional and behavioural issues, as well as educational and social communication problems.

Mrs Allen said that ’everyone can change and improve’, but added: ’We cannot predict outcomes because we’re dealing with a human.’

Her last public talk in the island takes place today (Thursday) from 1pm to 3.30pm at Centre 21.

For more information, contact Heather Benghiat on 020 8882 1060 or [email protected]