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The Sound Learning Centre

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You are here: Home / Intro / How we help / Light therapy

How we help

Light therapy

Natural sunlight, the oldest form of light therapy, contains all possible wavelengths of light, from infrared to ultraviolet. There are a number of light therapies using a variety of combinations of these wavelengths in different ways, including bright white light, full spectrum light, coloured light, UV and laser light. Some require general exposure to light using sunlight or light boxes, others focus on the eyes, the skin or other parts of the body.

It has been demonstrated that red light stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, while blue light stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Coloured light applied directly through the eye helps balance the autonomic nervous system and regulate bodily functions such as hormone production, eating and sleeping patterns, moods and emotions.

At The Sound Learning Centre, we are trained in three programmes, Lightwave Stimulation developed by Dr John Downing in the USA, Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT) developed by Dr. Steven Vasquez in the USA and Chromo-Therapy developed by Pierre Van Obberghen in Switzerland.

We specialise in Lightwave Stimulation (LWS) because:

	it is very effective and quick;
	the results are long lasting;
	the programme can be individually tailored to each client;
	it has proved to be very effective in combination with Auditory Integration Training (AIT).

Lightwave Stimulation (LWS)

Lightwave Stimulation (LWS or Downing Technique) is a neuro-sensory developmental programme developed by Dr. John Downing, O.D., PhD, over the course of 25 years of research and clinical observation in the study of neuro-sensory stimulation. When light rays strike the retina of the eye, they are converted into nerve currents, sometimes termed photocurrent, which are required not just for vision but for effective functioning through their influence on the cerebral cortex, the limbic system and the brain stem. Dr Downing recognised that a photocurrent deficit seemed to be present in people with a wide range of symptoms, including:

	learning disabilities, poor memory, poor concentration;
	poor physical co-ordination and performance;
	light sensitivity, poor peripheral vision, night blindness;
	hyperactivity, sleeping problems, fatigue, mental fogginess, headaches;
	emotional difficulties, including anxiety and depression;
	Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

He found that stimulation with appropriate coloured light through the eyes can increase the ability of the neuro-visual pathways to transmit photocurrent to the different parts of the brain and reduce this deficit. This leads to improved mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and enhanced performance. He developed the Lumatron and Photron Light Stimulators to deliver the different coloured light to trigger this process.

Following a Standard Assessment a personalised protocol is prepared. Treatment is normally one or two 20-minute sessions each day. A standard programme for children is twenty sessions and for adults twenty-five sessions.

Our Centre is open most weekends and throughout all holiday periods including Christmas and Easter, in order to ensure that the typical ten day treatment period can be taken consecutively in a as short as possible period of time, including half-term breaks.

During treatment the client sits comfortably in a darkened room, looking at a selected waveband of coloured light from a Lumatron or Photron machine. The colour and flicker rate are varied according to the results of the assessment. The client may listen to music of their choice but need to keep their eyes open to receive the benefits of the coloured light.

Subjective reports of physical and psychological wellbeing are often rapid and improvements may continue to develop during the following months.

Wherever possible, we take visual fields profiles before and after the treatment, as these provide objective evidence of change. We generally find that the visual fields have been extended to a wider range, (e.g. from perhaps 0 - 10° out to anywhere in the range 10 - 40 °) which indicates that the client will be able to absorb more light energy from the natural environment – see also our research section.

Lightwave stimulation is valuable for a wide range of conditions. At The Sound Learning Centre we have found it particularly valuable for those with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, sensory integration dysfunction, ADD, ADHD and autistic spectrum disorder.

Great improvements have also been noted with light sensitivity and visual perceptual difficulties including Meares-Irlen Syndrome (causing distorted perception of the printed page). We have seen improvements in clients with eating and sleeping disorders and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME). Lightwave Stimulation is very effective in helping with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), anxiety and depression – see also our success stories.

For those who are unable to travel to follow the programme at our Centre and for those who may benefit from a further series, we are able to offer Photron portable machines for home hire, subject to a client's commitment to observe the appropriate protocols.

If you are interested in Lightwave Stimulation, please contact us, or complete the Assessment Enquiry form.

We offer a confidential, no obligation, free telephone consultation – simply call us on 020 – 8882 1060.

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Last Updated: 06 February 2008 | © 1994 – 2008 The Sound Learning Centre Ltd, 12 The Rise, London, N13 5LE, U.K., tel +44 (0)20 8882 1060, fax +44 (0)20 8882 1040

Registered in England, No. 3146431, Registered Office 13 Station Road, London, N3 2SB