10 Days to change a life
The Sound Learning Centre Changes Lives Every day
It is hard to believe that behind a plain looking door in a suburban street that a dedicated team changes lives of individuals every day. Yet since 1994, hundreds of children and many adults with a range of difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, auditory Processing difficulties, attention difficulties, Aperger’s Syndrome or autistic spectrum difficulties have walked out of The Sound Learning Centre looking forward to a brighter future thanks to the hard work of Pauline, Phil and their dedicated team.
The Difference 10 Days Can Make
The Sound Learning Centre can often make a real difference to your child in ten days. The process starts with a detailed assessment of your child’s auditory and visual abilities. These tests go beyond the normal hearing and visual checks children routinely receive, looking for both under and over sensitive hearing, problems with the visual fields and light sensitivity and difficulties with delayed development. Years of experience supported by decades of research by experts across the world enable The Sound Learning Centre to spot the problems missed by routine hearing and eye tests and, importantly to be able to offer effective help.
Dyslexia and Education
Frustrated with the failure of many children to benefit effectively from their educational opportunities, The Sound Learning Centre set out to cut through the confusion that surrounds the treatment of dyslexia. They knew that dyslexia was far more than a problem with reading and writing. They have seen first hand how it holds back intelligent children, damaging confidence and leading to a lifetime of unfulfilled potential. Despite schools’ best efforts many dyslexic children still struggle to perform to their potential. Parents are often told what they already know that their child has difficulties with reading and writing! That the condition is life-long! That long term one-to-one tuition and reading programmes may help. however, for many this is not enough.
How can my child learn to read?
The secret to The Sound learning Centre’s success is that they recognise that nearly all children can learn to read but with some children, sensory problems prevent them learning effectively. Rather than repeating failed reading lessons, The Sound Learning Centre treat the sensory problems directly. Once these are overcome, a child can master the basic skills of literacy and catch up with their peers.
30 x 2 x 10
This is the simple formula behind the treatment: Thirty minutes, twice a day for ten days. After the initial assessment, The Sound Learning Centre draws up a personalised treatment programme for your child’s difficulties. Treatment can then start immediately, or at a later date if more convenient.
How Auditory Integration Training Works
Phonological Dyslexia
Ever since the 1970’s, problems hearing and understanding the basic sounds (phonemes) have been recognised as a dominant factor in the majority of dyslexic children. However it was not until the work of Dr Guy Bérard that it was realised that even small variations in a child’s ability to hear could cause these problems, variations that are often dismissed as being “within normal limits”. These variations in the hearing pattern are insufficient to cause medical concern but will have an auditory processing and educational impact.
Every Sound is Different
Each phoneme has a distinct pattern of frequencies and it is this uniqueness that enables us to tell the difference between sounds such as ‘TH’ and ‘F’. However, the ability to distinguish this uniqueness will be lost if there are significant variations in the hearing pattern. This problem in hearing may be very small but to learn to speak clearly, read effectively and spell accurately, a child must be able to hear each sound correctly.
Between the Ears
Hearing problems can be compounded if the left and right ears are affected differently. One ear could be hearing ‘TH’ sound correctly but the other ear hears the ‘F’ sound. With different sounds being heard by each ear, how does a child know which one is correct? The dyslexic child is not aware that this is happening but these auditory processing difficulties cause them to become confused and frustrated with learning to read or getting their thoughts down easily on paper.
Introducing Auditory Integration Training (AIT) and the Audiokinetron
Dr Bérard discovered that subtle adjustments can be made to hearing and auditory processing by training it to focus on the particular frequencies. He therefore developed a device called the Audiokinetron to deliver a very efficient ten day sound therapy programme called Auditory Integration Training (AIT). The client listens through headphones to music that has been processed by the Audiokinetron, programmed to a client’s individual needs. This filters out or boosts different frequencies, forcing the ear to work a little bit harder on some sounds and ignore others. In just twenty sessions over ten days, the ears and auditory system can be retrained to improve auditory processing, leading to improved performance in many areas of development.
Is A Poor Visual Field Preventing Your Child From Reading?
- Symptoms of a limited visual field
- Clumsiness
- Travel sickness
- Easily lost or confused in new places
- Poor hand / eye co-ordination
The standard eye test is perfect for measuring the acuity of vision but it misses out a very important aspect: How much you can see. The eye can focus in on the tiniest print or widen out to see the broad horizon but this ability varies greatly between people. Some people, many of them dyslexics, can only ever see a small area. They truly cannot see the big picture.
Try This At Home
To see what difference a limited visual field can make, you need the cardboard tubes from two used roller towels. Now hold them up, one to each eye like binoculars and try walking around the house. With a restricted visual field you will find yourself becoming more clumsy, bumping into furniture and tripping over things.
The Visual Field and Reading
A reader with a normal visual field can see most of the page whilst they are reading. This enables them to easily keep track of which line and word they are reading. A restricted visual field makes this process more difficult. Dyslexics with poor visual fields will often lose their place when reading and have problems finding it again or they may accidentally skip to another line without even noticing it. The restricted visual fields seen are generally the result of stress rather than physical or medical problems. Children with learning difficulties, such as dyslexia often experience underachievement, frustration and high levels of stress.
Lightwave Stimulation
Children with very restricted visual fields will generally benefit from Lightwave Stimulation using a carefully programmed sequence of pulsed, coloured lights in a darkened environment to gradually retrain the visual system.
What Can Be Achieved in 10 Days?
The amount of change in a child often seen as a result of just ten days therapy can seem startling to many parents, especially after years of struggle. Naturally, before seeing the differences for themselves, many parents are sceptical of these possibilities. There are far too many dyslexic treatments that do not take into account underlying sensory issues that contribute to under achievement and parents are often at their wits end and confused by referrals to different specialists.
The auditory and visual field tests are done using standard protocols and the changes the treatments make in just ten days are clearly documented for all to see. The Sound learning Centre knows the treatments work, not only because most clients can be assessed using objective measurements at the start and end of treatment but, because of the improvements in social, emotional, behavioural and academic performance observed as a result and the continuing positive feedback from parents, teachers and other professionals.
Can You Ignore This Opportunity for Your Child?
Being a parent is often about making hard choices for your child and none are harder than decisions that might affect the rest of their lives. At The Sound Learning Centre we know the worry and heartache that educational problems can cause. Parents have to weigh up all the conflicting advice given to them by teachers, experts, doctors, books, TV, the internet, friends and family. Yet only parents can make a choice.
Parents Know Best
Only a child’s parents see them every day of their lives. Only a parent knows how a child struggles at home, at school and at play. Only a parent feels the pain as a child becomes excluded from their peer group. This is why the dedicated team at The Sound Learning Centre will discuss your child’s individual needs as often and as long as you want in order to choose the best help for your child.
Can One Phone Call Change A Life?
+44 (0)20 8882 1060
The team at The Sound Learning Centre know that no matter how good the education system can leave parents of children with difficulties feeling isolated, abandoned and unsure what to do. This is why we are always happy to talk to parents and pride ourselves on building a rapport with parents and children alike, listening to their needs and helping where we can.
A Personal Service as Unique as Your Child
The Sound Learning Centre is not a big organisation; it is a dedicated team of people who want to help children achieve their potential and people have travelled widely to attend our Centre. If we feel that your child will not benefit from the treatments we have on offer, then we will tell you. This simple approach of talking, listening and helping is central to The Sound Learning Centre’s philosophy.
The Sound Learning Centre provides:
- Free advice on the best treatments for your child
- An assessment and full written report prior to treatment
- 20 treatment sessions over ten days
- An updated assessment after treatment
- A caring service before, during and after treatment
3 Steps and 10 Days to a New Future for Your Child
- Call The Sound Learning Centre on +44 (0)20 8882 1060 or enter your details below and we will call you.
- Attend an assessment and discover the hidden auditory and visual problems behind your child’s difficulties.
- Visit the Centre for treatment for ten days and see the difference it can make.
Act Now, Request an Assessment
To book an assessment and find out how the Sound Learning Centre can make a difference to your child’s life, please contact us using the information below. We will contact you and discuss your child’s needs and how we can help.