A centre that “changes the lives” of children and adults with complex hearing and sight sensitivity is celebrating its 20th year.

The Sound Learning Centre, tucked away in a residential home in The Rise, Palmers Green, has been providing unique treatment methods for two decades to patients who are “at their wit’s end”.

Husband and wife founders Pauline Allen and Phil Stickland treat a broad spectrum of people, largely children with autism or dyslexia, who can suffer from sight and sound over-sensitivity.

The private clinic uses a holistic approach and sound and light therapies over intense ten-day courses to treat the issues they believe are at the root of behavioural and learning difficulties among children who suffer with them.

Mrs Allen, who quit her job working with dyslexic children to set up the SLC 20 years ago, said: “I love it. Our jaws still drop on a daily basis when we see what some of our patients are going through.

“We remain very passionate about our jobs, and it is great to see the difference in our patients when the treatment has been successful.”

Mr Stickland said: “We get huge satisfaction in putting something back into people’s lives. This work should continue long after we’re gone.”

The treatments on offer are not widely recognised by the established medical profession, but have a wide following among other holistic experts around the world.

Almost all of the centre’s patients are self-referred, though one or two have been passed on by GPs in the past and the centre’s assessments have previously been used as evidence of behavioural issues among individuals involved in court cases.

The centre is holding a party with past and present staff and patients on Sunday to celebrate 20 years at The Rise, in which time it has expanded upstairs and to five members of staff.

Mrs Allen said: “We’re looking forward to it. It will be good to mark the milestone and eventually pass on the baton to our trainees.”