The White Lodge Centre played a huge role in the early years of my little brothers life.

When my little brother, Jorma, was about 18 months old my parents noticed that his speech and communication skills hadn’t developed as well as mine had. They were referred to a few language specialists who also confirmed the delay and eventually, when Jorma was approximately 2 1/2 years old and his vocabulary consisted of only a few words, he was invited to the White Lodge Centre for observation.

Jorma and my mum spent a week during the summer of that year at WLC, where he took part in many activities. They were observed and videoed at play and all areas of parent/child interaction, and Jorma also took part in sessions alone with the staff at WLC. It was quite an intense week, for both Jorma and my mum, but we were pleased when WLC recommended Jorma for further intervention. I will be forever grateful to WLC for recognising the support that my brother needed and guiding my mum through.

He was invited to attend a language cluster at an infant school nearby in Ashford, called Town Farm. Within weeks he became more vocal and by the time he had spent one term there, his speech and language were absolutely where they needed to be.

 In 2010 Jorma was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and although he will live with the disorder for the rest of his life, he is learning to cope with it.

Jorma is 18 now and just about to complete his final year at college. Jorma is more confident in social situations and I believe that his time at WLC and later at Town Farm helped to change the course of his life.

As my family and I are so grateful to the White Lodge Centre, I’d love to give back to them so I am doing a charity skydive as well as other charity work for them along side my mum.

Any donation is greatly appreciated!!!