New £5M centre for learning difficulties opens in Edinburgh

Children and young people with learning difficulties are set to benefit from a new £5 million research and support centre opened in Edinburgh.

The Salvesen Mindroom centre is a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and charity Mindroom and the NHS.

Staff at the new centre will work closely with key partners in the NHS, Education and Children and Families services.

They will seek to advance research, diagnosis, assessment & treatment while progressing intervention and community outreach for children and young people with learning difficulties.

The centre will support public understanding of these conditions thereby complementing Mindroom’s existing training and education programmes.

Researchers and clinicians will also work with and draw on expertise from existing University of Edinburgh centres.

These include the Patrick Wild Centre for Research into Autism, Fragile X Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities, the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic and the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research.

At least five children in every school class in the UK have some form of learning difficulty. A wide range of conditions can impact on learning for children and young people including dyslexia, dyspraxia, specific speech and language impairments, developmental coordination disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder.

Funding for the virtual centre has been donated by businessman and philanthropist Alastair Salvesen, chairman of Dawnfresh Seafoods, and his wife, Elizabeth.

Mr Salvesen said: “Elizabeth and I are delighted to make this gift. We consider that the majority of children who have learning difficulties suffer from dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD. They can be reached and helped quickly through Mindroom, the NHS and Education departments throughout Scotland.

“The University of Edinburgh will now coordinate this effort, which will involve its existing neuroscientific research centres. By gathering meaningful statistics and undertaking research those with learning difficulties of all types should benefit greatly in the long term.”

Professor Jonathan Seckl, Vice Principal of Planning, Resources and Research Policy said: “We are enormously grateful to Alastair and Elizabeth Salvesen for their generosity and vision. This donation will enable us to advance this vital area of medical research into improved practice. The close relationship between the Centre’s partners will maximise the necessary knowledge and expertise to inform policy both in the NHS, education and voluntary sectors.