Pictured from left to right: Dr Sarah Cassidy, President of the Psychological Society of Ireland, Dr Anton James, PSI fellow, Dr Orlaith Mc Caul, PSI Executive Director, and Dr Michelle Kelly, Associate Professor in Psychology at NCI pictured at NCI's Mayor Square on Oct 5th.
On Oct 5th, 2026, National College of Ireland hosted the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) because PSI fellow, Dr Anton James, has achieved the Guinness World Record for the longest sensory wall in the world.
Dr Anton James, who flew from Sri Lanka to Ireland to present the Psychological Society of Ireland with a piece of the sensory wall, shares “Traditional autism awareness does not always reach hard to reach populations. At The Tree House International in Sri Lanka, we created the Merak Model to bridge that gap through creative approaches to autism awareness. I am grateful to NCI for hosting this event and the presentation of our Guinness World Record sensory board to PSI.”
More about the Guinness World Record
Sri Lanka officially set a unique record back in May when Merak 2026 officially secured the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest sensory board.
The 60-metre installation made up of 260 individual sensory boards, was powered by one cause – autism awareness. The project was led by Psychology, Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Sensory Processing, and Special Needs Education Specialist Dr Anton James.
Dr Anton James is the Founder and Director of The Tree House International which is the first and only international school dedicated to children with special needs in Sri Lanka. The motivation behind setting this Guinness World Record began when he saw the lack of meaningful autism awareness initiatives in Sri Lanka.
You can keep reading here to learn more about this Guinness World Record and the installation.
Dr Sarah Cassidy, PSI President, shares, "As a late-diagnosed Autistic woman, I know how important it is to challenge misconceptions, celebrate sensory diversity, and create communities where Autistic people feel welcome. The Merak 2026 Project, led by our recently named Fellow and Division of Behavioural Psychology member, Dr Anton James, does just that. Through its Guinness Book World Record breaking sensory wall, the project celebrates Autistic experiences, challenges stigma, and fosters understanding and inclusion. The Psychological Society of Ireland is incredibly proud of Dr James and this remarkable achievement. We are honoured to have been gifted this historic artwork and will display it with pride. My sincere thanks to Dr James, Dr Michelle Kelly, and NCI for making this project and celebration possible."
Dr Michelle Kelly, Associate Professor in Psychology at NCI, shares, "NCI was proud to host this special event, reflecting our strong relationship with the Psychological Society of Ireland and our shared commitment to autism inclusion. Dr Anton James’s sensory board offers a powerful example of how art and creativity can open meaningful conversations, connecting communities across Sri Lanka and Ireland and encouraging greater understanding and acceptance of autism."
National College of Ireland has a strong relationship with the Psychological Society of Ireland and was delighted to host this event. NCI holds AsIAm Autism Friendly HEI status and is a founding member of the Autism Acceptance Festival. The next Autism Acceptance Festival, a collaboration between NCI, DCU, DkIT, ATU Sligo and Donegal, NCAD, CCT and University of Galway, will take place online from March 8th to March 11th, 2027.