Therapeutic listening is part of an individually designed treatment program administered by our Occupational Therapists. During this
treatment, the client listens to specifically designed music while involved in other therapeutic activities. The music may be filtered
to activate certain harmonics for specific therapeutic purposes. Initially treatment is in the clinic, but it may become part
of the child's home therapy program.
The function of the ear is to feel and hear sounds and movement. It is referred to as the vestibular-cochlear
system. The cochlea is the part of the ear that is our hearing sense organ, responding to minute vibrations and differences in sound
waves. The vestibular portion of the ear detects movement of the head in space. It is considered the organizer of our body senses.
It is our internal ear, allowing us to understand time and space from our body’s perspective. It has a strong impact
on muscle tone, posture, balance, coordination, integration of the two body sides, visual spatial skills, emotional responses and
motor planning.
The vestibular-cochlear system is the first to develop in utero and provides the foundation for both time and pace organization of
all other sensory systems. Therapeutic Listening treatment stimulates and exercises the vestibular-cochlear system. It is designed
to enhance the accuracy of the sensory information sent from the vestibular-cochlear system of the ear to it’s multiple
connections throughout the nervous system.
Therapeutic Listening® is an evidence-backed protocol that combines a sound-based intervention
with sensory integrative activities to create a comprehensive program that is effective for diverse populations with sensory challenges.
Therapeutic Listening can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization, and speech and language difficulties.
Trained therapists learn to use modulated CDs to set up programs for clients in homes, schools and clinics. Listening is a function
of the entire brain; when we listen, we listen with the whole body.
The listening programs are adapted from the works of Alfred
Tomatis, Ph D., Guy Berard, Ph.D., and Ingo Steinbach, Ph.D., and were integrated into a Sensory Processing model by Sheila Frick,
OTR.
