What is Therapeutic Listening?

In the mid-1900’s, Alfred Tomatis, an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist, discovered that by helping people improve their hearing, he was also improving other areas such as their sense of balance and speech output. Therapists trained in sensory integration therapy understand the importance of regulating how we perceive sensory information from the environment, and effectively integrate it to achieve organization of movement, learning, and behavior. Therapeutic Listening is an auditory therapeutic intervention that uses the organized sound patterns of music to impact all levels of the nervous system. Listening is a function of the whole brain and when we listen, we listen with our whole body as we shift our attention to orient, locate, and select important sounds. The music on Therapeutic Listening CD’s is electronically altered to elicit the orienting response, which sets the body up for sustained attention and active listening.

Studies have shown that the Auditory system is directly linked with the vestibular system. Our vestibular system, or balance system, controls our movement and orientation in space. Anatomically, there is no clear boundary between the two systems. They share a single cranial nerve for sending information to the brainstem where they cross paths and exchange information with each other along the way. This is called the vestibular-cochlear system. The vestibular portion of the system processes the lower frequency vibration that we call movement while the auditory processes the higher frequency vibration that we know as sound. Therefore, the vestibular system helps us localize the sound while the auditory system helps us analyze the sound. Historically, several OT patient’s have participated in vestibular activities to help them in their sensory processing skills. Therapeutic Listening offers a passive method to address the vestibular and auditory systems together, further enhancing the emergence of new skills and speeding the rate of goal achievement.

The Therapeutic Listening program involves listening to electronically altered CD’s over specialized headphones, for thirty minutes, two times a day. This can be completed in a variety of settings such as in the clinic, at home, or in school. A therapist trained in Therapeutic Listening will help establish an individualized program for your child, monitor the progress, and provide traditional sensory integration treatment to enhance the program. Maximum effectiveness of the program requires strict follow through of the listening protocol established by the trained therapist.

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Therapeutic Listening Services available at High Hopes are made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.