How Does the Therapeutic Listening Program Help Children?

This program is used to treat children who have difficulties with movement, auditory processing, perception, language and/or sensory processing.  Through extensive national and international research, a common denominator was discovered among these varying conditions: problems in processing sound.  To address this deficiency, therapeutic listening was developed to train the auditory system and thereby enhance listening skills, remediate auditory perceptual problems and produce significant results in a relatively short period of time among children with disabilities.

Having children listen to specifically modulated and filtered music on compact disks through headphones that provides a balanced and full range of sound frequencies, this program has demonstrated the ability to increase our capacity to treat a growing population of children who have developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, ADD/ADHD, Down syndrome, autism, poor balance and/or communication delays. 

The choice of music and type of modulation, as well as listening times and the activity that takes place during 'listening' varies depending on the characteristics of the child.  During treatment, the therapist follows the child's lead.  When the prescribed listening time is short, the child may choose to sit and actively listen while engaging in activities that might further enhance listening abilities, including those that facilitate ability to perceive sensation and integrate if for use.

Studies of children who have incorporated therapeutic listening into their overall therapy regimen have shown an increased awareness of sounds; decreased sound sensitivity; and increased desire to express wants and needs; improved self-regulation; decreased sensory defensiveness; improved coordination, posture and balance; and/or improved sleeping and eating patterns.  Many children begin to exhibit one or more of these improvements after just a few listening sessions.

Therapeutic listening does not involve sophisticated equipment. Since only a compact disk and headphones are used, the occupational therapist, after a sufficient amount of therapy has been conducted can provide detailed instructions to the parents and caregivers so that listening therapy can continue at home or school, with on-going support and consultation with the therapist.