Therapeutic Listening® combines a sound-based intervention with a sensory diet to impact a child’s sensory processing and behavioral organization. Therapeutic Listening can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization, and speech and language difficulties. Therapeutic Listening employs electronically altered compact discs that are used in a home program, providing parents the opportunity to significantly enhance their child’s sensory program on a daily basis Ceck out the Vital Links website for more detailed information, including a four page parent handout.
At Emerge, we have found that therapy outcomes are improved and the length of time in therapy is often reduced when the child is on a consistant Therapeutic Listening program. Therapeutic Listening is started during therapy sessions and then if it seems to be a good match for the child, headphones and CD can be loaned for a two week trial. After that, parents puchase the headphones and join the Emerge Therapeutic Listening library so that they can take advantage of a wide array of CDs. Each CD provides a somewhat different impact on the nervous system, depending on the style of music and instrumentation.
Case one: A seven year old boy who had been receiving occupational therapy for four months prior to starting Therapeutic Listening. Each week his teacher sent home a checklist of negative behaviors this child demonstrated during the school week. Typically it included 16-18 negative checks. After one week of therapeutic listening (and without informing the teacher), this child brought home a report with only 3 negative checks.
Case two: A four year old boy who had severe auditory defensiveness, to the point where he would vomit when a fire drill occured at school. Additionally he would become so overwhelmed at school, that he would growl at other children and attempt to bite them. After a few weeks of Therapeutic Listening, he was able to just cover his ears in response to the fire drill and was able to appropriately interact with his classmates.