Listening  Therapy  Programs


What is Listening Therapy?

Listening Therapy is a structured program of listening to specially designed music that is individually selected for each client. This technique has been adapted from the works of Guy Berard, Alfred Tomatis, Steven Porges, and Ingo Steinbach. It has been integrated into a sensory processing model by Sheila Frick, OTR. (To listen to and find out more about the music we use, please visit http://www.samonas.com/)


How Does Listening Therapy Work?

The music stimulates the polyvagal system which regulates behavioral reactivity through three neural circuits.  Basically we are less able hear/understand the human voice when we are overaroused.  We use specially designed and selected music to normalize over arousal, enhance spatial perception and directionality of sound, create a specific emotional experience,  enhance learning and attention, stimulate facial expression and vocalization, improve eye contact and exercise the vestibular/cochlear system, the attending and organizing mechanisms of the middle ear, as well as their interconnections throughout the central nervous system and autonomic nervous system.

In the clinic we also use bone conduction and the Active Lateral CD.  These are so powerful that we use it for in clinic use only as recommended by Samonas Sound Therapy.  The Active  Lateral CD integrates information from the left and right hemisphere and has research from Germany that suggests it is even more effective then speech therapy for some children.    The vestibular/choclear system is strongly and directed stimulated through bone conduction directly to the mastiod processes, the location of the receptor organ for movement and hearing.  The vestibular/cochlear system is the first system to develop in utero. This system provides the foundation for temporal – spatial organization for all other senses. The vestibular/cochlear system provides the background beat, which lays the rhythm for all learning.


What changes can I expect from therapeutic listening?
As with all other treatments for the human nervous system, results will be individualized. Some changes you may expect to see can include:


Course of Treatment:

Listening therapy is done as a home program and sometimes in treatment, especially to start the program.

Speakers are used only when headphones are not tolerated. The impact is far more therapeutic with high quality headphones. In the clinic we determine what are the most beneficial CD (s) to provide a wide variety of stimulation to the brain. As soon as possible, the child is put on a daily home program to maximize the benefits.

If headphones are used during treatment, it is normally done during sensory integration to get a multi-sensory input making it even more powerful. If possible, the parent has the child doing movement activities during the home listening. These are the guidelines that we use with therapeutic listening to insure the best results possible.


Active Listening Program (ALP):

The ALP is an 8-12 week intense home program.  It includes pre and post testing to evaluate the effectiveness.  Specific exercises are given to develope vision, hearing, balance, coordination, oral motor coordination, fine motor, touch, bilateral integration and multi-sensory processing.  The music and the exercises  are selected to meet the individuals needs.  Weekly visits to the clinic are recommended for use of bone conduction and the Active Lateral CD.  For additional information contact the clinic. 

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Sensory Systems Clinic, P.C.

30801 Jefferson Ave.

St. Clair Shores, MI   48082

Phone:  (586) 293-7553