Therapeutic Listening

Therapeutic Listening uses organized sound patterns inherent in music to help a child integrate and process both sound and movement. Integrating information from the senses helps organize movement, learning and behavior. Sometimes children are fearful of sounds because those sounds cause vibrations or feelings in their bodies but they are unable to identify where the sounds come from.

In a listening session, a child wears headphones and listens to a variety of musical styles on CDs that have been electronically altered to elicit the orientating response that sets up her body for sustained attention and active listening.

Therapeutic Listening works on both the vestibular end of the ear canal, which processes the lower frequency vibrations that we call movement, and the cochlear end that processes the higher frequency vibrations that we call sound. The structured listening sessions with an occupational therapist can help ground and center a child’s body and mind in space and time.

As a child’s ability to process sounds improves, she can better interact with others because she hears and understands the source of sounds and can better move her body to identify them. She’s also better able to orient herself in her environment. The therapy also frees parts of her brain to engage, communicate and learn.