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Therapeutic Listening

Therapeutic Listening® (All rights reserved to VitalLinks.net; Vital Links is not an affiliate of North Shore Pediatric Therapy) is a sound based intervention that combines the therapeutic benefit of music with sophisticated sound technology to influence how a child perceives, processes and responds to sound.  A child’s ability to appropriately process sound can influence his ability to interact with his environment and learn new skills.

Therapeutic Listening® (TL) consists of listening to electronically altered music over specific headphones that are able to pick up higher and lower than normal sound frequencies.  Because the process of listening involves many levels of the brain, listening therapy can influence many aspects of a child’s functioning. Children with a variety of different presentations and needs can benefit from Therapeutic Listening®.  A customized listening program can be used to target a child’s sensory modulation abilities, behavioral regulation, emotional regulation, communication skills, postural control or motor skills, as well as auditory processing to reduce sensitivity and/or increase responsiveness.

The modified music utilized in this program provides input that stimulates not only the auditory system, but also the vestibular system due to the close proximity of these two systems within the inner ear.  The music contains a variety of frequencies and rhythms, and simulates sounds directed from different points in space.  The combination of these variables helps a child to better understand their environment through enhancing spatial orientation and promoting attention and arousal level.

When supervised by a skilled clinician, listening therapy can be carried out in the clinic, home or school. Therapeutic ListeningParticipation in the Therapeutic Listening program consists of two 30 minute listening sessions every day. Music chips are switched every two weeks in-order to target new skill areas and provide a challenge. Chips are chosen based on a child’s individual needs as determined by their clinical presentation. Parents and families are responsible for purchasing the equipment needed to implement the program, including specialized headphones and a microchip player (available through VitalSounds.com; not an affiliate of North Shore Pediatric Therapy). Therapeutic Listening is a powerful tool to assist a child in meeting his or her therapy goals.

Contact an occupational therapist today for more information.