A major part of the sensory energy received by the brain comes through the ears. They control balance, body movements and coordination; they permit language; they make us speak eloquently and sing in tune; they even control our eyes when we read and our arm, hand and finger movements when we write. They protect us against what we do not want to hear. Interconnected with several different levels of the brain, the ears act as a double antenna receiving messages from both the body and the environment. They are a link between the world within and the world without. Listening is the ability and the desire to use our ears to bring about the harmony both within us and in our relationship with others.

Therapeutic Listening® (TL) is an expansion of Sensory Integration. It is an auditory intervention program that uses specially-modulated and filtered sound to impact all levels of the nervous system. This sound stimulation uses the organized sound patterns inherent in music to set up the nervous system and prepare it for an emergent skill. Therapeutic Listening® can impact sensory modulation, attention, behavior, postural organization, and speech and language difficulties.

This program utilizes numerous CDs that vary in musical style, types of filtering, and level of complexity. The music on TL CDs is electronically altered to elicit the orienting response which sets up the body for sustained attention and active listening.

This auditory information from the CDs provides direct input to both the vestibular and auditory portions of the vestibular-cochlear continuum. The emphasis of TL is on blending sound intervention strategies with vestibulo-proprioceptive, core development, and breath activities so as to sustain grounding and centering of the body and mind in space and time.

Therapeutic Listening® is an evidence-backed protocol that combines a sound-based intervention with sensory integrative activities to create a comprehensive program that is effective for diverse populations with sensory challenges. The use of modulated and filtered music in conjunction with other sensory integrative techniques seems to increase the effectiveness of both treatment modalities.

When incorporated into a Sensory Integrative treatment approach, children of all ages can benefit from Therapeutic Listening®, in a variety of areas, including: attention; organization of behavior; self regulation; development, refinement, and mastery of postural and motor skills; bilateral motor patterns; fine motor skills; articulation; praxis skills; arousal; modulation; motor execution; and auditory, visual, and vestibular integration.

► More Information

• Click HERE for printable information on Therapeutic Listening®
• Contact Jessica Hunt, OTRL at (248) 737-3430 or by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it