Recent research "supports the use of Therapeutic Listening as part of an overall sensory integrative approach to occupational therapy in elementary school-age children. Therapeutic Listening, along with sensory diet strategies, can be effective in reducing many behaviours associated with sensory integration disorder" (American Journal of Occupational Therapy: March/April 2007 special issue on Sensory Integration).
Therapeutic Listening is a method by which individuals learn to improve their processing, organizing and integration of sounds to make sense of what they are hearing, thereby improving "listening". Therapeutic Listening utilizes specialized music accessed through headphones to help individuals reorganize how they are orienting, locating and selecting sounds. It is often used in partnership with sensory-based techniques (particularly movement-based activities), although one can also use Therapeutic Listening while doing quiet activities. It utilizes a variety of CDs that vary in musical styles, types of filtering and levels of complexity. This electronically altered music then works to engage the orienting response which sets up the body for increased attention and active listening. The program, which runs twice a day at 30 minutes each time for a minimum of eight weeks, involves listening to a series of CDs carefully selected by a trained therapist.
For more information about research done on Therapeutic Listening, visit Vital Links.
