Therapeutic Listening

People often think of listening as an isolated function, a product of our ear’s ability to hear sounds.  However, listening involves much more than just hearing – effective listening actually involves integration of many systems of our body, including our sense of movement, posture, and vision.

Therapeutic listening is a whole body approach to improving listening skills. The Therapeutic Listening program requires use of specialized music at home through high quality headphones.  This music has been modified in order to support the ear’s ability to discriminate and interpret sounds.  This approach is highly individualized, and depending on the needs of the child, additional sensory integrative techniques are often recommended.

People who benefit from Therapeutic Listening often show one or more of the following symptoms:

• Trouble tuning out background noise
• Difficulty functioning in noisy settings
• Appears highly sensitive to sounds
• Difficulty sitting still when listening is required
• Difficulty navigating space
• Difficulty with motor planning skills
• Signs of stress or anxiety at school

For more information on the theoretical background of Therapeutic Listening, please go to www.vitallinks.net

The Therapeutic Listening program is a 12 week program and requires the use of specialized equipment such as headphones, chip player, and modulated music (up to 6 different types of music chips).  Following an assessment with a Therapeutic Listening certified therapist, the equipment and recommended music can be purchased through vital links or each family can enter a rental agreement with Toronto Children’s Therapy Center.