![Therapeutic Listening incorporates founder Sheila Frick's method of "listening with the whole body."](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/hash/2a/49/2a49ff181edd906bf1e0f87e0aeda64b.jpg "Therapeutic Listening incorporates founder Sheila Frick's method of "listening with the whole body."")
Therapeutic Listening® is a sound-based therapy, created by occupational therapy pioneer Sheila Frick, OTR, designed to help autistic kids with underdeveloped nervous systems better integrate their sensory systems. Specially filtered music, played through specially designed headphones, is supposed to help these kids with attention span, organizing behavior, self-regulation, communication and any number of other deficits associated with SPD (sensory processing disorder). Some anecdotal reports suggest the music therapy can help calm aggressive behavior and even aid potty training.
Parents will have to find a therapist trained in Therapeutic Listening® to administer the therapy. Then special headphones need to be purchased from Vital Sounds for about $145. A CD player with a random play button and the ability to turn off the bass is another requirement.
There are about a dozen different CDs in the series, ranging in theme from animal sounds to kid songs to Mozart. Each costs around $40 if purchased, but many therapy clinics will rent them to parents. The child spends two weeks with each CD before moving on to the next.Special sounds and clicks have been added to each one, and if an adult, with a fully developed nervous system, tries to listen to it, it can make you feel slightly dizzy, nauseous or give you a headache.
Kids are allowed to eat, ride in the car, or play with toys while listening. They can't watch TV or really interact anything with bright flashing lights or loud sounds. If the TL is used in an occupational therapy setting, the OT might integrate the listening with movement specifically designed for the program. A home program will generally require two 30-minute sessions per day over a period of several months.
In Tallahassee, Therapeutic Listening® is offered at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital's Pediatric Rehab Unit. To find a therapist near you, check out the Vital Links Provider Locator and enter your zip code to find your nearest TL-trained OT.
Comments
Interesting article. I'd never heard of this type of therapy before.
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