Testimonials & Studies
Listening training works! It took me from being an 18-year-old school drop out who couldn’t read or write to being a 28 year old man fluent in 3 languages, who had already worked in 3 continents and who has devoted his life to bringing the same remarkable results to others. Over 38 years at The Listening Centre, my team and I have helped literally thousands of adults and children substantially improve the quality of their lives by giving them the listening skills and attention and concentration skills they need to bring their best to the world. These are the stories told by some of them and some research studies to substantiate the result we obtain. Paul Madaule
Reading, Learning, Speech & Language
Marco M.
In episode 2 of Marco's podcast, Dyslexia and Beyond, Marco speaks with Paul Madaule about how someone with learning differences can use Listening Training to retrain the brain (through Neuroplasticity) to achieve desired results while maintaining the benefits of their learning differences.
Marco says "I went to the Listening Centre when I was around eight years old. Before I went, I was drastically below my grade level in reading and could barely read. Once I left, I could read at a much higher grade level than I could before. I also saw drastic improvements in my math skills."
"...my daugther went from hating to read to loving to read..."
my daughter had mild auditory processing challenges, she did well in school but avoided reading and writing.
V's Story
Over the past two years, with the help of the program at the Listening Centre, her overall development, but in particular her language, has blossomed. She has come so far, and she continues to develop and expand her vocabulary every day. It continues to be a work in progress and the Listening Centre is part of her learning and development....
Kate's Story
Kate is now reading at just below her grade average, at the grade level when it's for enjoyment...we couldn't have imagined this before we attended your Centre...
William's Story
My experience at The Listening Centre has brought me an incredible new sense of awareness that I was not fully conscious of missing. The articulation of my speech progressed at the faster rate than it had for many years.
Ryan's Story
My name is Ryan and I am 17 years old. About 2 years ago I participated in the Listening Centre’s program and let me say it was the best decision I have ever made.
Before The Listening Centre program my attitude towards school was bad and so was my self-confidence. After the program I was a changed person. My attitude towards school was better, I was confident in my abilities and was proud of myself and what I could now do.
Madeleine's Story
“Madeleine is doing awesome. The listening training has been a big help. Her school work has been much better, she is recalling and remembering what happened during the school day, and her ability to organize herself has been much improved. We are very happy with results she achieved with the Listening Centre team.”
Michael's Story
The program woke him up. Michael is more willing to try and he tries harder. His ability to read has improved as has his coordination. Because of his improved abilities and much higher confidence in himself we see a big difference in the quality of Michael’s life.
Nile's Story
At the end of Grade three we tried for three weeks, that’s the teacher, EA’s, tutors, myself, we tried every method possible to get Nile to write a short story and he never finished the first sentence…. Nile has attended The Listening Centre for treatment with dyslexia….
H.J.'s Story
Our son expressed himself eloquently in words but not in writing. He is dysgraphic. The frustration he experienced in dealing with the school system was extreme….
Alex's Story
I attended the Listening Center approximately 17 years ago … I was struggling to finish elementary school. The experience at the Listening Center was very positive, but what has been a greater impact is the long term success it has brought me in my life…
Dyslexia, Opening the Door
Someone would have to tell me at least three times before I “got it.” But even then, I would forget. It was like statements would not stick, like I had difficulty learning or comprehending. At school it took me a long time to formulate my thoughts into a composition assignment. Sometimes my thoughts were fuzzy, unclear, almost like they weren’t there. It was difficult to concentrate…
...I began enjoying reading, and listening for words from others. For the first time, I enjoyed listening to myself speak. I was beginning to feel that I was growing up, no longer the needy lost ‘child’ at forty; but rather, an emerging adult who had confidence, competence, and desire to lead his own life.
Auditory Processing, Attention Span & Focus
Nathan's Story
My son is now able to better control his behaviour, act on social cues, and participate in class and social discussions and events. I recommend listening therapy to all children and adults that experience challenges in focus and concentration.
Our son had issues such as depression, undiagnosed ADHD, trouble with seasonal affective disorder (wintertime depression), and social awkwardness.
Sierra's Story
Sierra was a bright 8 years old kid who had a hard time getting focused and staying with activities especially related to learning and language. Since Sierra completed the Listening Centre’s program she exhibits much better self regulation on many levels...She is more mature and self aware. Sleeping patterns have also improved. She is able to focus and for longer. She is also more aware of when she can’t focus and is developing strategies to deal with this.
Thomas' Story
Our journey began when Thomas started school. Through research and seeing doctors we learned that Thomas has autism and ADHD.
...with each group of listening sessions he becomes more organized, more self aware, calm, and flexible. Additionally, his ability to reason has improved significantly and he is much more able to regulate himself. His maturity level is coming and the gap is closing. Thomas is able to explain his feelings and emotions and plan things in his head before he does them. His executive functioning is so much better and to top it all off – Thomas LOVES listening!
Our Son Heals
Our son originally displayed characteristics consistent with ADHD. Besides being hyperactive and inattentive he began having more and more negative experiences, mostly at school (…) at home as well. There were daily temper tantrums, aggressiveness (…), basically low frustration tolerance and quick-to-anger behaviour. Needless to say, this situation brought a lot of stress to our family. We did not know where to turn.
We created a support team of complimentary and holistic health professionals…We worked diligently with our support group. All of the professionals we are dealing with have acknowledged that The Listening Centre was a huge component in the healing process.
Tyler's Story
Our experience with discovering the Toronto Listening Centre is filled with turning points for our seven year old son….at five and one half years old, “Tyler’s” behaviour varied widely which kept us all somewhat confused. He became more challenging as sensory input increased….yet his language delay seemed to be a singular issue for an otherwise healthy, normal active boy who overtired easily or overwhelmed easily….Listening Training program enabled our son to move forward developmentally in a remarkable way….”Tyler’s” difficulty with language were specifically related to an Auditory Processing difficulty.
Allan's Story
Allan was 12 years old when he first came to The Listening Centre. He was enrolled in a school for students with learning disabilities. Allan had a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADHD
(a “hypo” form of ADHD) as well as a processing disability. His self-esteem was extremely low and he was below grade level in most subjects. At that time his mother wrote that “Allan’s academic, personal, and social abilities seem to diminish as the year progresses as if he has given up on himself”. He did two intensive sessions of listening training in the summer and has continued his voice exercises with the Listening Trainer since then...
Sensory Processing, Communication and Socialization
We have seen tremendous gains in both our children since starting at the Listening Centre...more calm than ever before, decrease in OCD behaviors, significant decrease in meltdowns, significant improvement in receptive language, increase in spontaneous language, improvement in quality and duration of sleep, emergence of imaginative play and desire to interact socially with others.
William's Story
...life was challenging and you probably wouldn't really call it "living". When I hear the song from Frozen, I could really relate to the line: "A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen". Socializing and being part of a community are hard when you have a child with a social/communication/behavior disorder.
William was 9 years old when we started the program at The Listening Centre. We did two 15 day sessions. We saw results immediately and we continue to see growth. Clinically speaking: self-regulation has improved, sensory issues subsided, language/communication improved, social/emotional growth has expanded, motor planning and independence has improved, and he is making progress in his academics.
Elliott's Story
...we are convinced that our experience with The Listening Centre is helping Elliott manage his emotions, listen to auditory information, and engage in the world around him. He is a much happier, less anxious child, and is beginning to engage more readily with people and events around him.
The results have been phenomenal!..Not only has he improved in his speech (...), his auditory hypersensitivity has decreased substantially. In addition, he has recently successfully integrated in our local elementary school for the Junior Kindergarten programme with EA support, which was a dream of mine...
Even before the end of the treatment we started noticing improvement on his communication, also his RDI therapist who has worked with him for many years remarked an improvement in his engagement and agency...
Matthew's Story
Matthew, was diagnosed with severe autism when he was just over two years of age. He had always been under stimulated in terms of movement and there were many difficulties in conversation and social situations.
Since the program we observed tremendous growth and change n Matthew. The biggest change, was a huge increase in the development of his vestibular system. Matthew is climbing, jumping, running and so much more comfortable in his own space... Matthew is growing in leaps and bounds in social situations...Wow! The quality of engagement has really shifted...there is huge growth in speech as well....
I brought my sons to the Listening Centre for their quite different developmental challenges. My younger son, aged 3, had just been diagnosed with ASD and had a severe speech delay. My older son aged 6, with ADD and Auditory Processing Disorder. Their treatment was tailored to each of their needs and their responses were markedly different. I believe, without a doubt, that Paul and the dedicated staff at the Listening Centre have changed my children’s life trajectory for the better.
"And he was able to shine like the star that he is..."
Since the listening sessions, my son's self confidence and his ability to self regulate has improved. Because of the listening therapy, he is doing better at school, socially and also at sports. He is calmer, happier and more receptive to learning. He now takes risks that he would not have before and enjoys them...
Our 7 year old son's listening experience
For years we had been seeking help for our son who suffered from a speech delay, daily tantrums, screaming, and anxiety in social situations. The Listening Training offered a non-invasive, drug free attempt at regulating the sensory and auditory processing difficulties he had been diagnosed with at that time.
Vincent's Story
After a series of vaccinations we observed Vincent’s eye contact stopped. He shut down. He stopped engaging with us and retreated into a world of his own..all arrows, we were told, pointed to autism...
Slowly he was stepping back into our world after a long dry plateau of nothing happening. The light that had gone ‘off’ was coming back on. The Listening Centre’s program had definitely sparked positive changes. Since starting at the Listening Centre Vincent is more curious, has a faster reaction time and is following things a lot better. Food and sound sensitivities have decreased. Eye tracking, coordination and fine motor skills are better. Now he wants to share in things he enjoys. He brings us blocks so we can play with him. All of these stages of improvement have meant big changes for our family. Everything works more smoothly now and we have a lot more fun together.
Sara's Story
When our daughter Sara was two and a half, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Bringing Sara to the Listening Centre has definitely had a positive impact in her life. It was like an explosion of language. Now our conversations are more reciprocal, she is more aware of her surroundings, shows more consistent eye contact and is more calm and happier.
Noah's Story
Our son Noah was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age and was exposed to various therapies to limited success. Noah has made great progress since his rounds of Listening Therapy. Noah has better self regulation and a longer attention span and is much more aware..
Anthony's Story
My son, Anthony, was almost four years old when he participated in the listening therapy for the first time. He had speech delay, fine motor and coordination issues, and serious digestive problems, to name just a few. He was on the mild autism spectrum and was only able to say very limited phrases and isolated words.
...about two weeks after the first therapy ended, we began to see gradual and steady improvement in his language and overall cognitive development...after returning from the Listening Centre, Anthony "graduated" from speech therapy...he became more cooperative with other treatments and more considerate of others.
Kenny's Story
We learned that Kenny's challenges stemmed from a Sensory Processing Disorder.
Listening sessions always brought about changes in him, some were immediate and some took time. From watching his confidence blossom with reading and writing to seeing improvement in his hand-eye coordination. His teachers noted an overall difference in his demeanor and his attention. What struck us the most was watching him engage differently with his younger brother. A sense of humour appeared that we had not seen before. His grandparents and his aunts and uncles have seen the improvements and all attribute his gains to the Listening Centre.
Arturo's Story
After the fifth day of the program our son began to be really attentive to his surroundings and enjoyed looking around and pointing at things that interested him. Following these initial gains we have seen much greater progress...
"...we are grateful we came across this special place..."
The listening training program along with the incredibly patient, nurturing and understanding staff at the Listening Centre have helped to transform our daughter's struggles with sensory processing and integration.
A Small Step for Mankind...
Of The Listening Centre we can say: “a small step for mankind but a series of small steps leading to continued progress for our son!
Sukie and Sarah's Story (mother and daughter story)
I noticed certain behaviours in my daughter that led me to believe that she had sensory integration challenges. Sukie could go from high levels of control to none what-so- ever. Recognizing this behaviour wasn’t so difficult as I, myself, had similar behaviour patterns. By the end of our treatment program… [m]y relationship with my daughter has improved as did her ability to regulate herself…
Julian's Story
My autistic son is twenty-one. When he was diagnosed at age four, seventeen years ago, there was little in the way of ‘therapies’ or services for autistic children. He was placed in a class for the ‘trainable retarded’, and went to summer day camps run by Community Living, and that was about it! It was not until he was fourteen that I learned about The Listening Centre in Toronto...
Lance's Story
Two years ago, our son Lance was diagnosed with ‘Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Atypical Autism’. He was three years old at the time...
Peter's Story
Peter was a very big baby, and because of that we were not worried by his being at the slow end of normal in his physical development. We were concerned enough to have him tested at the age of two because of his delay in language development. At seven months he could use words, and pronounce them perfectly, but he’d use them only once and never return to them. Throughout his second year, he learned all the words from songs. That was the only language he used. The testing showed that he had developmental problems with “autistic-like features…
Tony's Story
Our son’s name is Tony. He is nine years old. His story will no doubt ring familiar with many….As a four month old, he suffered what was to be first of many ear infections….After many more assessments with various professionals, we were still no closer to finding help for our son. It seemed noone felt that there was anything that could be done for him. We were told he was autistic, ADHD, PDD, brain damaged, mentally retarded, but the one that hurt the most, “he should be institutionalized.”
Adam's Story
He was three years old when we travelled to The Listening Centre. He was diagnosed with PDD, had a history of ear infections, upper resiratory infections, allergies and other health problems. He had very few words, no functional speech, and mostly babbled. He could not filter noises and would completely shut down if there were too many sounds around him…
John's Story
Some families keep in touch with us long after their children’s program at the Centre. This gives us long-term view of the child. Following letter is an encouraging example. John came to the Listening Centre when he was 5 years old.
Kira's Story
Kira could be responsive, expressive, thoughtful, articulate, creative, empathetic, engaged… but only when the moment was right. Too much stimulation – and the evaluating environments were always very cluttered and stimulating – and she couldn’t stay organized long enough to show what she could do. I knew she had tons of potential, but had no idea of how to unlock it…She had just turned 4 when we contacted the Listening Centre.
Jeff's Story
....Jeff is a tall, handsome 9 year old boy with straight brown hair and a confident manner. Until he speaks, you would not expect anything out of the ordinary...Jeff, as far as I can remember, has always been quite different. As a baby, he seemed to be able to amuse himself for hours on end...Play and language didn’t develop...talking playing, interacting, or interest in other children were not developed at all.........
Jennifer's Story
…As you are aware Jennifer has suffered from severe compulsive and obsessive behaviours…I am extremely delighted and happy to report to you, that Jennifer has had great success…
Other Developmental Issues
We were concerned about speech delays when our son, diagnosed with CP was reaching almost 3 years of age. After 2 subsequent sessions at the listening centre, our son now spontaneously uses full sentences (of up to 8-9 words) of relevance in 2 languages...The whole family would like to thank the centre for a more balanced life: our son now sleeps throughout the night and tells us what he wants.
Ester's Story
"...Good news, I do believe that the Listening Therapy helped with Ester’s neurological development"...watch a video of Ester performing in front of the audience only one year apart - what a difference!
...we had tried all we could to manage his volatile emotional outburst at home, his difficulties with sequencing, his inability to listen to the radio in the car or to express himself when there was music in the background. This experience of listening training gave him a boost. He is a bright boy and is now more grounded and able to reach his goals.
Candace's Story
Candace is a 21 year old young woman with Cerebral Palsy and related mobility issues. Read how her Dance Instructor speaks of her observations during their sessions before and following Candace's Listening Training program at The Listening Centre...
Gabriela's Story
My daughter Gabriela, with Rett Syndrome, began listening therapy at the early age of 2 and has been getting it consistently for the past 2 years. If Gabi’s brain were a battery, listening therapy is the charger!
Kira's Story
Our daughter was formally diagnosed with Developmental Coordination Disorder. After our initial 3 week session, there was a remarkable increase in Kira's calmness. We also noted improvement in her bilateral coordination as functional movements such as zipping up, and skipping became easier for her to do.
Kian's Story
After the last block we noticed improvements in his speech fluency and clarity. He's now able to speak in simple sentences and strangers are able to understand him; we can have more back and forth exchanges in conversations and he is becoming more inquisitive about things and asking questions such as "Why?" and "What is that?" and "What does that mean?" ....
Kyle's Story
I also have a child who was diagnosed at two-and a-half years old with the severe speech disorder Developmental Apraxia. With apraxia, the child has all the parts for speech and language but they are just not connected …. Our son could only pronounce vowel and two consonants when he entered the program at three-years-old … After the first intensive phase he was able to imitate several sounds … It was not long and the words started – first single syllable then multi-syllable … Three months after the second intensive phase and a one week reinforcer ‘boost’, Kyle was talking in 2-3 word sentences.
Meg's Story
...We cannot believe how well Meg is doing!!!! We truly believe that her sensory system was more stabilized since she did the Listening Training program…Thank you!
Matthew's Story
...Matthew was 9 years old when he came to The Listening Centre. Matthew has Down Syndrome and had a history of ear infections. He was easily tired, had unclear speech, and he always needed instructions repeated....
Ghosts of Childhood
John's Story
I have suffered grief from dyslexia for over 72 years. Within just a few days at the centre, the difference in my listening was remarkable. It has changed now and is enriching my life not only in listening but also in movement. Even my voice sounds clearer and different to me now. I speak more clearly and this has changed my self-esteem.
Robin's Story
1984 was a pivotal year for me.
I was a 34 year old dyslexic, working in the Hospitality business. Then I went to the Listening Centre and my life changed. It was magic for me, and I was enabled to have dreams. Painting then became a reality and I’ve been an Artist ever since.
Robin’s paintings can be seen in the pages of the Listening Centre website and bring joy and colour to the rooms of The Listening Centre.
Robin has a home studio in St. Thomas, Ontario. You can also follow him through his blog at http://robingrindley.blogspot
Dyslexia, Opening the Door
Someone would have to tell me at least three times before I “got it.” But even then, I would forget. It was like statements would not stick, like I had difficulty learning or comprehending. At school it took me a long time to formulate my thoughts into a composition assignment. Sometimes my thoughts were fuzzy, unclear, almost like they weren’t there. It was difficult to concentrate…
...I began enjoying reading, and listening for words from others. For the first time, I enjoyed listening to myself speak. I was beginning to feel that I was growing up, no longer the needy lost ‘child’ at forty; but rather, an emerging adult who had confidence, competence, and desire to lead his own life.
A Personal Story: Listening to Heal
I have Auditory Processing Disorder…although my hearing is perfect, I have intermittent problems with perceiving and decoding when people are saying. I have left many classrooms without the memory of the whole lecture. Every time I was clled out for not understanding instructions, every time my boss rolled his eyes and said the same thing again, only louder…I made it mean that I was stupid and one day the world will figure out and when they did, I would lose my job in the media and end up cleaning toilets…
Since the listening program I have more sustained attention…increased comprehension when reading aloud…my writing skills are even better…
Performing Arts - Singers/Musicians
Sonya's Story
After completing her listening program...I have such a profoundly improved kinesthetic awareness of my body, which is a key factor in producing a pure, free and natural sound. I have always had a natural instrument; however, there was something disconnected keeping me from finding my True Voice.
My Singing Voice
My name is Laurie Shelton and I’d be happy to share with you a bit of my vocal history, my summer at the Listening Centre, and the immense changes and discoveries I continue to enjoy. I have always wanted to sing, to be a singer. I am not dyslexic, although in the area of singing I certainly felt vocally dyslexic….
Jesse's Story
I had been recommended The Listening Centre, while attending Theatre School at Humber College, by a good friend and teacher of mine… I was having problems tuning my ear to my voice… Now I feel more confident and I listen to my voice. It feels like a brand new voice, and I can easily use it to my advantage.
My Listening Centre Experience
My journey to the Listening Centre has been a long one. A professional singer, I did not come upon the work of Alfred Tomatis until I was 41 years old… The Listening Training reorganized my physical movements… I began to perceive what it was that I was missing… My singing voice is now closely allied with my speaking voice, necessarily a more resonant/deep sound …The Listening Training has been the “key” which has enabled me to grow both professionally and personally.
Second Language Acquisition
Sheldon's Story
Imagine a dictation in English which would invite the best students from the Commonwealth countries to a hugely popular TV Program. Such an event exists in the francophone countries. It is called “Dictèe PGL” and Sheldon Fernandes has been selected to be a part of it! Bravo Sheldon!
Phyllis' Story
I am 70 years old, a native English speaker and have been studying Italian for 8 years. After 8 years of study with several teachers, I was able to read and write Italian fairly well but hearing accurately and responding verbally to others speaking to me seemed an impossible task for me...
ESL Teacher and Student Testimonials
“Besides development of self-confidence and self-expression in foreign language (first step) the program helped me to get the sense of well-being, including ability to handle stressful situations, prioritize different life aspects, take my time to think of a situation before being involved in it…
Now I am able to hear myself speaking..gives me a chance to notice incorrect sounds.”
Skill Enhancement and Professional Development
On reflection and re-education through listening training...
...Thanks to the listening training program, I feel a new confidence and in this new way of listening, I see a panoply of advantages for life in general but specifically for the interpersonal relationships which are the very stuff of work, for creativity, sales, efficiency, etc..
Well Being and Quality of Life
Stephanie's Story
Overall, I feel like my mind works better most of the time, without effort. (...) I continue to be amazed at the wide range of positive holistic changes I notice in myself, ranging from subtle to obvious (...) I feel much clearer about my true self(...) My meditation practice improved dramatically (...) Interesting creative ideas come to me spontaneously.
Ken's Story
My program ended about a year ago and since then I have read and comprehended more books than I ever imagined, have much more confidence in my voice and speaking up, less anxious moments, have more patience and can lock in with productive focus throughout the day. Many other things in my life seem bigger, brighter and better as well!
Thoughts on My Listening Centre Experience
Having trained in, and taught various styles of Yoga, Pilates, and mediation, I am always curious to explore the mind-body connection and new modalities for human wellbeing and growth.
While yoga, meditation and chanting all provide various beneficial forms of calmness, focus, relaxation, or even invigoration, the sensations I have experienced at The Listening Centre together have at times been entirely unique...
Natalie's Story
Things are developing in a wonderful way with my health. Everything continues to become easier and more enjoyable...I am starting to feel more energized by talking with people. My world becomes more clear, energizing and well ordered as time passes...
Who Will Listen?
…When I walk into the pleasant, colourful ambiance of The Listening Centre these days I feel at home. My body begins to relax and I notice other people’s positive regard of me. It wasn’t always this way. In March, 1996, when I first walked through these doors I was isolated and desperate, not sure that anyone or anything would be able to help me…
My Eustachian tubes were swollen and plugged making the world far away place. I was used to not hearing through my left ear – a birth defect had prevented normal development – but I couldn’t hear from my right ear either. It felt like a giant bubble of cotton batting….
A Teacher Learns
If I had to say what I gained from the listening training, it would be that I feel an increased sense of freedom, balance, aliveness, energy and trust in my life. Life is less frightening. My eyes and ears have opened to the beauty and support that has always been there. I can better acknowledge it and take it in. My life feels more peaceful and I feel a part of the great mystery that is unfolding. The program helped me to see myself as an intelligent and capable person. I am more willing to take risks that in the past would have been devastating and debilitating to me.
Concussions & Traumatic Brain Injuries
David's Story
I have spent the two years after my stroke in vestibular, occupational, and vision therapy. The issues with my vision have been, and continue to be particularly difficult to overcome.
Shortly after returning from the Listening Centre I repeated the reading test at vision therapy. The result shocked the doctors and made me ecstatically happy — I had jumped from the mechanics of a 4th grader to the mechanics of a 10th grade reader!..
Janet's Story
By far what stands out most is physical changes. I've probably not outlined ALL of the chronological regression that's taken place since my car accident in '78 and subsequent surgery in the mid-80's, but I'll try to give a brief overview, so that you may better appreciate the significance of these physical changes that I'm now experiencing.
Jane's Story
“this was a leap, shattering what seemed like a concrete wall. I am mainly back from the exile of a separate room at family events. My young nieces and nephews and I are becoming reacquainted. I can participate in more things directly rather than vicariously”.
Excerpt from the Newsletter of the Brain Injury Association of the Ottawa Valley (BIAOV), March 2016, pp 8-9.
Research Studies
Auditory Training for Children with Deficits in Auditory Processing: An Exploratory Study
Summary of Findings
Auditory sound-based training interventions have become popular to remediate children’s deficits in auditory processing, which is not surprising given the link in the research between auditory processing and learning. However, these commercially available training programs are expensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research examining their effectiveness. The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a currently commercially available auditory training program in Melbourne. In the current study, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to assess the extent to which a music-based auditory training program, Auditory Training ProgramTM (ATP), directly improves auditory processing abilities and auditory short-term memory in children with deficits in auditory processing. The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) taxonomy of intelligence was used to classify auditory processing abilities (Ga) and short-term memory (Gsm). Data from sixty children (37 males and 23 females) who had previously undertaken auditory training was used for the present study. The results show that the auditory processing abilities of phonetic coding (PC), resistance to auditory stimulus distortion (UR), sound localization (UL), as well as short-term memory (Gsm) abilities were improved following the ATP intervention. A CHC taxonomy to classify specific auditory processing abilities can be used help better understand which specific cognitive abilities auditory training improves, and compare research findings. Implications for future researchers and providers of auditory training programs are discussed.
Early Effects of the Tomatis Listening Method in Children with ADD By: Liliana Sacarin, PsyD, CC, LMHCA
By: Liliana Sacarin, PsyD, CC, LMHCA
This is a summary of the research study investigating early effects of the Tomatis Method in children diagnosed with ADD. Improvements in processing speed, phonological awareness, reading efficiency, attention, behavior and brain physiology were hypothesized by the end of Phase 1 of the Tomatis Method intervention. The doctoral dissertation study documents the effects of Phase I of the Tomatis Listening Method of sound stimulation on children with ADD ages 7-13. Of the 25 participants, recruited from schools in the Greater Seattle area, 15 (8 boys and 7 girls) received the Tomatis treatment solely while 10 (9 boys and 1 girl) served as controls (non-Tomatis group) and were stabilized on ADD medication three months prior to and throughout the study. Therefore, the research compared Tomatis intervention versus the non-Tomatis (control) in children with ADD. Although the children in the control group were medicated for ADD, this research did not compare ADD medication treatment with Tomatis intervention. The Tomatis sound stimulation group received 15 consecutive Tomatis sound stimulation sessions of 2 hours each; participants received no additional vestibular or visual-motor exercises, such as swinging or balancing on a balance board, during the listening sessions or other therapies throughout the research. The measures used to capture changes have been standardized for this age range. Results revealed statistically significant improvements for the Tomatis when compared to the control group: children in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in processing speed, phonological awareness, phonemic decoding efficiency when reading, behavior, and auditory attention. Information detailing the Tomatis Method, testing instruments and study results is included below.
The Effects of Auditory Stimulation on Auditory Processing Disorder: A Summary of the Findings
By Deborah Ross-Swain. - The International Journal of Listening Vol 21, No. 2, 2007
Abstract:
The study's purpose is to determine the efficacy of the Tomatis Method of auditory stimulation as a therapeutic intervention for Auditory Processing Disorders (APD). Forty-one subjects (18 females, 23 males; 4.3–19.8 years old) were evaluated for APD. Performance on standardized tests indicated weaknesses with auditory processing skills. Each subject participated in a 90-hour Tomatis Method protocol and, once completed, each subject was re-evaluated to measure improvement. All subjects demonstrated improvement with skills of immediate auditory memory, auditory sequencing, interpretation of directions, auditory discrimination, and auditory cohesion. Pre- and post-treatment comparison indicated statistically significant differences in the aforementioned skills. These findings suggest that the Tomatis Method of auditory stimulation can be effective as an intervention strategy for APD.
To access the full journal visit: Taylor & Francis website: http://www.tandfonline.com
The Tomatis Method with severely autistics boys: Individual case studies of behavioral changes
By Joan M. Neysmith-Roy Department of Psychology, University of Regina
Abstract
Six severely autistic males ranging in age from 4 years to 11 years received the Tomatis Method to assist in alleviating the severity of behaviours contributing to the diagnosis of autism. Ten minute video samples were taken of each boy, under two conditions of play, every time he completed one section of the treatment programme. As measured by the Children's Autism Rating Scale (CARS) all of the boys were severely autistic at the beginning of treatment. Three (50%) of the boys demonstrated positive behavioural changes by the end of the treatment. One boy was no longer considered to be autistic, two boys showed mild symptoms of autism and three boys remained within the severely autistic range. Of particular interest were the changes that occurred in pre-linguistic areas for five of the six boys. These included Adaptation to Change, Listening Response, Non Verbal Communication, Emotional Response and Activity Level. These behaviours are considered prerequisites for successful verbal communication. The children who demonstrated behavioural change were 6 years of age or younger at the beginning of treatment. The author suggests that the Tomatis Method may be helpful in making prelinguistic behaviours manageable and thus help prepare the child to learn basic skills necessary for the development of language and learning.
To access the full article visit: Sage Journals: South African Journal of Psychology S.Afr.J.Psyschol 2001, 31 (1) http://journals.sagepub.com
The Efficacy of the Tomatis Method for Children with Learning and Communication Disorders: A Meta-Analysis
By Tim Gilmor - International Journal of Listening, Vol.13, 1999 12.23
Abstract:
The Tomatis Method is a program of auditory stimulation and counseling primarily used to assist children, adolescents, and adults with learning and communication disorders. This treatment method was evaluated in several research investigations in the 1980s involving 231 children. The present study is a meta-analysis of data from five research studies evaluating the efficacy of this method in assisting children with learning and communication disorders. Positive effect sizes were found for each of the five behavioral domains analyzed: linguistic (d=0.41); pyschomotor (d=0.32); personal and social adjustment (d=0.31); cognitive (d=0.30); and auditory (d=0.04). These results, although positive, are limited by several factors including small sample sizes and limited use of random assignment. Still, the results suggest that effect sizes favoring children who had participated in the program were consistent with clinicians' reports of beneficial effects.
To access the full journal visit: Taylor & Francis website: http://www.tandfonline.com
