Our 7 year old son's listening experience
We were introduced to the Listening Centre after reading Norman Doidge’s wonderful book, The Brain’s Way of Healing. 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. We have visited the Listening Centre twice in the last year and it was the best decision we ever made. Here is why.
1) A comprehensive Listening Test (including bone conduction) was conducted that gave us our first indication about how unregulated his ability to input sounds was. We have had many “standard” hearing tests before, but this Listening Test was the first to show how overreactive his auditory system was. In the two visits we have had to the Centre, and thanks to the Tomatis program, the improvements in this area have been outstanding.
2) Our son was very tired after the sessions, but never complained whilst he was there. In our case, this fatigue can last for weeks afterwards but the sessions themselves are therapeutic and the changes they invoke bring comfort to our son. We could see their positive effect on our son immediately and he also noticed the effects.
3) Here are some of the improvements we noticed right away: Content and expression in drawing. Greater ease at reading. Increased vocabulary with correct ordering of words in a sentence. Greater awareness of self. Better self regulation and a “calmer” state of being, in particular during transitions. Less social anxiety and a greater ability to handle overwhelming auditory inputs (think: birthday parties, indoor soccer, school assemblies). Independent writing of original thoughts. Sounding out of words.
4) Friends and family who would visit every few months were amazed at the progress. Our doctors were amazed.
It is a big commitment to come to the Centre, especially if you don’t live in Toronto (we don’t). However, when you arrive and meet the wonderful staff your worries will melt away. Most importantly, when you speak to Paul Madaule, Louise (thank you) and the staff at the Centre, you will cherish the care and attention they put into understanding your child. The observations, individually tailored sessions and recommendations they give to you are from the heart. I will forever be thankful to have met the people at the Listening Centre, not only because of the wonderful work they do, but because of the hope and enthusiasm they had for my son and his potential. As a parent, these are the people you want on your side helping your child. Thank you.