Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Therapeutic Listening/Alert Prog..for sensory kids

Has anyone used "Therapeutic Listening" for their sensory kids? I am not sure what the right fit for my almost 4-yr old DS is. I just recently read about the Alert Program as well. Any thoughts? I was going to an OT (left because my DS needed a break from stress and being 'forced' to do things in his former pre-school, and nightmares from 3 new unruly, bullies in the class) and want to go back to her because DS gets along with her; but if he needs a different therapy than she can provide or is certified, I may need to go elsewhere. DS gets very stressed in chaotic inside environments (although screaming and yelling and playing outside is fun for him). He has picky eating and is very frustrated when there are unruly, impolite kids. He was more overly-excitable before I changed his diet to gluten free/dairy free (allergic to both). Now he is more calm; but we still need to help him when he gets overly hungry or tired to control himself. DS has a speech delay (but is speaking in sentences - just not good articulation); so we believe he is frustrated as well because he does't have the words sometimes to express himself. His mind tends to run so fast that he tends to run words together and that is frustrating for him as well. Thanks!

One other comment associated with my post (I am trying to piece some things together on my own since most doctors/therapists cannot)...should I be looking into something else with my DS's speech in reference to his articulation troubles. He can say all of his sounds fine, and when asked to slow down his speech can speak very clearly; but he seems to have problems getting his thoughts together sometimes to say what he wants to say, so seems to just not say it sometimes. He mumbles a lot (like me - the result of my having 5 siblings and feeling no one wanted to listen to me anyway;). He has been to a few ST's and is seeing a school system ST; but she just says that he is doing great (that is saying advanced sounds for his age - and that she really shouldn't be seeing him still, but she seems happy to be helping him further.) Thank you!

We did listening therapy in conjunction with OT at the Star Center (see e.g. http://www.starcenter.us/services-treatment.html ) and were pleased with the results. There is a home version that's also available that we have purchased but it's hard to get ds to do it at home (see http://www.integratedlistening.com/ I think there were 12 cd's and they did come labeled with which ones affect communication, motor, etc. though it is recommended to do the entire program). While certainly can't hurt to try it, I'd be wary of wasting the time and effort doing it without the OT in combination - so that the OT can address the specific changes you're trying to make. The way I understand it, the listening therapy helps facilitate changes in the brain, but it would be so much more effective to have those changes stimulated during the listening therapy.

FWIW, my ds6 (who was around 4.5 at the time) made great strides in speech over the brief course of the combination therapy. It was a short, intensive course - a month of 3x per week, then a month off, then a month of 2x per week (total 20 sessions). His teacher and speech therapist were happy with the progress. But I think that had more to do with some sort of undefined auditory processing component to his SPD than to the OT for motor issues - but honestly the whole thing is still very confusing on the how's and why's and I did not feel like I had a lot of concrete answers even when I asked the head of the clinic herself (Dr. Miller, author of Sensational Kids). I think in part that's because there isn't enough solid research on this stuff yet.

Anyway, listening therapy is worth a try. I would say that it wasn't for a few months that we were really able to discern the progress. In the middle of it, it was hard to tell. My dd8 (then 6.5) also did the combination therapy and we were very pleased with the results - in her case, afterward it really helped her ability to execute her vision therapy exercises - her vision therapist was really shocked at the difference it had made (we started vision therapy briefly but then stopped, in order to do the combination therapy, because the schedule was so hectic; then we re-started vision after the OT was completed).

If you aren't interested in the home version, check that website for practicioners in your area. Just so you know, listening therapy is a rather controversial subject, though we were happy with it.

I'm not familiar with the particular listening program you mention. I'd want to make triple sure that it is a good one - apparently there are various "imitators" out there on the internet to avoid.

Thank you, my DS's OT recommended the listening therapy. I am unsure how it all works; but it seems to make sense in theory. We have not been consistent in using it because our home was in remodeling mode, and we were supposed to do some of it at our house (under strict conditions). The OT recommended holding off until the environment became more soothing again. He likes the music a lot; so that is helpful. You can tell when the peppier music comes on because he starts to wiggle his buns a bit. Thanks again. Hopefully it will help him bring things together.

Hi snowgirl,

Would you please give a price range for the integrated listening home program? I have heard good things about Therapeutic Listening from our old OT. I have heard that it is stronger than The Listening Program, which is a similar program. Thanks.

I think the Integrated Listening home program was around $500-600 (maybe it was $600 including tax). That was over a year ago. It included 12 cds, cd player, headphones, waistband case for cd player, instruction booklet, and various activities to do while listening (a balance wheel that you stand on is the biggest one).

I'm not familiar with Therapeutic Listening.

(I pulled my invoice) The special Sennheiser 500-A headphones were $145. The belt for the cd player was $20. Our OT recommended 5 of the Therapeutic Listening cd's to start. Each either $39 or $49. My total was $385 plus shipping fom Vital Sounds. Your OT has to give you a "prescription code#" for them. Our OT is certified with this system.

I hope that they will help him. From what I've read, it just makes so much sense for my DS.

A bit of a tangeant here but the DOE in NYC is opening a new citywide gifted program in queens , great right? Well the N train runs on the same block as the school. A lot of gifted kids have sensory issues so I think this was an odd choice.

that's crazy

One other thing I ought to tell you - when my kids did listening therapy in combination with OT at the Star Center, the program was different from the home version that we bought. The difference had to do with how a group of frequencies went up and down - over the course of the individual session vs over the course of the entire program. The frequencies go up and down over the course of the individual home cds and the overall home program as well, but not in quite the same way (I wish I could remember more specifically). With OT, they were able to customize the program much more - I can't recall how the OT knew, but there were certain frequencies that my dd needed more sessions with, for example.

And while I can't recall the name of the headphones that came with the home program, they were not the bone-conduction ones that they used during OT (all OT was at a facility). I thought the bone conduction thing was kinda cool.

Good luck, I hope it helps your kids