| There
are many
reasons why people decide to use The Listening Program TM. Most of those
reasons relate
to the difficulties that individuals have when auditory processing
skills
are weak or are less than they could be. The most obvious ones
are
having academic struggles, difficulties with speech and
communications, and problems remembering what we hear. But
it's not common knowledge that auditory skills relate to a great many
other areas of our lives. This page gives some explanation of the
relationships of auditory skills to many other life functions. |
| First,
however, it is important to recognize the relationship between sensory
abilities and the brain. We take in information through our
senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and
smelling. Unless the correct actions take place in the
brain, we are not able to perceive and properly make use of the
information from our senses. |
| "In
a fairly old piece of research from the 70s Torsten Wiesel and David
Hubel sewed shut one eye of newborn kittens. Two weeks later the eyes
were opened. Although anatomically perfect, the eyes that had been sewn
shut could not see.
It
was the
most vivid evidence that there are critical stages of development
in which the brain needs the right kind of OUTSIDE
stimulation to teach brain cells how to do their jobs.
In this case it was vision. But it is also true for other functions
including auditory processing and speech.
During
critical
developmental periods, brain cells that normally process vision do not
learn
how to do so if no visual stimuli come in to activate them. They either
go
off to perform another job, such as helping to process information
coming
in through the uncovered eye, or they shrivel and die.
This
discovery had an immediate impact on children who are born with
cataracts. Doctors used to wait until the children were older and
stronger before removing the cataracts. They found, to their dismay,
that while the children's eyes were perfect, they couldn't see. The
same thing that had happened to Wiesel's and Hubel's cats was happening
to these children.
Learning
that early visual stimulation was essential for the cells in the visual
cortex to be able to see, surgeons began removing cataracts as soon
after birth as possible. Today thousands of children born with
cataracts have sight who otherwise wouldn't."
|
| So
what other kinds of human functions does this affect? Over forty
years ago, Dr. Alfred Tomatis, made a series of groundbreaking
discoveries about the role of the ear and hearing in brain development
and organization. He showed that our auditory nerve
is fundamental to human neurology; it helps to regulate not only balance
and spatial orientation, but even vision and our tactile
senses.
Read more about Dr. Tomatis' theories and discoveries. |
| Whatever the
reasons for auditory processing
deficits: ear infections, brain injury, genetic
factors, etc., if there is a
time during critical developmental stages when the auditory stimuli
doesn't
come in or can't come in, the brain cells that normally process hearing
do not learn how to do so. The result is a deficit in the brain's
ability to process auditory information. |
|
We cannot reproduce what we cannot hear.
|
|
| Another
factor
comes to mind regarding information the author remembers hearing when
her own children were babies. While bottle feeding a baby, it is
important to alternate holding the baby on each side equally.
This
is because the baby's outside ear (the ear away from you) receives more
auditory stimulation during feeding. This happens automatically
when
nursing a baby because mothers usually alternate sides for
breastfeeding.
The transverse is also true: the inside ear (the ear held against
the body) doesn't get enough auditory stimulation, with a similar
result
as the kittens whose eyes were sewn shut. |
The
Listening Program® (TLP) is a music listening therapy that provides
engaging brain stimulation to improve performance in school, work and
life. Learn more about TLP, who it benefits, and the touching stories
professionals and families share about their experience using this
life-changing program.
|
| Why does The
Listening Program TM help? |
| The
Listening ProgramTM uses advantages of the plasticity factor, a
term that scientists use to describe the brain's amazing ability to
constantly change its structure and function in response to experiences
coming in from the outside.1 Listening to the CDs in The
Listening ProgramTM literally exercises and tones
tiny muscles in the ear and helps build stronger multi-sensory pathways
in the brain. The brain receives especially rich auditory
stimulation, and its ability to process sound improves. |
| The
Listening ProgramTM is designed to help balance, strengthen, and restore
our ability to listen to and process sounds across the full auditory
spectrum, from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This can result in striking improvements
across the human continuum, from academic performance to emotional
balance . |
| The
following are human functions which are related to auditory processing.
It is common that having even a few of these difficulties can cause
great concern. Using The Listening ProgramTM can help in each of these
areas: |
Receptive
listening
This is
the listening that is directed outward. It keeps us attuned to
the world around us, to what's going on at home, at work, or in the
classroom.
__
short attention span
__
distractibility
__
oversensitivity to sounds
__
misinterpretation of questions
__
confusion of similar sounding words
__
frequent need for repetition
__
inability to follow sequential instructions |
Expressive
listening
This is
the listening that is directed within. We use it to control our
voice when we
speak and sing.
__
flat
and monotonous voice
__
difficulties with speech
__
weak
vocabulary
__
poor
sentence structure
__
overuse of stereotyped expressions
__
inability to sing in tune and in general musical ability
__
confusion or reversal of letters
__
poor
reading comprehension
__
poor
reading aloud
__
poor
spelling
__
difficulty learning foreign languages |
Motor skills
The ear
of the body (the vestibule), which controls balance, coordination, and
body image, also needs close attention.
__
poor
posture
__
fidgety behavior
__
clumsy, uncoordinated movements
__
poor
sense of rhythm
__
messy handwriting
__
hard
time with organization, structure
__
confusion of left and right
__
mixed dominance
__
poor
sports skills |
The level of
energy
The ear
acts as a dynamo, providing us with the energy we need to survive and
lead fulfilling lives.
__
difficulty getting up in the morning
__
habit of procrastinating
__
hyperactivity or hypoactivity
__
tendency toward depression
__
feeling overburdened with everyday tasks |
Behavior and
social adjustment
A
listening difficulty is often related to these:
__
low tolerance for frustration
__
poor
self-confidence
__
shyness
__
anxiety
__ depression
__
difficulty making friends
__
tendency to withdraw, avoid others
__
irritability
__
immaturity
__
low motivation, no interest in school / work
__
negative attitude toward school / work |
