We've started The Listening Program. What is it? What does it do? Is it helping?

Let's explore this in a three-part blog.

Two weeks ago we started LuLu on The Listening Program (TLP) through her private occupational therapist. This is an auditory stimulation program that trains the auditory system to accurately process sound. It is administered at home in two 15-minute sessions each day. This is our second full week on it and we are noticing some subtle changes (both positive and not-so-positive).

In the positive department we have noticed that LuLu's articulation is a bit more clear at times (when she's not tired or anxious). She also claims that noises aren't bothering her as much. But a lessened sensitivity to noise has been happening for the last several weeks and the hyperbaric treatments have to be given partial credit for that.

The not-so-positive changes are in the area of emotionality. We had been warned by the OT, so aren't surprised. But we have a crying child on our hands. She finds everything sad -- TV, conversations, memories -- especially right after using the program. Oh, and the tears! But for a child who didn't actually have tears for nearly 4 years in our home (just raging, not crying), tears are still a welcomed sight and an opportunity to be cuddled as she cries. She was crying a great deal after her last listening session last night about how horrible her "babysitters" had been to her this weekend -- grin to Nancy and Kelly -- and how much she missed me. But I digress...

The Listening Program is one of a handful of music-based auditory retraining interventions based on the works of Dr. Alfred Tomatis. The Tomatis method itself is still used my numerous practitioners, as is another intervention called Auditory Integration Training (AIT) by Dr. Guy Berard. TLP differs from these two in that it is a home-based program, done over a longer period of time (8 weeks or more). The main advantages are that it is cost-effective and allows for great flexibility in scheduling. TLP needs to be done under the direction of a trained professional (usually an occupational therapist or speech therapist, but sometimes an educator or other therapist).

Another advantage from our perspective with LuLu is the slow-go approach of TLP. AIT is an oft-touted auditory processing intervention and helps numerous children. But it is an intense amount of listening and while it often produces very fast results, it can also produce very fast negative reactions as well. It looks so far anyway, like the slow-go approach will be the wiser one for LuLu, at least until she is able to calm a bit of the emotionality this type of retraining brings with it.