Therapeutic Listening for Autism Kids

Listening therapy is a controversial topic for parents with an autism child.

Therapeutic listening was adapted from the works of Guy Berard, Alfred Tomatis, and Ingo Steinbach. The programs require intensive periods of listening. Translation: time, commitment and high costs.

The most important claim listening therapy has is that it helps build neuron connections and form pathways. Children with autism have decreased neuron connections or smaller neural pathways. So using this therapy seems to make sense.

Like any therapy, sometimes therapeutic listening works and sometimes it does not. Once you start a program, you have to follow daily steps to see results. That can take months, and thousands of dollars.

We tried the least expensive route, headphones and CDs. Our occupational therapist introduced us to it and we saw some positive initial results. We bought our CDs through Vital Sounds. The program includes Sennheiser HD500A Headphones and CDs. Now get ready to gasp: the headphones are $145 and the discs run at about $16 each -- and this was the "inexpensive" route.

The music is odd unless you have sensory issues. It has at least two tracks of sounds running at once. There is a standard music track, then erratic beats, rhythms, and sounds pop in. The music seems to have quite an impact on the vestibular system. The reviewer (adult) had to sit down when listening to the music to avoid falling down.

When listening, our child becomes more focused and organized. Verbal stimming, humming and rhythmic sounds go away. There are language and eye contact improvements. It has a calming effect that lasts about two hours after the music is no longer played.

The only issue we have with Vital Sounds, and listening therapy in general, is that our autism child usually resists a new CD. He sometimes fights us on putting the headphones on too, but once he gets started, he likes it. (The refusals we get are the same tone used when not wanting to do homework). But generally, he listens to the new music when it comes in.

When it works, it's easy in-home therapy. We hook up the headphones to an i-pod shuffle and upload the music to it. The listening therapy is an easily applied therapy. We recommend trying it before purchase. Gasp.

Grade: B+

(There are parents in our area that have started a disc swap. Once you purchase the headphones, you may want contact your local autism group to see if parents have unused discs.)