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Turn Up the Volume on Learning with Music and Sound
Most children have become accustomed to the steady stream of the ongoing soundtrack of daily life. However, for some, normal sounds such as that of a bus driving by, the ticking of a clock, children talking and yelling in the next room or the ring of school bells can all cause anxiety and are all common concerns for kids with auditory processing challenges. Even routine noises such as public toilets flushing can be scary or bothersome for some kids. Luckily there is a simple yet effective program called Therapeutic Listening.
“Therapeutic Listening is an expansion of Sensory Integration. It is an auditory intervention that uses the organized sound patterns inherent in music to impact all levels of the nervous system.” Just by listening to these specially modulated CDs at home, your child will become less sensitive to loud sounds and will learn to filter out extraneous noises. Therapeutic Listening stipulates that the child listen to the music 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon 5 out of 7 days per week. This program is wonderful for preparing children for the high expectations that school places on their auditory systems. For example, children need to filter out the whispers and shuffling of their classmates and the sounds from outside, in order to listen to their teacher’s instructions. Please ask your child’s occupational therapist for more information on the Therapeutic Listening program.