Autism Therapy: sound therapy

definition of sound therapy: not yet defined.

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A Case Study of a Five-year-old Child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified Using Sound-Based Interventions
Occupational Therapy International, by Nwora, AJ, and Gee BM, published in 2009, summarized Apr 17, 2009

Listening therapy may help children with autism with sensory processing, listening, and language skills.

Occupational therapists (OT) often use sensory integration therapy as a main approach when treating children with autism. Sensory integration therapy takes a wide range of forms, one of which is listening therapy/sound therapy. There are very few studies that look to see if listening therapy helps children with autism. The aim of this case study was to see if The Listening Program would help a five-year-old boy with autism. In this case, listening therapy was chosen to reduce sensory sensitivity enhance language use and improve functional behavior.


Brief Report: The Effects of Tomatis Sound Therapy on Language in Children with Autism
J Autism Dev Disord, by Corbett, BA, Shickman K., and Ferrer E., published in 2008, summarized Apr 24, 2008

Listening therapy does not appear to help children with autism learn language.

This study was designed to see if the Tomatis version of listening therapy could help the language of children with autism. The study looked at ability to speak as well as ability to understand. The authors did not find a difference between those children who received listening therapy and those who received a placebo. The study had only 11 children and the children had different levels of language. Therefore, the authors were not able to tell if maybe listening therapy works better for children who have more or less language.

Dr. Gerritsen of San Felipe del Agua, Mexico wrote a letter in response to the study. In the letter she described errors in the research. Dr. Corbett answered that indeed the study was small, but the data from the study suggest that there is no reason to spend more money researching the effect of the Tomatis method.


Auditory Integration Training and Other Sound Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review
Arch Dis Child, by Sinha, Y., Silove N., Wheeler D., and Williams K., published in 2006, summarized Jan 27, 2007

There is no scientific support for the use of listening therapy in people with autism.

Many people with autism are sensitive to sounds and several treatments have been designed to help this: auditory integration therapy (AIT), Tomatis method, and Samonas sound therapy. This systematic review was designed to see whether these treatments help people with autism. The authors note that many different types of studies have been done and it is hard to compare the different studies. In their review, however, they did not find any sign that listening therapy works. The authors did find that it is important to keep the volume of the therapy low so as not to hurt the ears.


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Music Therapist Writes Book to Help Children with Autism

Feb 28, 2012

Karen O’Connor, a long-time speech and language therapist, discovered that music therapy helped her clients with autism and other speech delays. She said she has not found a child that music therapy can't help. She has written a book, Music is the Key to Unlocking your Child’s Potential, on her experience with music therapy. The book is designed to help parents figure out which music therapy might work best with their child. She explains that music therapy can "help their children to be calmer, more communicative, interact better with other children, improve their concentration and even their balance." While her Listening Therapy Centre is only in Ireland, she would like to see music and sound therapy adopted internationally.

Read original article: New Therapy Music to Ears for Kids with Speech Delay


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Free Sound Therapy Home Programme

Jan 21, 2010 by Anonymous

Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a French otolaryngologist, is recognised as the modern day originator of sound or music therapy. In the early 1950's he developed an effective therapy method using altered music to treat conditions such as auditory processing disorder, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and autism. Another French doctor, Dr. Guy Bérard, developed a similar method, Auditory Integration Training (AIT), which has found many followers in the USA. From personal experience I know that many clients report improvements in understanding, speech, balance, behaviour and emotional well-being after just two or three weeks of daily sound therapy.

 Sensory Activation Solutions (SAS) is an organisation with Centres in the U.K. and Turkey that provides a unique service for children and adults that face learning or developmental difficulties. When the established educational, psychological or medical services fail to provide adequate support, the SAS methodology often can provide practical solutions that result in noticeable improvements in daily life.

 You may be interested to check out their Free Sound Therapy Home Programme. Their Auditory Activation Method builds on the pioneering work of Dr. Tomatis and Dr. Bérard and has been specifically developed with the aim to improve sensory processing, interhemispheric integration and cognitive functioning. It has helped many children and adults with a wide range of difficulties, ranging from dyslexia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to sensory processing disorders and autism. It is not a cure or medical intervention, but a structured training programme that can help alleviate some of the debilitating effects that these conditions can have on speech and physical ability, daily behaviour, emotional well-being and educational or work performance.

 There is no catch, it's absolutely free and most importantly often effective. Check it out at: http://www.sascentre.com/uk/uk_free.html.

 




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