Discovering A Non Traditional Listening Therapy And Program

By Amy Watson


When looking for therapies for an autistic child, parents have a number of options. One of the newest is that of a Non traditional listening therapy. While there are a number of different therapies and programs of this nature, some are better than others. In most cases, these are known as auditory integration therapies.

In most cases, these programs and therapies fall under the umbrella of audio integrated therapies. While there are several, two of the most popular are Tomatis and Somonas, each involve listening to a series of different sounds on a repetitive basis. After which, some children have shown more progress than others though there has been very little evidence that any such programs has been effective on a long term basis.

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics claim these therapies have no merit and at times can do more harm than good. At the same time, there are parents, teachers and therapists whom have seen positive results. As such, it is up to parents and professionals to determine whether or not these type programs could be of benefit to a child based on overall health and other factors.

As with all programs and therapies, some children respond better than others. It is for this reason that most programs offered in this area are still on a trial basis. One reason that there is skepticism is due to the cost of the equipment and therapies associated with these type therapies such as headphones, specialized CD players, CDs and other equipment. Whereas, if the material was to be made available online, then anyone with an internet connection could simply listen to audio with a pair of earplugs and without having to purchase a number of products to complete a program.

Other questions people have is if these programs are prohibitively expensive, or if all autistic children have access to the material. In addition, a number of parents want to see evidence that the programs and therapies have worked for other autistic children in the past. In some cases, therapists will try to build this type therapy into ongoing sessions and attempt to sell parents a number of expensive associated products.

While most suggest this is not a good idea, it is up to each parent to consult with a therapist to determine if the therapy is a good addition to an ongoing therapeutic regiment. In addition, there are also times when a parent may need to check with a primary care provider in relation as to whether completing this type therapy is appropriate for a child with other health issues.

In a lot of areas, therapists and parents are drawn to these type therapies by professionals whom care more about money than clients. As such, it is important that before beginning a program or therapy in this area to check the legitimacy of the practitioner and ask to see proven results. For while not all can cause harm, most drain income and time from interested parties on an ongoing basis.

In some cases, these programs can have negative effects on children, especially those with autism. For, if given hope that life can be less difficult after completing a program, and that does not come to pass, a child can be emotionally damaged. As a result, the child may start showing signs of anxiety and depressive behaviors not present prior to undergoing one of these type therapies or programs.




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