Auditory Processing

Hearing is detecting sound. Listening is processing sound. To make sense of sound, your brain need to process, understand and respond (the essence of auditory processing). 

Here’s a simple auditory processing example:

You call your child to come to dinner, but he doesn’t move. If his hearing is fine, he may not be understanding what you’re expecting of him. As a result, he cannot formulate an appropriate response. This is not a lack of compliance or bad behavior. If he’s reprimanded, he now has two problems: he doesn’t understand the verbal request and the adults are angry with him. 

This is not limited to children. I have seen successful adults lose track of conference room meetings or conversations. How many times do you hear people complain that their partners don’t listen to them? It’s very difficult to excel in academic, social, and business situations when you have auditory processing issues. People misunderstand and think you’re disinterested or worse. 

Tomatis is an individualized sound training program that works on auditory processing issues on multiple levels. Using the Tomatis system, a highly trained practitioner can control the sound simulations’ arrival to the ear and the bone, creating a series of surprises for the brain. The brain in turn adjusts resulting in better auditory processing. 

Tomatis sound training is a highly specialized practice. It’s important to know the level of expertise or training of a practitioner, as each level confers a new set of skills. Listen for Change uses the skills of a level 4 practitioner, the highest credential in Tomatis training. 

If you or someone you care about: 

• Doesn’t turn when their name is called
• Finds some sounds uncomfortable or overwhelming 
• Doesn’t follow directions
• Has trouble staying connected to conversations or meetings

An auditory processing issue may be a factor, we would like to try to help.