Sound Therapy
Albert Tomatis - Listening & Learning - Theories - Research - Sound Therapy
Research Studies
(The following is taken from the web site: www.tomatis.com)
This Tomatis Method has been tested rigorously and has been found to be effective in the treatment of learning difficulties and behavior problems
In 1999, Tim Gilmor published a meta analysis based on five studies involving 231 children. The study was published in the International Journal of Listening, a peer reviewed journal. A meta analysis is a very powerful statistical tool, extensively used in medical research. It allows the researcher to combine the data from several studies, and arrive at more definite conclusions than the original studies. The study showed that the Tomatis Method significantly improves:
Ø Linguistic skills
Ø Psychomotor skills
Ø Personal and social adjustment skills
Ø Cognitive skills
Ø Auditory skills
The Tomatis Center in Toronto, Canada, also studied the results of the listening therapy on over 400 children and adolescents. They all had well-documented histories of learning problems, as well as a pattern of under achievement on psycho-educational tests. The parents graded the results of the treatment. In this test, 95% of the parents responded that the program had helped their children. The parents saw improvements in the following areas:
| Skill or Ability |
Percent of Improvement |
| Greater communication abilities | 89% |
| Better attention span | 86% |
| Frustration level decreases | 80% |
| Reading comprehension increased | 85% |
| Quality of speech improved | 74% |
| Memory improved | 73% |
| Better spelling aptitude | 69% |
| Showed more maturity | 84% |
In a follow-up six months after the program, 83% of those
children in the study had maintained the improvements and/or had continued to
make even further gains. An additional 14% of the children had maintained some
of the gains. Only 3% had maintained none of the improvements.
A Canadian researcher, H.A. Stutt concluded that the Tomatis Listening Program produces benefits beyond what could be expected by maturation or remedial education alone. The benefits mentioned by Stutt include:
Ø A significant increase in I.Q.
Ø Better reading skills
Ø More perceptual processing
Ø Increased academic skills
Ø A general sense of adjustment
Ø More developed communication skills
Ø A greater ability to verbally express thoughts and feelings
Dr. Joan Neysmith-Roy from the Department of Psychology in Regina has conducted a careful study with six severely autistic boys. This study confirms the clinical evidence that autistic children benefit from the Tomatis Method. “Three of the boys demonstrated positive behavior changes by the end of the treatment. One boy was no longer considered autistic; two boys showed mild symptoms of autism and three boys remained within the severely autistic range. The author suggests that the Tomatis method may be helpful in making pre-linguistic behaviors manageable and thus help prepare the child to learn basic skills necessary for the development of language and learning.”
Studies also have been conducted on stuttering, anxiety, and depression showing positive effects obtained by the Tomatis treatment.
