Sound Therapy for Children with Hearing Loss
In the world of hearing impairment very little attention is given to the possibility of actually improving natural ear function.
Today, parents of hearing impaired children are well informed about hearing aids and special educational options but not much attention is paid to the question of whether the child’s hearing could be improved through natural means. With the greater emphasis on prevention and holistic care moving into many fields of health, it is time to explore what can be done to help the ear function better.
Rafaele Joudry, founder and Director of Sound Therapy International Pty Ltd is the author of two books on Sound Therapy and a booklet for children entitled Listening Helps Learning. Rafaele has a commitment to assisting adults and children to improve their hearing and learning ability through natural means.
“Improved aural functioning is a possibility for some children and adults if the right supportive therapies are given,” says Rafaele. Her research has indicated that in some cases chiropractic treatment or cranial osteopathy can have a major impact on hearing loss in a child. A misalignment of the neck or cranial damage from birth can put undue pressure on the cranial nerves which can be quickly remedied with a few treatments.
Nutrition is also an important factor in hearing. All organs depend on the right balance of nutrients, enzymes and minerals for their optimum functioning. Ensuring these are available at all stages of development is particularly crucial when assisting a child with a sensory deficiency such as hearing loss. According to Rafaele, the ear is a very nutrient rich organ which needs high concentrations of anti oxidants and the right balance of trace minerals to work at optimum function. The difficulty of getting children to eat all the right foods is well known, so Sound Therapy International also recommends a selection of supplements to complement the Sound Therapy program. If young people get the right nutrients this has been found to have significant impact on hearing levels in some cases.
The most specific and relevant therapy for hearing improvement is Sound Therapy. The French ear specialist, Dr AA Tomatis developed, throughout his lifetime, a listening program which assists ear function and auditory perception. The program, known simply as Sound Therapy is now used or recommended by almost two hundred practitioners in Australia. It can be used at home or school, while travelling, sleeping, reading or during other normal daily activities. Different practitioners find a variety of uses and benefits for the program.
Julia Dive, a mum and casual tutor says:
“I’m passionate about Sound Therapy because it works, because it helps my son and because it helps me and I think because of the way I came into working with children with learning problems. The direction I took with that is fairly unique.
Sound Therapy fits in really well with all the other things I’ve learned about the vestibular system and how important your balance and all your other senses are in learning to read and write. If you don’t have certain things in place, reading and writing becomes too hard, you can’t do it. Sound Therapy helps to establish some of those pathways that for some reason or other, some children miss out on establishing.
Essentially I’m passionate about education, and so I guess I’m passionate about Sound Therapy because I see it as a prime tool for helping kids who aren’t being able to reach their educational potential.”
Helen Milbourne, a former infant primary school teacher now owns and operates the Albury/Wodonga GymbaROO Centre. Helen immediately saw many potential applications for Sound Therapy for children e.g. poor sleep, emotional and speech problems and many sensory/motor skill challenges as well as hearing issues.
The more she looked into Sound Therapy, the more she realised that by listening to this wonderful filtered music the brain is being stimulated and getting just as much of a workout as she was giving the children at GymbaROO. By offering Sound Therapy as well, she says, the children get a sort of “double whammy.”
Donna Alder, a teacher of hearing impaired children says:
“The children’s poetry tape has been a Godsend for my hearing impaired students. They love it! Their attention spans have increased dramatically since they have been listening regularly to the tape. My one very hyperactive youngster has settled down to her schoolwork because she knows she can listen to the tape as soon as she’s finished. The tape has become a reward!
It’s amazing to me that for the 35 years that I have been teaching hearing impaired children this is the first auditory training tape that uses only speech to which the children can listen comfortably. Patricia’s speech is articulate and soothing. You have chosen the poems carefully so that they are amusing and hold the children’s interest as well.”
For more information on how Sound Therapy can be applied to hearing issues for both children and adults, and how to obtain and use the program, readers are referred to the following books:
Why Aren’t I learning? by Rafaele Joudry
Sound Therapy: Music to Recharge Your Brain by Patricia Joudry and Rafaele Joudry
Triumph Over Tinnitus by Rafaele Joudry
These can be obtained through your local bookstore or from Sound Therapy International Pty Ltd.
Phone (international +612) ( Aust 02) 4234 4534 or 1300 55 77 96
info@soundtherapyinternational.com
http://www.soundtherapyinternational.com
More information:
Sound Therapy - FAQ
Will Sound Therapy help severe hearing loss? This is a difficult question as each case of hearing loss is completely unique, and so is the individual’s potential to heal. To take a position of optimism, if there is some ..... read more.
Page updated 26 May 2008
