Lighthouse Project The Listening Program

Adapted from: Information presented at "Listening With the Whole Body: With Sheila Frick and Colleen Hacker, 1999&2000.




The Lighthouse Project is a pediatric occupational therapy clinic specializing the in the use of sensory integration modalities to treat children's sensory motor development difficulties. Sensory integration treatment has been used for over 30 years throughout the country and is growing in many other parts of the world. During the past 10-15 years this knowledge base has grown tremendously and S.I. treatment is accepted as part of the mainstream practice by pediatric OT practitioners. This approach utilizes tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular, oral motor and visual senses.

The one sense which has not been addressed is the auditory sense. Some occupational therapists have been including the auditory channels via a therapeutic listening program with specialized headphones and specially modulated music on compact discs. Many therapist have been using this program for over 8 years and have had some very promising and often remarkable results in a relatively short period of time. All of the current information from their work involves individual case studies and anecdotal written and verbal repots from parents. This program is a new treatment approach and is cutting edge rather than mainstream.

Statistical research on this program is starting to emerge however at this time no statistical validation of its effectiveness is confirmed. Recently, the clinic director Kohar Enemark, has become a certified provider of The Listening Program through Advance Brain Technology. The program has tremendous potential and therefore have decided to begin offering this treatment to our students.

The historical development of the listening techniques is extensive and incorporates the work of Alfred Tomatis and Dr. Guy Berard. Many researchers consider the listening to be a form of sensory integration therapy that uses sound vibration to stimulate the brain processing. There are many theories as to why the Listening program works including the close connection between the ear and voice, language, and emotional and psychological development. It is felt the movement that occurs in the structures of the ear in response to the vibration of sound has a tremendous effect on the total brain functioning. Information about time and space is conveyed and internal rhythms are influenced.

This a dynamic home program which involves listening to specifically modulated music through head phones. The sounds are modulated and filtered by electronic means. A specifically tailored listening program is developed for each child and may incorporate several CDs. The program often involves listening 2 times per day for up to 30 minutes. The program may last for a minimum of 4 weeks and up to several months. It requires a strong commitment of the parents to carryout the program. As the child progresses in response to the Listening Program , changes in music selection and protocol are often recommended. (This information was adapted from OT4Kids, Belmont, CA, 2000.)


All of the senses (touch, movement, smell, taste, hearing, and vision) facilitate an individual's understanding of the world and enhance skill development. Sensory processing problems impact the mastery of gross and fine motor skills, language processing and social/ emotional development. Dysfunction in one or a combination of the senses can impact many areas of development. Many researchers consider "listening" to be a form of sensory integration that uses sound vibration to stimulate brain processing.

Historically, listening techniques began with Alfred Tomatis, a French ENT physician. His method (the Tomatis Method) is based upon filtering sound and the effects of high frequency sounds for varying lengths of time. Dr. Guy Bernard, a French medical doctor, trained with Dr. Tomatis and felt the original method was too lengthy. He developed Auditory Integration Training (AIT) to treat people with auditory processing problems. AIT predominantly uses filtered pop music in which sound frequencies are electronically distorted/ modulated at random intervals for random periods of time. Advance Brain Technology (ABT) studied the work of Dr. Tomatis. In an effort to make the listening more available, they created the The Listeing Program based on Dr. Tomatis methods.

All listening techniques involve listening to specifically modulated music through headphones. The sounds are modulated and filtered by electronic means. Tomatis progressively filters out low frequency sounds for varying lengths of time. In the Bernard method, the sound frequencies are distorted/ modulated at random intervals for random periods of time. Both Tomatis and Bernard methods are costly, time intensive, and are dependent upon a treatment facility. The ABT method is available on compact disks that can be used on disc players with good quality headphones and can be done in the home as well as a treatment facility or school.

There are many theories as to "why" Listening works. Tomatis originally focused on the ear's language develops with hearing, Bernard focuses on the language system in behavior. The rational behind the ABT is as follows: "The Music based auditory stimulation of the listening program is a structures program of sound stimulation delivered with specific frequency, intensity and duration to promote changes in the vestibulocochlear system. The Listening program is intended to exercises the middle ear, affect both cochlea and the vestibular apparatuses, stimulate auditory neurons with their characteristic frequencies and stimulate the conduction of the impulses along neural pathways involving sub cortical and cortical structures. With this intended purpose the program attempt to offer the vestibulocochlear system carefully orchestrated stimulation to promote the processing of sounds without distortion. Reliable and accurate sound processing is foundational for the effective learning, communication and doing".






For further information and initial consult please contact Kohar Enemark
Lighthouse Project (408) 871-8711 or email: kohar@thelighthouseproject.com