The Autism Center of Pittsburgh is now offering the Therapeutic Listening Program!
Call the Autism Center of Pittsburgh at (412) 364-1886 to register. Space is VERY LIMITED!
What is therapeutic listening?
A large part of the sensory information received by the brain comes from what we hear. Balance, coordination, language, movement of our bodies, sleep/wake cycles, attention, and social skills are all affected by our hearing. When listening does not develop well, problems in the way we relate to our environment and other people can develop. Often, children with autism can greatly benefit from a listening program to improve regulation of sensory information.
Therapeutic Listening is the use of electronically altered music on CDs in combination with sensory integration activities. The program uses a variety of CDs that are designed to target different areas of weakness. Some of these include: feeding, attention, toilet training, fear of loud noises, postural control, coordination, handwriting, speech/oral motor, social skills, self-regulation, organized behavior, and visual motor integration. The use of sound and music is so intimately connected to movement that children on listening programs are often compelled to move and explore their environment in new ways.
Therapeutic Listening is combined with a complete treatment program that includes family and caregiver education and implementation of a sensory activity diet. This treatment can have a significant impact on the client’s functional abilities. Call the occupational therapy department of the Autism Center of Pittsburgh to find out more information about how this program may benefit your child.
Details
For services at the Center — Your child must have an occupational therapy evaluation prior to gaining insurance approval for the program, and must not be receiving occupational therapy services elsewhere. (Or you can terminate services at another provider to come to us.)
Because of the expense of the CD’s, and the requirement of home use, Aspire Pediatric Therapy has purchased many of the CD’s, and will loan them to families for a nominal fee. The headphones, however, must be purchased for $140. (These are a particular type of headphone that must be used for the program. CD rental and headphones are the
only expense if your insurance picks up the cost of the program.
Private Pay — If your insurance will not cover the program, we have set up a reasonable consultation program so the Therapeutic Listening Program can be done at home. The consultation evaluation is $150, with a fee of $60 for each additional consultation visit. (This is much less expensive than programs elsewhere.) Each parent will be given a home instruction plan and support for the length of the program. No other facility offers this level of support.
Results You May See With the Therapeutic Listening Program
Self-Regulation
- Improvement in sleeping
- Reduction of sensory defensive behaviors
- Regulation of mood variance and arousal state
- Improvement in toilet training, especially over the age of 5 years old
- Increased regularity of hunger and thirst cycles
- Improved focus and attention
Postural Tone/Postural Attention
- Establishment of body midline
- Ability to sustain active posture on stable and dynamic surfaces
- Improved cocontraction around shoulders and hips
- Active use of rotation in movement patterns
Motor Control
- Use of bilateral motor patterns
- Emergence of praxis
- Improved articulation
- Improved fine motor skill
Spatial-Temporal Organization
- Improved timing of motor execution
- Improved timing of social interactions
- Discrimination of dimensionality and directionality of spatial concepts
- Improved ability to maneuver through space
- Improved handwriting and visual motor skill
Communication
- Greater range of non-verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication matches communicative intent
- Greater emotional expressiveness
Call the Autism Center of Pittsburgh at (412) 364-1886 to register. Space is VERY LIMITED!
