Poor Listeners are Poor Learners!
What are learning disabilities?
Learning disabilities do not refer to deficiencies in intelligence, but rather to difficulties in acquiring basic academic skills such as those needed for reading, writing, listening, speaking and mathematics . Learning disabilities also refer to difficulties with speech and language disorders, such as difficulty producing speech sounds and communicating verbally .
The consequences of learning disabilities are not restricted to academia. Demoralisation and deficits in self-esteem and social skills may be associated with learning disabilities, which can translate into long term consequences such as un-employment and poor social adjustment .
Types (from the DSM-IV)
Dyslexia refers to reading problems, e.g. difficulties joining or separating sounds of words which are necessary for fluent reading
Developmental writing disorder refer to difficulties in constructing sentences with the correct syntax and neat, legible handwriting
Developmental arithmetic disorder refer to problems with identifying and manipulating and reasoning with numbers
Nonverbal learning disabilities may involve poor motor coordination, spatial awareness, social and sensory dysfunctions. It also includes difficulties with attention or memory.
The Tomatis approach to learning disabilities
If a child has problems with verbal or written language it may be due to auditory processing difficulties. There may be a dysfunction in the way their brain is processing auditory information, which affects their language as it is through listening to speech sounds that we acquire our verbal skills.
The Tomatis approach identifies some auditory processing problems which may lead to learning difficulties:
Poor sound discrimination. Poor differentiation between sounds of different frequencies e.g. between s and z, p and b, etc leads to difficulties in reading and writing. This is because, according to Tomatis, these tasks require the association of a graphic sign and its corresponding sound in a single time frame
Non-right ear dominance. The right ear should be the leading ear as sounds captured by this ear are directly transmitted to the language centre in the left brain. On the other hand, sounds captured by the left ear must go through the right brain first, thus compromising the information due to the longer circuit.
Weak or tense inner-ear muscles. Healthy muscles in the hammer and stirrup lead to optimal (accurate) transmission of sounds.
Lack of “ear energy”. High pitched frequencies stimulate the brain and provide energy, as many children with learning problems do not perceive high frequency sounds well they do not get the ear energy needed to memorize and concentrate.
How the Tomatis auditory stimulation program can help:
Research has shown that music has a powerful effect on a child’s ability to learn. Studies conducted at the University of California have shown that listening to Mozart for ten minutes temporarily boosts your IQ by up to nine points. Research conducted at the Tomatis listening centre in Toronto on over 400 children and adolescents revealed that the Tomatis method produced an increase in reading and comprehension skills in over 85% of the participants. Furthermore, 86% of children developed a marked improvement in attention and concentration skills.
Stimulation and exercise of auditory function by means of appropriate techniques can change the future of an individual who is motivated suddenly for reading and studying, developing relationships, undertakes actions which he previously uninterested! Dr. Bernard Auriol
At Wellspring Learning, we have used the Tomatis Method to treat children who experience from learning
difficulties. We are no strangers to the range of problems that can occur when a child is exercising his or her potential to learn. The kind of problems we see range from dyspraxia and dyslexia to speech delay and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders.
What makes us unique is our approach to the ear and its fundamental role in language, physical, psychological and social development. Over the past 60 years Dr Alfred Tomatis developed a new approach to the treatment of learning problems. He was also the first to realize that the desire to listen is the "royal road" for language development and communication, and provides the basis for human growth.
By making a distinction between passive hearing and active listening Tomatis was able to trace back a much overlooked cause of learning difficulties, "poor listening makes poor learning". Just as one can look without seeing, one can also hear without listening.
Listening requires the desire to focus on sounds. Tomatis identifies this lack of desire as one of the major causes of learning difficulties. He demonstrated that dyslexia and other learning difficulties may be treated by restoration of the listening abilities.
Learning disabilities do not refer to deficiencies in intelligence, but rather to difficulties in acquiring basic academic skills such as those needed for reading, writing, listening, speaking and mathematics . Learning disabilities also refer to difficulties with speech and language disorders, such as difficulty producing speech sounds and communicating verbally .
The consequences of learning disabilities are not restricted to academia. Demoralisation and deficits in self-esteem and social skills may be associated with learning disabilities, which can translate into long term consequences such as un-employment and poor social adjustment .
Types (from the DSM-IV)
Dyslexia refers to reading problems, e.g. difficulties joining or separating sounds of words which are necessary for fluent reading
Developmental writing disorder refer to difficulties in constructing sentences with the correct syntax and neat, legible handwriting
Developmental arithmetic disorder refer to problems with identifying and manipulating and reasoning with numbers
Nonverbal learning disabilities may involve poor motor coordination, spatial awareness, social and sensory dysfunctions. It also includes difficulties with attention or memory.
The Tomatis approach to learning disabilities
If a child has problems with verbal or written language it may be due to auditory processing difficulties. There may be a dysfunction in the way their brain is processing auditory information, which affects their language as it is through listening to speech sounds that we acquire our verbal skills.
The Tomatis approach identifies some auditory processing problems which may lead to learning difficulties:
Poor sound discrimination. Poor differentiation between sounds of different frequencies e.g. between s and z, p and b, etc leads to difficulties in reading and writing. This is because, according to Tomatis, these tasks require the association of a graphic sign and its corresponding sound in a single time frame
Non-right ear dominance. The right ear should be the leading ear as sounds captured by this ear are directly transmitted to the language centre in the left brain. On the other hand, sounds captured by the left ear must go through the right brain first, thus compromising the information due to the longer circuit.
Weak or tense inner-ear muscles. Healthy muscles in the hammer and stirrup lead to optimal (accurate) transmission of sounds.
Lack of “ear energy”. High pitched frequencies stimulate the brain and provide energy, as many children with learning problems do not perceive high frequency sounds well they do not get the ear energy needed to memorize and concentrate.
How the Tomatis auditory stimulation program can help:
Research has shown that music has a powerful effect on a child’s ability to learn. Studies conducted at the University of California have shown that listening to Mozart for ten minutes temporarily boosts your IQ by up to nine points. Research conducted at the Tomatis listening centre in Toronto on over 400 children and adolescents revealed that the Tomatis method produced an increase in reading and comprehension skills in over 85% of the participants. Furthermore, 86% of children developed a marked improvement in attention and concentration skills.
Stimulation and exercise of auditory function by means of appropriate techniques can change the future of an individual who is motivated suddenly for reading and studying, developing relationships, undertakes actions which he previously uninterested! Dr. Bernard Auriol
At Wellspring Learning, we have used the Tomatis Method to treat children who experience from learning
difficulties. We are no strangers to the range of problems that can occur when a child is exercising his or her potential to learn. The kind of problems we see range from dyspraxia and dyslexia to speech delay and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders.
What makes us unique is our approach to the ear and its fundamental role in language, physical, psychological and social development. Over the past 60 years Dr Alfred Tomatis developed a new approach to the treatment of learning problems. He was also the first to realize that the desire to listen is the "royal road" for language development and communication, and provides the basis for human growth.
By making a distinction between passive hearing and active listening Tomatis was able to trace back a much overlooked cause of learning difficulties, "poor listening makes poor learning". Just as one can look without seeing, one can also hear without listening.
Listening requires the desire to focus on sounds. Tomatis identifies this lack of desire as one of the major causes of learning difficulties. He demonstrated that dyslexia and other learning difficulties may be treated by restoration of the listening abilities.