I have recently completed advanced certification in sensory integration and feel that auditory processing is a key to sensorimotor development that has not yet been utilized to its capacity to facilitate function in children. It is felt, within our profession that there is a strong correlation in how all of our senses interpret incoming information and that the auditory and vestibular system are truly interrelated. (The vestibular system is the system that interprets unconscious information in regard to equilibrium, gravity, movement and changes of position in space. The receptors are located in the semicircular canals in the inner ear.) This system along with visual, tactile and proprioceptive are integral systems that OT's tap into to provide a sensory integrative approach to promote motorical development.

- R. B., Occupational Therapist

This past March I attended my 7 year old daughter's spring parent-teacher conference. As a parent and a professional with 15 years devoted to special education, I was aware of my daughter's high energy level. I also recognized her intelligence and have tracked her receptive and expressive language skills since infancy. As she has always scored and functioned above average for her age, I have not worried about her academic performance. Well, this conference took me by surprise! Although, Lauren (my daughter) was showing academic progress during the year her citizenship grades reportedly needed work. She received Satisfactory to Satisfactory-minus marks for the following standards:

1. obeys classroom rules
2. avoids needless talking
3. shows self-control
4. listens to and follows directions
5. keeps belongings neat and orderly

This was followed by the teacher encouraging me to visit our Pediatrician to discuss a treatment program based on medication. At this point in the conference I almost fell out of my "teeny, tiny chair!" My first thought was to react like a mother. A flood of emotions ran through my body and I basically left the conference in a daze. After a cool-down period, my professional side kicked into gear and I had a thought: The Listening Program !!!!

Medication would be a last resort for me and at the time was not even a consideration. So I plugged her in twice each day for 8 weeks. She did not miss even one session. I was desperate for results and would make no compromises. She was a trooper, and to my surprise actually liked it! What a change... we were heavily into the Backstreet Boys at the time.

I felt we were seeing a calming effect at home, but the true test would be at school. I told her teacher I was starting an intervention program and asked her to fill out the Listening Checklist for Children and Adults. She did this and we were off. A few months later I chaperoned a fieldtrip to a children's museum. I was able to observe my daughter with her classmates listening to an hour long story with explanations of artwork. She appeared to me to be sitting and listening attentively. The teacher walked up to me and said that she had seen a complete turn around in Lauren's classroom behavior (for the better) and asked me if we were using herbal drops. I said, "No, The Listening Program ." This would generate further discussion later.

I went home on cloud nine! Wow, we did it!

Two weeks later I received my daughter's final report card in the mail. It read as follows:

1. obeys classroom rules - OUTSTANDING
2. avoids needless talking - OUTSTANDING
3. shows self-control - OUTSTANDING
4. listens to and follows directions- OUTSTANDING
5. keeps belongings neat and orderly - OUTSTANDING

What can I say? From the bottom of personal and professional heart.

- L. K., Parent

As a psychotherapist working with kids and adults with emotional and learning difficulties, I am amazed and delighted with the accelerated progress they make when I incorporate The Listening Program into their treatment. Thanks to The Listening Program I'm seeing brightened affect, anxiety relief, mood stabilization and enhancement, maturity of voice tonality, improved self esteem, fibromyalgia symptom relief, and autistic behavior and communication management and improvement among many other steps toward well being.

- A. N., Psychotherapist

I have found The Listening Program to be one of the easiest programs to implement both from a clinician point of view and as a parent. The kids often ASK to listen and really enjoy it, especially the nature sound tracks.

- J. M., Parent

My experience with The Listening Program has been positive on all accounts. My patients, ranging from young children with autism, school-age children with learning disabilities and adults with aphasia following stroke, have made progress that I directly attribute to having The Listening Program as part of the treatment regimen.

- M. N., Doctor

I am able to use the The Listening Program in its flexible design as a strong adjunct to occupational therapy that uses a classical sensory integration and neuropsychology orientation. Depending on the severity of the client's challenges, I am able to use the program right at the beginning, midstream, or after the intensive management of sensory integration and modulation disorders along with co-morbidities such as obsessive compulsive disorders, phobic reactions, ADD with or without Hyperactivity among other diagnoses.

- R. Carrasco

I have had fantastic success using The Listening Program with my clients. I currently have 20 clients working or in the process of beginning the program. I love watching how each program unfolds a whole new world for the children and becomes uniquely individual to each one. - M. P., Therapist

I am finding The Listening Program useful as an adjunct to Neurofeedback for clients with auditory processing deficits or auditory sensitivity. The Sensory Integration CD is especially helpful with our autistic and developmentally delayed clients. I appreciate the high technical and artistic quality of the sound. And the guidebook provides very complete explanations and directions for use, making supervision easy.

- S. O., Doctor

My Center has been a provider of The Listening Program since August 2001 and we have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the product, from the provider training, to our personal use of the program, to instructing and delivering the product to our clientele. Some of the results have been astounding. Overall, it has been well received by everyone. We love how parent friendly and professional the packaging and product delivery is. Every student we have started on the program has successfully used it with parents finding it to be a special part in their child's day. It is well organized and takes the guess work out of program planning. The questions, 'Is it too much or not enough?' and 'Where do I begin?' don't come into play.

- L. K., Therapist

We have found The Listening Program to be a very unique and effective home based program for retraining the auditory system and auditory perception problems. We often use The Listening Program in conjunction with other treatment modalities such as neurofeedback to help improve listening skills and auditory attention.

- K. F., Therapist

The Listening Program has been an incredibly welcome addition to my OT practice. Families say: 'I can't thank you enough!' 'Suddenly, she was a new child!' 'I feel like I am talking to somebody, not to a wall.' His attention span has improved dramatically."

- A. M., Occupational Therapist