Auditory Retraining Therapy can help people suffering from auditory processing problems, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, and learning disorders and can help improve their communication and social behavior by auditory stimulation, which can eliminate or reduce the severity of the disorder. The therapy was delivered based on the belief that the symptoms of these disorders are not caused by the disorder itself, but by a sensory regulation problem that begins in our most primordial sensory instrument, the inner ear.
Auditory Processing Disorder
There are 3 primary systems responsible for organising sensory input - vision, vestibular, and the cochlear systems. Together they allow us to detect and analyse sound, control movement and balance, and integrate touch, hearing and vision. iLs applies controlled stimulation to the vestibule and cochlear thus helping to improve sensory integration and the efficiency of that input into the brain.
Attention (ADHD)
The bone conduction system in the iLs system, along with specific frequency filtration in the music, stimulates the vestibular system in specific ways that improves ones ability to maintain a calm, yet alert, state. A well modulated vestibular system is imperative for the control of the nervous systems level of arousal so stimulation of this system enables individuals increased control over their own state of arousal.
The music in the iLs program contains gating which strengthens the muscles within the inner ear that are responsible for filtering out unwanted noise and focusing instead on important sounds and information, therefore improving the ability to discriminate and process sounds and also the ability to attend to what is important in the surrounding environment.
As the therapy progresses more higher frequency frequencies are introduced and emphasised (in a controlled way) which provides additional stimulation often craved by an under-attentive brain.
Anxiety
A well modulated vestibular system is necessary for control of the nervous systems level of arousal so the more the vestibular system is stimulated and activated the stronger it becomes and as a result the more control one develops over their own nervous system and its level of arousal in certain situations. A nervous system under conscious control is able to choose when to enter the fight or flight state rather than continuously residing in it, which is common for highly anxious individuals.
Sleep Issues
A well modulated vestibular system is necessary for control of the nervous systems level of arousal so the more the vestibular system is stimulated and activated the stronger it becomes and as a result the more control one develops over their own nervous system and its level of arousal in certain situations. A nervous system under conscious control is typically at rest more often than that of systems that are in a constant state of arousal, thus making it easier for these individuals to switch off at the end of the day and fall asleep.
Autism
See the iLs website for case studies for results and improvements recorded for individuals on the spectrum that have undergone therapy. Click here —>
Dyslexia / Reading Difficulties
In order to read the ears and the eyes need to work in unison. As your eyes move from letter to letter your ears translates each of the letters into its corresponding sounds. The vestibular system is responsible for coordinating the eye movements in the process and aids the synchronicity of the eyes and ears. The iLs program improves vestibular functioning thus improving synchronicity and reducing processing delays as a result. Eyes and ears that are working together effectively makes reading easier more efficient.
Auditory information enters the ear as a compilation of electrical impulses of various frequencies or varying intensities for the brain to then try make sense of and interpret into a meaningful piece of information. If the cochlear (in the inner ear) isn’t functioning properly then the brain can struggle to differentiate between the different frequencies/sounds, such as ‘P’ and ‘B’ or ‘T’ and ‘D’ disrupting the messages to the brain. the iLs program is designed to, and has been proven to, increase the functioning of the cochlear resulting in improved selectivity and ability to differentiate between these sounds. This often results in improved performance in such tasks and improved performance in the classroom and improved confidence .
If you can’t discriminate the sounds within a word properly then you aren’t able to reproduce the individual sounds in that word when spelling it either, one of the leading issues in individuals with dyslexia, Therefore if you improve the ability to differentiate the sounds then you often see improvements in spelling and associated symptoms of dyslexia as this sound confusion improves.
Speech Problems
It is commonly thought that you are only able to produce frequencies in your speech that you are able to hear in your ear and vice versa. Therefore if you retrain the ear and its associated pathways then it will have a carryover effect on the voice as a result.
Self Regulation
“The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls many organs and muscles that work in an involuntary, reflexive manner. The ANS is important in 2 situations: emergencies that require us to “fight” or to take “flight” (the sympathetic SNS) and non-emergencies that allow us to “rest and digest” (the parasympathetic PNS). The iLs’ auditory program stimulates the parasympathetic system through the vagus nerve (afferent fibers on the eardrum and in the outer ear canal) which descends from the brain all the way to the intestinal tract. The vagus nerve influences our heart rate, sweating, mouth and throat muscles involved in speech, as well as our bowels and digestion. Many children and adults beginning iLs programs are in a state of hyper-arousal, not far from “fight or flight”. The gentle stimulation of the PNS brings about a balance of the ANS which is reflected by increased calm and self-regulation.”
- the iLs website