Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON MY FIRST VISIT?
After leaving the sound proof booth, the client will next receive tests while seated in a chair in the testing suite. For the Full DETP®, the ear canals will be occluded at least two times. The person will have to sit quietly during this testing. For the Partial DETP®, a different type of testing is used which only takes a few seconds and the outside of the ear canal is only lightly touched. For those clients who have difficulty having their ears touched, parental support is required, and/or the therapy staff will support this process. For the Full DETP, a functional auditory processing test is also included. Lastly, a voiceprint is made for each person.
Once the testing is finished-Full DETP can take as short as 45 minutes to as long as 1 ¼ hours and Partial DETP can take as short as 15 minutes to as long as 35 minutes depending upon the cooperation of the child-the client (and parent) then sits down with Ms. Davis to first go over the Case History form and then the results of the test battery. A review of The Davis Model of Sound Intervention® is discussed so that the client will understand how the results are determined. Ms. Davis determines the sound therapy protocol and discusses the therapy options with the client. Then the client discusses with the Office Manager the specifics about the therapies while Ms. Davis writes the report which the client will take home.
Parents can bring toys for the child to play with and/or food to eat once the testing is finished. Some parents prefer to bring a 'support person' to be with the child while the parent is listening to the results of the testing.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD WILL NOT WEAR HEADPHONES?
This is the number one concern for parents with young children with sensory issues. We have found that by supporting (holding) the headphones on, parents and/or our therapy staff can help the child through the beginning sessions (or testing). Ms. Davis has designed a technique that helps her identify responses to sound with the headphones being held in place and often can accomplish what she needs in little time even though the child must be fussing. During therapy, the staff also supports the headphones or works on building the understanding with the child that the headphones will be left on. Our years of experience with this, accomplishes acceptance fairly quickly. Typically, by day 2 or 3 of a listening protocol, the headphones no longer become the main issue. When this is a concern for parents, they should let the office staff know in advance so that we have enough staff to support your child.
HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD TO WEAR HEADPHONES?
Although preparing a child to wear headphones isn't always necessary, it is understood that parents want to ease their child's dislikes and support them with positive experiences. Very often the child is very sensitive to the feel of the headphones and/or the direct sound received through them. In order to gently build up a tolerance to wearing headphones, the parents can begin with introducing headphones while listening to something the child enjoys. The intensity level of the music should be very soft.
Begin by putting the headphones on without sound for a very short period of time and build up the length of time over a period of days. Initially redirect the child to some other task such as playing with a favorite toy. Staying away from computers and television while introducing and listening with headphones is very important.
The type of headphone initially tried can be a Walkman headphone type. Eventually a circumaural headphone (one fitting over and around the ear) should be introduced. The headphones should also be of a very good quality. The testing earphones are tightly fitted headphones. The therapy headphones are not as tightly fitted. Gradually build up the intensity of sound through the headphones. Initially for some children, the sound may seem too soft for the adult ear but that may be the only way for the child to withstand the headphones being on. On a scale of 1 to 10, before the DETP® never increase the sound to a level louder than a 3.
WHAT IS AUDITORY INTEGRATION TRAINING (AIT)?
Auditory Integration Training (AIT) as utilized through The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® reflects any program that incorporates the concepts of Dr. Guy Berard, the French ear, nose, and throat physician who developed AIT. His concept works on the principle that if sound has been partially blocked or becomes painful, successive flexing and extensions of the middle ear muscles will increase mobility and decrease pain. This stimuli influences portions of the brain that correlate with the auditory pathways. When alternating low and high pitched sounds are introduced randomly to the auditory system, blood flow to the area is increased and the brain is also stimulated, thereby adding to the overall positive effect. This principle then is based on mechanotherapy, i.e., improvement by mechanical means.
As a client of The Davis Center, the term AIT refers to all programs using this concept. However, when attending the center for therapy one receives Berard AIT meaning the protocol and equipment for therapy follow the standards of his specific method. Ms. Davis is credentialed by BAITIS, the Berard Auditory Integration Training International Society. When our clients choose to use our home programs, we use other AIT programs, specifically FST or DAA. Both programs follow similar protocols to Berard AIT but the equipment and programming are slightly different. The outcomes are very similar.
WHY DOES AUDITORY INTEGRATION TRAINING (AIT) WORK?
Dr. Berard explains that the AIT sessions exercise the muscles in the middle ear cavity. The program apparently strengthens the muscles and improves the body's reaction to sensory overload. He feels that at some time in the person's life (in-utero, at birth, or after birth) something occurred to inhibit the body's normal reaction to sensory auditory overload and the body has not recovered.
The brain, when deprived of age appropriate stimuli, does not work to capacity. By stimulating the auditory areas of the brain, the auditory cortex reorganizes and improvement is noted. Research with animals demonstrated that the brain has the capacity to shift thresholds and rearrange circuits. It is suspected that the stimulation of the auditory areas with Dr. Berard's AIT helps with the threshold shift.
Ms. Davis, with her in-house research, has further demonstrated that AIT works specifically on re-training the acoustic reflex muscle in the middle ear. Consistently, 91% of her clients have measurably changed this muscle to work within normal limits.
WHAT DOES AIT INVOLVE?
Not everyone benefits from AIT. The Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol (DETP®) is important for determining if AIT will benefit anyone. Once the DETP® has determined that AIT is appropriate for the client, an AIT Initial Consultation is the next step. It cannot be skipped because the intake information is key for helping with the programming. The client, parent or guardian must fill out an extensive questionnaire that will be discussed at the Initial Consultation. If the initial assessment is within 6 months of the DETP®, the Hearing Sensitivity Test does not need to be redone. If the initial assessment is 9 months or beyond from the DETP®, the Hearing Sensitivity Test must be readministered. If the Initial Consultation determines that the client is a candidate for AIT, sessions can be scheduled.
AIT consists of 20 one-half hour listening sessions using special listening devices. Various music selections are chosen for their broad sound spectrum, energy and intensity. The device randomly selects high and low pass filters and amplifies and/or filters the frequencies along the sound spectrum as indicated by the results of the Hearing Sensitivity Test. The participant listens to the music through special headphones.
Sessions are twice a day for 10 days and must be separated by a minimum of three hours and extend over a two week period which can be separated by a weekend. When receiving Berard AIT, a second Hearing Sensitivity Test is performed after the first 10 sessions and the third after the 20th session. When doing the home programs, only a final Hearing Sensitivity Test is administered. Follow-up is done after three months with a special questionnaire and analysis.
IS AIT THE SAME AS THE TOMATIS® METHOD?
Absolutely not! Ms. Davis is trained in both methods. Through her own research, she has discovered that AIT works on ones "sense of hearing"-that may include hypersensitivity (hearing too well) or hyposensitivity (tuning out sound). The Tomatis® Method works more specifically on processing skills-both auditory and vestibular. It also addresses a different type of sound hypersensitivity that is not addressed with AIT. Understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the ear is very important because it is this knowledge that helps explain the difference between the two methods.
WHAT IS THE TOMATIS® METHOD?
The Tomatis® Method is only one of the methods The Davis Center uses as a Listening Training Program-The Trunk of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy®. Ms. Davis is certified as a Registered Certified Tomatis Consultant and is a member of the International Association of Registered Certified Tomatis Consultants.
By itself, The Tomatis® Method is an innovative program of sound stimulation, audio-vocal activities, and consultation, which was developed by the French physician Alfred A. Tomatis. It has been used throughout the world for over fifty years for both the correction of language, communication, and learning difficulties and for personal growth.
The Tomatis Method® does not concern itself with hearing, but with the functional, social, and psychological factors that bear on listening, communication, language, motor control, learning and health in general. Dr. Tomatis looked at Listening as the active ability, intention, and desire to focus on the sounds that we want to analyze and to reject the ones we do not want. Hearing instead, is the passive reception of sound.
The Tomatis Method® works simultaneously at 3 levels:
1. Functional: Establishing good functional use of both vestibular and cochlear listening. Vestibular: perceives and processes input of internal information through posture and body movement. Cochlear: perceives and processes input of external information through language.
2. Emotional: Establishes emotional desire to use the auditory system, not tune out.
3. Relational: Both the functional and emotional systems improve the relational aspect of the individual to self, others, and the environment.
WHAT IS "THE TOMATIS EFFECT"?
Dr. Tomatis discovered the relationship between audition and phonation. The ear/voice connection was first demonstrated by Dr. Tomatis to the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Science in 1957. His discovery was referred to as "The Tomatis Effect." It can be best demonstrated through the three laws.
Law 1: The voice only contains the harmonics that the ear can hear.
Law 2: If you give the possibility to the ear to correctly hear the distorted frequencies of sound that are not well heard, these are immediately and unconsciously restored into the voice.
Law 3: The imposed audition sufficiently maintained over time results in permanently modifying the audition and phonation.
WHAT IS "THE DAVIS ADDENDUM® TO THE TOMATIS EFFECT"?
Ms. Davis discovered a further relationship between audition, phonation and the brain. In November 2004, Ms. Davis introduced this relationship at the Acoustical Society of America as The Davis Addendum to the Tomatis Effect. She connected the frequency output of the ear, known as spontaneous otoacoustic emissions, and the irregular vocal pattern frequencies observed with vocal analysis 100% of the time. She created two additional laws:
Law 1: The ear emits the same stressed frequencies that are
emitted by the voice.
Law 2: When complementary or supplementary frequencies of
stressed frequencies are introduced via sound vibration to
the ear, vocal patterns regain coherence.
These new laws further established the voice-ear-brain connection, and encourage further research in this interpretation. They enhance the connection between the Tomatis® Method and BioAcoustics™, further clarifying the cyclical pattern of how the body uses receptive and expressive sound.
WHAT IS A LISTENING TRAINING PROGRAM?
Listening Training Programs are applied at The Trunk of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy®. They are modeled after the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis. See What is the Tomatis® Method? These programs all include stimulating the connection between the voice, the ear, and the brain and must include sound generated and sent to the body through air conduction vibration and bone conduction vibration, as well as filtered and gated music, and active voice work. These programs are brain intensive so must be done with frequency, duration and intensity to maximize the stimulation for brain change.
The initial program requires a minimum of two listening session "intensives" of 15 days each separated by a 3 to 6 week break. Each day of the intensive involves 2 hours of listening through special headsets via bone and air conduction. Clients listen to pre-programmed sounds of Mozart, Gregorian chant, and sometimes a filtering of the mother's voice, each lasting approximately 30 minutes. Sounds are modified by the equipment to filter or block specific frequencies. As clients advance through the program, listening protocols including live microphone work are included. Some clients benefit greatly from a continuation or booster program, which may last 15, 8, or 7-days spaced out over many months. Upon completion of the initial program, the consultant will determine if there is a need to continue.
WHY IS RHYTHM IMPORTANT? (THE SEED)
The universe works on precisely timed cycles or rhythmic patterns. Our natural timing or "rhythmicity" allows the human brain to: 1) plan and sequence thoughts and actions, 2) recognize that patterns exist in its environment as they occur, 3) connect actions and thought patterns with consequences as they occur, 4) perform complex problem solving activities such as copying shapes, writing words, language, social behavior, and other academics, and 5) learn from its experiences and mistakes.
The Seed of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® incorporates body rhythms as the seed because our basal body rhythms are an inherent part of how our body functions. We cannot function without our heart beating, our breathing patterns, or our cellular patterns. When our body rhythms are 'in sync', our body functions better and our brain channels our rhythmicity better. We perform better!
WHAT CAN BIOACOUSTICS™ DO FOR YOU?
Through a personal voice spectral sample and analysis, the field of BioAcoustics™ can develop a protocol of wellness management, which uses the sound frequencies emitted by the human body. These sounds are the tools for the human body to reverse its own disease. The analysis provides a report that identifies a variety of possible health challenges from musculoskeletal to emotional by reviewing the body's irregular patterns.
Each client is evaluated individually and each program is designed specifically for that person. Monitoring is done using a "best case scenario" approach as suggested by the National Institute of Health. Change is expected and monitored under the direction of the practitioner. Adjustments are made to the program based on a reassessment or until the desired results are achieved. The programs can be altered based on objective and subjective feedback from the client, evaluation, physician directives, laboratory findings and the relief and/or acceleration of symptoms. The initial time span involved can be as short as a few hours while monitoring can continue for as long as desired.
HOW TO START BIOACOUSTICS™?
BioAcoustics™ requires two visits. The Initial Evaluation consists of a general intake process and the taking of a voice spectral sample (voice print). It is important for the participant to inform the practitioner of any current medical conditions and any history of seizures. A follow-up appointment (within two weeks) is made to discuss the analysis of the voice spectral sample and to introduce the sound frequencies that will help the person make individual change. The individual is given a number of sounds to evaluate while reclining in a comfortable chair and connected to biofeedback equipment. The test sounds are generated by a patented unit called the SMADTM, (Self Management Auditory Device), a device developed by Sound Health Alternatives. The participant's responses are monitored by the BARA (BioAcoustics Research Associate, the credential necessary to administer BioAcoustics™), and the participant is asked to provide feedback regarding their physical and/or emotional reactions to determine the best frequencies. The participant's sounds are entered into a "Tone Box" and he/she takes the sounds home to be listened to through "Walkman type" headphones. The voice spectral analysis report can also be shared with the person's personal physician for review. A follow-up phone consultation is scheduled for two weeks later in order to monitor the effectiveness of the program.
With the advancement in technology, it is now possible to obtain one's voiceprint over the phone. This can eliminate one in-person appointment. The tone trials are administered in the presence of a BARA to ensure that the sound protocol is appropriate.
DO I NEED TO DO BIOACOUSTICS™ MORE THAN ONCE?
As the sounds are meant to help the individual with their well being, it is important that subsequent follow-up visits and reassessments occur. We suggest every three months. The most significant aspect of the program that influences the outcome is this re-assessment process. Monitoring and program adjustment is essential if long-term physical and emotional issues are to be influenced. Sometimes symptoms return and it is important for the participant to return to advise the practitioner immediately.
ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS TO SOUND THERAPY?
Within the process of using sound-based therapy, Ms. Davis describes the person's responses as though in a "Cycle of Sound®", reflecting the reception and expression of sound vibration of the body. This process is inherent in the connection between the voice, the ear, and the brain. As with any cyclical pattern, there will be high positive change and there will be low negative response. After any therapy, the body goes through these highs and lows until the cycles are minimally noticed-kind of like a wave going out through the water until it dissipates and isn't noticed any more.
Because of this cycle, 'side effects' are a good thing, because they are demonstrating that a change is occurring. Sometimes the 'side effects' are extremely noticeable such as an autistic child beginning a response known as 'flapping' or having a return of a previously eliminated response such as 'spinning'. If a new response occurs, it shows that there is a need for the body to learn and work through that response. Sometimes the new response disappears on its own and other times, the client is referred to the appropriate supportive therapy such as occupational therapy. If a previously eliminated response returns, that often means that the child never had the chance to develop that skill or response fully during earlier development and the brain is saying that it needs to integrate this response to its fullest so that development can move beyond it. Again, if the response doesn't disappear on its own, then a referral to a supportive therapy is recommended.
Some of the noticeable 'side effects' provide the therapists with the necessary information for making or suggesting future programs. If after a few months, the person is still functioning at the same level, additional programs are necessary. Sometimes a mini-DETP® is needed to determine which sound-based therapies would be most appropriate at the advanced level.
For others, 'side effects' are minimal and the outside observers may just notice that the person 'has matured'. There is something more age appropriate about the person. The person has recovered from the changes and is functioning from a more foundational level. Sometimes, the inner body has made change which may not be immediately noticeable to the person or those around them. But in 6 months to a year, the person is achieving more, is more emotionally stable, can communicate more, and is functioning better overall.
After leaving the sound proof booth, the client will next receive tests while seated in a chair in the testing suite. For the Full DETP®, the ear canals will be occluded at least two times. The person will have to sit quietly during this testing. For the Partial DETP®, a different type of testing is used which only takes a few seconds and the outside of the ear canal is only lightly touched. For those clients who have difficulty having their ears touched, parental support is required, and/or the therapy staff will support this process. For the Full DETP, a functional auditory processing test is also included. Lastly, a voiceprint is made for each person.
Once the testing is finished-Full DETP can take as short as 45 minutes to as long as 1 ¼ hours and Partial DETP can take as short as 15 minutes to as long as 35 minutes depending upon the cooperation of the child-the client (and parent) then sits down with Ms. Davis to first go over the Case History form and then the results of the test battery. A review of The Davis Model of Sound Intervention® is discussed so that the client will understand how the results are determined. Ms. Davis determines the sound therapy protocol and discusses the therapy options with the client. Then the client discusses with the Office Manager the specifics about the therapies while Ms. Davis writes the report which the client will take home.
Parents can bring toys for the child to play with and/or food to eat once the testing is finished. Some parents prefer to bring a 'support person' to be with the child while the parent is listening to the results of the testing.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD WILL NOT WEAR HEADPHONES?
This is the number one concern for parents with young children with sensory issues. We have found that by supporting (holding) the headphones on, parents and/or our therapy staff can help the child through the beginning sessions (or testing). Ms. Davis has designed a technique that helps her identify responses to sound with the headphones being held in place and often can accomplish what she needs in little time even though the child must be fussing. During therapy, the staff also supports the headphones or works on building the understanding with the child that the headphones will be left on. Our years of experience with this, accomplishes acceptance fairly quickly. Typically, by day 2 or 3 of a listening protocol, the headphones no longer become the main issue. When this is a concern for parents, they should let the office staff know in advance so that we have enough staff to support your child.
HOW CAN I PREPARE MY CHILD TO WEAR HEADPHONES?
Although preparing a child to wear headphones isn't always necessary, it is understood that parents want to ease their child's dislikes and support them with positive experiences. Very often the child is very sensitive to the feel of the headphones and/or the direct sound received through them. In order to gently build up a tolerance to wearing headphones, the parents can begin with introducing headphones while listening to something the child enjoys. The intensity level of the music should be very soft.
Begin by putting the headphones on without sound for a very short period of time and build up the length of time over a period of days. Initially redirect the child to some other task such as playing with a favorite toy. Staying away from computers and television while introducing and listening with headphones is very important.
The type of headphone initially tried can be a Walkman headphone type. Eventually a circumaural headphone (one fitting over and around the ear) should be introduced. The headphones should also be of a very good quality. The testing earphones are tightly fitted headphones. The therapy headphones are not as tightly fitted. Gradually build up the intensity of sound through the headphones. Initially for some children, the sound may seem too soft for the adult ear but that may be the only way for the child to withstand the headphones being on. On a scale of 1 to 10, before the DETP® never increase the sound to a level louder than a 3.
WHAT IS AUDITORY INTEGRATION TRAINING (AIT)?
Auditory Integration Training (AIT) as utilized through The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® reflects any program that incorporates the concepts of Dr. Guy Berard, the French ear, nose, and throat physician who developed AIT. His concept works on the principle that if sound has been partially blocked or becomes painful, successive flexing and extensions of the middle ear muscles will increase mobility and decrease pain. This stimuli influences portions of the brain that correlate with the auditory pathways. When alternating low and high pitched sounds are introduced randomly to the auditory system, blood flow to the area is increased and the brain is also stimulated, thereby adding to the overall positive effect. This principle then is based on mechanotherapy, i.e., improvement by mechanical means.
As a client of The Davis Center, the term AIT refers to all programs using this concept. However, when attending the center for therapy one receives Berard AIT meaning the protocol and equipment for therapy follow the standards of his specific method. Ms. Davis is credentialed by BAITIS, the Berard Auditory Integration Training International Society. When our clients choose to use our home programs, we use other AIT programs, specifically FST or DAA. Both programs follow similar protocols to Berard AIT but the equipment and programming are slightly different. The outcomes are very similar.
WHY DOES AUDITORY INTEGRATION TRAINING (AIT) WORK?
Dr. Berard explains that the AIT sessions exercise the muscles in the middle ear cavity. The program apparently strengthens the muscles and improves the body's reaction to sensory overload. He feels that at some time in the person's life (in-utero, at birth, or after birth) something occurred to inhibit the body's normal reaction to sensory auditory overload and the body has not recovered.
The brain, when deprived of age appropriate stimuli, does not work to capacity. By stimulating the auditory areas of the brain, the auditory cortex reorganizes and improvement is noted. Research with animals demonstrated that the brain has the capacity to shift thresholds and rearrange circuits. It is suspected that the stimulation of the auditory areas with Dr. Berard's AIT helps with the threshold shift.
Ms. Davis, with her in-house research, has further demonstrated that AIT works specifically on re-training the acoustic reflex muscle in the middle ear. Consistently, 91% of her clients have measurably changed this muscle to work within normal limits.
WHAT DOES AIT INVOLVE?
Not everyone benefits from AIT. The Diagnostic Evaluation for Therapy Protocol (DETP®) is important for determining if AIT will benefit anyone. Once the DETP® has determined that AIT is appropriate for the client, an AIT Initial Consultation is the next step. It cannot be skipped because the intake information is key for helping with the programming. The client, parent or guardian must fill out an extensive questionnaire that will be discussed at the Initial Consultation. If the initial assessment is within 6 months of the DETP®, the Hearing Sensitivity Test does not need to be redone. If the initial assessment is 9 months or beyond from the DETP®, the Hearing Sensitivity Test must be readministered. If the Initial Consultation determines that the client is a candidate for AIT, sessions can be scheduled.
AIT consists of 20 one-half hour listening sessions using special listening devices. Various music selections are chosen for their broad sound spectrum, energy and intensity. The device randomly selects high and low pass filters and amplifies and/or filters the frequencies along the sound spectrum as indicated by the results of the Hearing Sensitivity Test. The participant listens to the music through special headphones.
Sessions are twice a day for 10 days and must be separated by a minimum of three hours and extend over a two week period which can be separated by a weekend. When receiving Berard AIT, a second Hearing Sensitivity Test is performed after the first 10 sessions and the third after the 20th session. When doing the home programs, only a final Hearing Sensitivity Test is administered. Follow-up is done after three months with a special questionnaire and analysis.
IS AIT THE SAME AS THE TOMATIS® METHOD?
Absolutely not! Ms. Davis is trained in both methods. Through her own research, she has discovered that AIT works on ones "sense of hearing"-that may include hypersensitivity (hearing too well) or hyposensitivity (tuning out sound). The Tomatis® Method works more specifically on processing skills-both auditory and vestibular. It also addresses a different type of sound hypersensitivity that is not addressed with AIT. Understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the ear is very important because it is this knowledge that helps explain the difference between the two methods.
WHAT IS THE TOMATIS® METHOD?
The Tomatis® Method is only one of the methods The Davis Center uses as a Listening Training Program-The Trunk of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy®. Ms. Davis is certified as a Registered Certified Tomatis Consultant and is a member of the International Association of Registered Certified Tomatis Consultants.
By itself, The Tomatis® Method is an innovative program of sound stimulation, audio-vocal activities, and consultation, which was developed by the French physician Alfred A. Tomatis. It has been used throughout the world for over fifty years for both the correction of language, communication, and learning difficulties and for personal growth.
The Tomatis Method® does not concern itself with hearing, but with the functional, social, and psychological factors that bear on listening, communication, language, motor control, learning and health in general. Dr. Tomatis looked at Listening as the active ability, intention, and desire to focus on the sounds that we want to analyze and to reject the ones we do not want. Hearing instead, is the passive reception of sound.
The Tomatis Method® works simultaneously at 3 levels:
1. Functional: Establishing good functional use of both vestibular and cochlear listening. Vestibular: perceives and processes input of internal information through posture and body movement. Cochlear: perceives and processes input of external information through language.
2. Emotional: Establishes emotional desire to use the auditory system, not tune out.
3. Relational: Both the functional and emotional systems improve the relational aspect of the individual to self, others, and the environment.
WHAT IS "THE TOMATIS EFFECT"?
Dr. Tomatis discovered the relationship between audition and phonation. The ear/voice connection was first demonstrated by Dr. Tomatis to the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Science in 1957. His discovery was referred to as "The Tomatis Effect." It can be best demonstrated through the three laws.
Law 1: The voice only contains the harmonics that the ear can hear.
Law 2: If you give the possibility to the ear to correctly hear the distorted frequencies of sound that are not well heard, these are immediately and unconsciously restored into the voice.
Law 3: The imposed audition sufficiently maintained over time results in permanently modifying the audition and phonation.
WHAT IS "THE DAVIS ADDENDUM® TO THE TOMATIS EFFECT"?
Ms. Davis discovered a further relationship between audition, phonation and the brain. In November 2004, Ms. Davis introduced this relationship at the Acoustical Society of America as The Davis Addendum to the Tomatis Effect. She connected the frequency output of the ear, known as spontaneous otoacoustic emissions, and the irregular vocal pattern frequencies observed with vocal analysis 100% of the time. She created two additional laws:
Law 1: The ear emits the same stressed frequencies that are
emitted by the voice.
Law 2: When complementary or supplementary frequencies of
stressed frequencies are introduced via sound vibration to
the ear, vocal patterns regain coherence.
These new laws further established the voice-ear-brain connection, and encourage further research in this interpretation. They enhance the connection between the Tomatis® Method and BioAcoustics™, further clarifying the cyclical pattern of how the body uses receptive and expressive sound.
WHAT IS A LISTENING TRAINING PROGRAM?
Listening Training Programs are applied at The Trunk of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy®. They are modeled after the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis. See What is the Tomatis® Method? These programs all include stimulating the connection between the voice, the ear, and the brain and must include sound generated and sent to the body through air conduction vibration and bone conduction vibration, as well as filtered and gated music, and active voice work. These programs are brain intensive so must be done with frequency, duration and intensity to maximize the stimulation for brain change.
The initial program requires a minimum of two listening session "intensives" of 15 days each separated by a 3 to 6 week break. Each day of the intensive involves 2 hours of listening through special headsets via bone and air conduction. Clients listen to pre-programmed sounds of Mozart, Gregorian chant, and sometimes a filtering of the mother's voice, each lasting approximately 30 minutes. Sounds are modified by the equipment to filter or block specific frequencies. As clients advance through the program, listening protocols including live microphone work are included. Some clients benefit greatly from a continuation or booster program, which may last 15, 8, or 7-days spaced out over many months. Upon completion of the initial program, the consultant will determine if there is a need to continue.
WHY IS RHYTHM IMPORTANT? (THE SEED)
The universe works on precisely timed cycles or rhythmic patterns. Our natural timing or "rhythmicity" allows the human brain to: 1) plan and sequence thoughts and actions, 2) recognize that patterns exist in its environment as they occur, 3) connect actions and thought patterns with consequences as they occur, 4) perform complex problem solving activities such as copying shapes, writing words, language, social behavior, and other academics, and 5) learn from its experiences and mistakes.
The Seed of The Tree of Sound Enhancement Therapy® incorporates body rhythms as the seed because our basal body rhythms are an inherent part of how our body functions. We cannot function without our heart beating, our breathing patterns, or our cellular patterns. When our body rhythms are 'in sync', our body functions better and our brain channels our rhythmicity better. We perform better!
WHAT CAN BIOACOUSTICS™ DO FOR YOU?
Through a personal voice spectral sample and analysis, the field of BioAcoustics™ can develop a protocol of wellness management, which uses the sound frequencies emitted by the human body. These sounds are the tools for the human body to reverse its own disease. The analysis provides a report that identifies a variety of possible health challenges from musculoskeletal to emotional by reviewing the body's irregular patterns.
Each client is evaluated individually and each program is designed specifically for that person. Monitoring is done using a "best case scenario" approach as suggested by the National Institute of Health. Change is expected and monitored under the direction of the practitioner. Adjustments are made to the program based on a reassessment or until the desired results are achieved. The programs can be altered based on objective and subjective feedback from the client, evaluation, physician directives, laboratory findings and the relief and/or acceleration of symptoms. The initial time span involved can be as short as a few hours while monitoring can continue for as long as desired.
HOW TO START BIOACOUSTICS™?
BioAcoustics™ requires two visits. The Initial Evaluation consists of a general intake process and the taking of a voice spectral sample (voice print). It is important for the participant to inform the practitioner of any current medical conditions and any history of seizures. A follow-up appointment (within two weeks) is made to discuss the analysis of the voice spectral sample and to introduce the sound frequencies that will help the person make individual change. The individual is given a number of sounds to evaluate while reclining in a comfortable chair and connected to biofeedback equipment. The test sounds are generated by a patented unit called the SMADTM, (Self Management Auditory Device), a device developed by Sound Health Alternatives. The participant's responses are monitored by the BARA (BioAcoustics Research Associate, the credential necessary to administer BioAcoustics™), and the participant is asked to provide feedback regarding their physical and/or emotional reactions to determine the best frequencies. The participant's sounds are entered into a "Tone Box" and he/she takes the sounds home to be listened to through "Walkman type" headphones. The voice spectral analysis report can also be shared with the person's personal physician for review. A follow-up phone consultation is scheduled for two weeks later in order to monitor the effectiveness of the program.
With the advancement in technology, it is now possible to obtain one's voiceprint over the phone. This can eliminate one in-person appointment. The tone trials are administered in the presence of a BARA to ensure that the sound protocol is appropriate.
DO I NEED TO DO BIOACOUSTICS™ MORE THAN ONCE?
As the sounds are meant to help the individual with their well being, it is important that subsequent follow-up visits and reassessments occur. We suggest every three months. The most significant aspect of the program that influences the outcome is this re-assessment process. Monitoring and program adjustment is essential if long-term physical and emotional issues are to be influenced. Sometimes symptoms return and it is important for the participant to return to advise the practitioner immediately.
ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS TO SOUND THERAPY?
Within the process of using sound-based therapy, Ms. Davis describes the person's responses as though in a "Cycle of Sound®", reflecting the reception and expression of sound vibration of the body. This process is inherent in the connection between the voice, the ear, and the brain. As with any cyclical pattern, there will be high positive change and there will be low negative response. After any therapy, the body goes through these highs and lows until the cycles are minimally noticed-kind of like a wave going out through the water until it dissipates and isn't noticed any more.
Because of this cycle, 'side effects' are a good thing, because they are demonstrating that a change is occurring. Sometimes the 'side effects' are extremely noticeable such as an autistic child beginning a response known as 'flapping' or having a return of a previously eliminated response such as 'spinning'. If a new response occurs, it shows that there is a need for the body to learn and work through that response. Sometimes the new response disappears on its own and other times, the client is referred to the appropriate supportive therapy such as occupational therapy. If a previously eliminated response returns, that often means that the child never had the chance to develop that skill or response fully during earlier development and the brain is saying that it needs to integrate this response to its fullest so that development can move beyond it. Again, if the response doesn't disappear on its own, then a referral to a supportive therapy is recommended.
Some of the noticeable 'side effects' provide the therapists with the necessary information for making or suggesting future programs. If after a few months, the person is still functioning at the same level, additional programs are necessary. Sometimes a mini-DETP® is needed to determine which sound-based therapies would be most appropriate at the advanced level.
For others, 'side effects' are minimal and the outside observers may just notice that the person 'has matured'. There is something more age appropriate about the person. The person has recovered from the changes and is functioning from a more foundational level. Sometimes, the inner body has made change which may not be immediately noticeable to the person or those around them. But in 6 months to a year, the person is achieving more, is more emotionally stable, can communicate more, and is functioning better overall.
