For Listening, Language and Learning
Listening is the ability to use one’s hearing intentionally and attentively
and in a way that is acceptable on an emotional level
for the purpose of learning and communicating.
Listening Master
Tomatis Method
Founded in the 1950s by Alfred Tomatis (1920–2001), a French ear, nose, and throat physician, the Tomatis Method grew from his pioneering work in Audio-Psycho-Phonology. He was awarded by both the Paris Academy of Sciences and the Paris Academy of Medicine for establishing the ”Tomatis® Effect”, expressed through three laws:
- The voice contains only what the ear hears.
- If hearing is modified, the voice is immediately and unconsciously modified.
- Phonation can be durably transformed when auditory stimulation is maintained over a sufficient period.
Beyond these laws, the Tomatis® Method incorporates the physical, sensory, and physiological development of the whole person, stimulating and integrating several cranial nerve pathways in the brain.
We use the Tomatis Method to address a problem most people share — they do not truly listen. Hearing and Listening are two distinct processes.
Hearing is passive — sounds are simply received by the ear. Listening is active — it requires the brain to interpret and make meaning from what is heard.
The Tomatis Effect Explained
What we do
We provide an assessment of listening strengths and weaknesses for the mother and her child.
Following a consultation or assessment, therapy will begin in the form of intensive listening sessions using an electronic device, digitalised music, and special headphones with bone and air conduction.
The initial consultation and assessment will determine appropriate goals and recommend a programme to achieve them.
Our practitioner Wileen holds an honours degree in Educational Psychology and is a learning disabilities specialist. She owned and operated a private school for 15 years and has extensive experience working with children with learning disabilities. She is a qualified level 2 Solisten/Tomatis practitioner and conducts all initial consultations and assessments.
The Concept of Listening
Listening is not hearing
Hearing is the ability to discriminate different frequency ranges as they are tested by audiologists. In our listening centre we do not work with hearing. Most of the time people would return from a visit to an audiologist with a perfect hearing score and still have auditory processing problems.
Listening is an ability
Listening is the ability to use one’s hearing intentionally and attentively and in a way that is acceptable on an emotional level, for the purpose of learning and communicating.
Listening is an action
The implementation applies the ability to select an acoustic message among others, to inhibit sounds which are not relevant, to constantly readjust the content and the form of this message, and to immediately evaluate the result of this control.
It is a high level cognitive function
In no case is it to be assimilated to a passive recording of sound, which would simply depend on the proper working of the auditory apparatus.
Disruption
Listening may be disturbed when the interpretation, on a mental or emotional level, of the sensorial information on which it is constructed is flawed. In this case, one speaks of distortions in listening. These distortions will then be the source of difficulties and discomforts as much for the child as for the adult, and can concern all situations of daily life.
Development Delays
Listening can be affected by developmental delays (too frequent occurrences of ear infection in early formative years being one red flag), auditory processing and communicative disorders, and emotional disturbances as well.