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writes on Vestibular Dysfunction
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The Tomatis Method of
Auditory Stimulation- An Overview
By Valerie Dejean,
Director, Spectrum Tomates Center and Certified Tomatis Consultant
Most of us think of the
ears as a gathering place for sound. We know that we use our ears to
hear the sounds around us, but we don't typically think about what
happens to the sound that is collected. In addition to collecting
sound, the ear makes sense of that sound, using the vibrations we hear
to; perceive speech and other sounds, filter out unwanted or
unnecessary auditory messages, and produce language.
The ear also houses the vestibular system, which manages our
movement, balance, coordination, and image of our body in space. In
fact, the ear coordinates our eye movement during reading and our hand
movement during writing. In other words, the ear is at the heart of
integrating all our senses, and thus is the critical link in forming
our perceptions of the world. If the ear is not functioning to its
fullest, we cannot function to our fullest.
Dr. Alfred Tomatis,
a French physician and ear, nose and throat specialist, has spent his
lifetime researching the ear. His extensive work with the ear changed
our understanding of the role of the ear from a passive receiver of
sound to an active control center of the body's sensory input. Tomatis
asserts that improper functioning of the ear is the root problem for
individuals experiencing difficulty with language (comprehension or
production), auditory processing, sensory integration, learning,
coordination, or other related areas. To address this root problem,
Tomatis developed a device called the Electronic Ear that, in essence,
"reprograms" the ear-via sound stimulation-in order to improve it's
functioning. The Electronic Ear has helped thousands of individuals
worldwide, individuals with problems ranging from speech and language
difficulties to autism and cerebral palsy.
| In order to understand how the
Electronic Ear and the Tomatis Method of
auditory stimulation work, one must first understand more about how the
inner ear functions. |
Alfred A. Tomatis
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The Ear
According to Tomatis; "the ear builds; organizes; and nourishes the
nervous system." The body has three main systems that organize sensory
information: the vestibular (somatic) system, the visual (spatial)
system, and the cochlear (linguistic) system. Two of these systems- the
vestibular and the cochlear systems-are housed in the inner ear. The
vestibule and the cochlea share a common wall, share common fluid, and
perform essentially the same job-the analyses of vibrations. While the
cochlea analyzes the vibration of air perceived outside the body
(sound), the vestibule analyzes physical vibrations perceived within
the body. The intimate connection of these two systems makes them, to a
greater degree interdependent; the functioning of the cochlear system
(processing of sound) has a direct impact on the functioning of the
vestibular system (body movement and control) and vice versa. For
example, individuals with total hearing loss also tend to have
difficulty with balance and coordination. Similarly, Occupational
Therapists and Speech Therapists will attest to the marked improvement
in speech production (controlled by the cochlea) following a gross
motor activity such as swinging (vestibular stimulation).
Tomatis recognized the vestibular function of the ear as the primary
sensory integrator. The vestibular system detects motion and gravity,
and controls all motor functions, plus muscle tone, balance,
coordination (including coordination of eye movements and coordination
of movements between the two sides of the body), and body image.
Because the vestibular system allows individuals to have a sense of the
relationship between the self and space, it lays the groundwork upon
which visual images are superimposed. Finally, it is the "programming
unit" of the nervous system, which is directly, connected to the
cerebral cortex-the portion of the brain responsible for higher order
processes such as language, reading, writing, and logical thought. The
vestibular system, together with the cochlear system, creates the vital
link among touch, vision, and hearing.
As you can see, the ear plays an intimate role in the overall
coordination of all our senses. But the ear does even more than
coordinate information and send it to the brain-it is also responsible
for giving the brain its essential nourishment and energy.
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- The Energy Function
The brain receives more stimulation from the ear than from any other
organ-60% of total stimuli comes from the body (via bones, joints, and
muscles) through the vestibular system to the brain, while another 30%
of total stimuli comes from sound processed by the cochlea. This energy
is "nourishment for the brain" according to Tomatis. Research has
proven that the brain must have sensory stimuli in order to think and
operated with vitality. If an individual is unable to listen to or
process sounds, brain activity is slowed-the individual begins to feel
fatigued or depressed. Conversely, a "well-tuned" ear is able to
stimulate the brain, providing increased energy, concentration,
attention span, and cognitive skills. Additionally, Tomatis points out
that it is high frequency sound-sounds rich in the higher harmonics-and
not all sound that energizes the brain. This is because the cells of
Corti (receptor cells that transmit sound wave messages to the brain)
are more densely packed in the area receptive to high frequency sound.
- The Listening
Function
Hearing is not the same as listening, a critical truth underlying
Tomatis' work. Hearing is the passive process of receiving sound, while
listening is the ability and the desire to actively focus on select
sounds and interpret their meaning, while also blocking out irrelevant
sounds. Many children with learning difficulties are poor listeners,
yet hearing tests indicate that they have excellent hearing. Tomatis
defines listening chiefly as a process of focusing the ear, both
physiologically and psychologically.
According to Tomatis, the physical act of focusing the ear is performed
by two muscles of the middle ear (the stapedius and the tensor
tympani). The two muscles work like a telescope lens, constantly
adjusting to fine tune the perception of low, middle, and high
frequency sounds. In some cases, the middle ear muscles can become
weakened, which compromises auditory perception and, in turn, impacts
auditory processing, language, and academic skills. This could be the
case in frequent middle ear infections that often occur during the
period that children are acquiring language.
In
addition to the physiological aspects of listening, active listening
also requires intention-the psychological desire to focus on sound. Of
all our senses, the ears vestibular system is the first to develop in
utero-at 2 weeks gestation. By four-and-one-half months gestation, the
ear is fully formed and functional. By 6 months in utero the fetus
hears a constant background noise of intrauterine sounds such as the
mother's heartbeat, respiration, and intestinal gurgling, which is
interrupted at irregular intervals by the mother's voice. According to
Tomatis, the mother's voice penetrates in the intrauterine world via
bone conduction, and thus the fetus hears only the higher frequency
sounds of the mother's voice. According to Tomatis, the mother's voice
is not only an emotional nutrient to the child, but also prepares the
child to acquire language after birth. In other words, listening begins
in the womb.
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Language Development
PHONEMES: The development of language is intrinsically tied to proper
functioning of the ear. The foundation is laid in utero by the baby's
anticipation of the mother's voice. After birth, a baby will babble to
hear its own voice-the precursor for development of language, plus the
means by which the ear attunes itself to the sound of the human voice.
According to Tomatis, "the voice can only produce what the ear
perceives." Any difficulties that interrupt proper listening during
this important time of language acquisition can have a lasting impact
on language development. For example a child who suffers from numerous
ear infections may develop a speech impediment since he has not heard
sounds and words properly as he developed language.
Tomatis also identifies the right ear as the leading ear for language
control. In most individuals the right ear takes the leading role in
control of the voice and language presumable because the
"ear-to-brain-to-larynx-back-to-ear" loop is more direct for the right
ear (Madaule, When Listening Comes Alive, page 44). If, however, the
right ear does not assume control, either the left ear will or no
dominance will develop. Language development and voice production may
be problematic as a result.
Tomatis Method of Auditory Stimulation
As mentioned, in order to facilitate effective listening, Tomatis
developed a device called the Electronic Ear. The Electronic Ear
addresses both the physiological and psychological aspects of
listening. First, the Electronic Ear exercises the muscles of the
middle ear to strengthen them, improving their ability to focus on
particular sounds and filter out other sounds. Second, the Electronic
Ear replicates the sounds heard in utero-music is played (primarily
Mozart) or a recording of the mother's voice is utilized, while the
Electronic Ear filters out the lower frequencies so that only the
higher, more stimulating frequencies are heard. This stimulates the
inner ear physically, giving it an opportunity to reprogram itself,
plus replicates the in utero experience of the individual, often
leading to a renewed desire to communicate. There is also an active
phase of the Tomatis Method called audio-vocal training. After
"retraining" the ear to hear a wider range of frequencies, the
audio-vocal portion of the Tomatis Method helps individuals enhance the
higher frequencies in their voice. At the same time, the right ear is
stimulated to augment its role as the leading ear.
Finally, at the Spectrum Communication Center, Valerie Dejean, Director
of the Center and certified Tomatis Consultant, has pioneered using
Tomatis' developmental theories in conjunction with the sensory
integration theories of Dr. A. Jean Ayres. Through this unique
perspective, known as the Spectrum Communication Center Method, Ms.
Dejean has developed techniques of evaluating and treating through The
Integrators. Thisinvolves addressing all the ears functions; balance,
visual, and auditory. Through individually designed programs delivered
by the Tomatis Electronic Ear, the Spectrum Communication Center has
achieved phenomenal results since 1992. As individuals wear their
headphones and listen to their personally-developed auditory
stimulation program, Spectrum Communication Center staffs work with
them on a variety of activities including gross motor
activities-swinging, jumping, climbing-fine motor activities-puzzles,
peg boards, stringing beads-and tactile stimulation-playing with
various textures such as play dough, dried beans, etc. This intensive
sensory retraining program has helped individuals with learning
disabilities, sensory integration disorder, autism and PDD, depression,
cerebral palsy, and ADD. Please call or contact the Spectrum Tomates
Center at (845) 915-3288 Write to:233 Route 17, P.O. Box 698, Tuxedo
Park, New York, 10987-0698, for more information or schedule an initial
evaluation.
Copyright 2010 Spectrum Tomates Center
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