How does Therapeutic Listening help children with ADHD succeed in their

school performance?
Kari Situm, OTA/S
Northland Community and Technical College
Occupational Therapy Assistant Program

Clinical Scenario
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a
developmental disorder characterized by behavioral
impairments in three domains: inattention, impulsivity, and
hyperactivity (Castellanos & Tannock, 2002).
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood
psychiatric disorders, affecting approximately 3-7% of the
childhood population (Castellanos & Tannock, 2002).
Occupational and Speech Therapists report that
Therapeutic Listening is a highly individualized, music
based tool that activates listening to help children with
ADHD tune in and respond to what is going on around
them (Vital Links, 2011-2015).
The actual program uses high quality music that is altered
to exaggerate the sounds that naturally capture the
attention and tap into the parts of the brain involved in
regulating body functions, relating to peers, and
organizing behavior (Vital Links, 2011-2015).
The choice of music is determined by the individual needs
of the child (Vital Links, 2011-2015).
The Vital Links website reports that Therapeutic Listening
is shown to help kids with ADHD improve social
interactions; enhance ability to focus, improvements in
sleep patterns, and regulation of mood and energy levels
(Vital Links, 2011-2015).

Bottom Line
Music is electronically modified to highlight the
parts of the sound spectrum that naturally trigger
attention and activate body movements (Hall,
2007).
Long-term musical training does substantially
change the functioning of the auditory system. This
provides promising support for the use of
Therapeutic Listening as an intervention tool to
support occupational therapy with a sensory
integrative treatment approach (Banai ,2013).
Occupational therapists use music as preparation
for therapeutic activities that provide children with
sensory input through the auditory and vestibular
systems; this provides a sense of calming the
children (Hall, 2007).

Professional View
Quick Shifts is a sound based treatment protocol that
Therapeutic Listening offers and is used specifically
for children with ADHD. Therapists recommend that
the child listens to the attending CD 15 minutes prior
to the subject which the child has difficulty in to
improve the child's attention span.
Results from using this program show an improvement
in attention span, self-regulation, visual motor skills,
communication skills, social skills, fine motor control,
improved sleep patterns and organized behaviors
(Andrea Schlosser OTR/L, 2015).

Summary of Key Findings

Combination of a sensory diet along with the
therapeutic listening program reported
improvements in a childs attention, interaction
with peers, improved transitions, greater selfawareness, decreased nightmares, enhanced
listening, improved communication, greater
regularity following directions, and improved
sleep patterns (Hall, 2007).
Researchers suggest that white noise enhanced
the performance in children with ADHD by
introducing internal noise into the neural system
through the perceptional system (Soderlund,
2007).
Researchers found that anyone who has a musical
background will improve basic perceptual,
verbal, and cognitive skills (Kuchenbuch, 2014).

Limitations
Only one article actually using Therapeutic
Listening program and it was administered
at home vs. therapy setting.
Only boys used in 2/6 articles.
2 articles were on children with long term
music exposure.
One article published in 1996.