Sound interventions could be one of the treatment option for different challenges.
As I discuss elsewhere on my website, the Tomatis method is appropriate for a number of childhood developmental and behavioral issues. These include ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. And misophonia or peak performance training could also benefit from this approach.
Sound intervention training can be done both supervised in-office or at-home. While the convenience of at-home intervention is appealing to a lot of parents, many considerations come into play in order to make a well-informed decision.
Let’s look at a few pros and cons for either setting.
Supervised Sound Interventions: Pros
The case for supervised sound intervention is strong. I encourage busy parents to consider these points when making the decision between at-home or supervised.
Immediate Feedback from a Trained Professional
The therapist is available for on-the-spot adjustments or additional instructions during in-office sessions. When participating in any specialized interventions, having a trained facilitator available to immediately assist in the moment is valuable.
The facilitator is able to quickly respond to problems with the equipment or questions. This allows therapy to proceed more smoothly and effectively.
Distraction-Free Environment for the Child
When sound intervention is done in-office, the facilitator is focused on the client. A child’s noise-making toys aren’t beckoning from the corner. Tablets aren’t waiting with games to play.
Undivided Attention to the Treatment
Supervised interventions provide the child with the support of a neutral, trained professional. The facilitator can guide the child through appropriate activities without having to deal with siblings needing attention, as may happen to parents at home, thus reinforcing undesired patterns within the siblings- or family- dynamic. Dinner doesn’t have to be made, and the dog isn’t barking at the back door.
New Interactions Opportunities during the Treatment
For some children or adults facilitated interaction with another peer or two that may be present at the same time could be a unique opportunity for communication and play which can not be replicated in the home environment.
Supervised Sound Interventions: Cons
Less Convenient for the Family
Receiving sound intervention in an office requires scheduling and transportation. Working around both parents and children’s schedules can be tricky.
Possibly More Expensive
Fees for some sound interventions may be somewhat reduced when done at home. After all, the parents aren’t paying for the therapist’s time and space.
Less Familiar Setting
Depending on the child, receiving sound interventions in an unfamiliar setting can be challenging. Certain developmental disorders make children rely heavily on familiarity and routine and being in a new place it seems to require some adjustment at first. If this is the case, treatment seems to be more straightforward from the parent’s perspective when done at home.
At-Home Sound Intervention: Pros
More Convenient for the Family
As mentioned above, being able to receive intervention at home can be very convenient. Drive time, scheduling are eliminated and possibly treatment fees could be lower.
Comfortable Setting
As also mentioned above, some parents feel their children do better in familiar settings.
Of course, at-home sessions require that the parent-child relationship is healthy. The parent should be able to present the training in a fun, relaxed environment. Ideally, the parent is able to balance life’s demands without getting overwhelmed.
At-Home Sound Intervention: Cons
Harder for Parents to Be Consistent
It can be easy to put off doing assigned sound therapy at home. After all, there are so many other things that need to be done. Perhaps the child or parent has had a bad day. Maybe siblings are creating distractions.
Homework, after-school activities, and other responsibilities also weigh on the schedule. When a devoted time is not blocked out on the calendar (as with in-office visits), treatment time can slide.
Relationship Struggles
As most parents know, parenting can be an exhausting job. Beyond the basic day-to-day responsibilities, other issues can arise.
Relationship struggles between parent and child can impede effective sound intervention training at home. Likewise, trying to get a child to cooperate with training at-home can create stress and even anxiety for the parent that seeps into other areas of life.
A parent’s individual struggles can also create barriers to an effective sound training relationship. Being balanced emotionally can be hard. Children can sense when their parent is distracted. And this affects the child’s ability to engage effectively in the training as well.
Ultimately, the therapist will work closely with the parents to help them decide which approach is the best for them. Based on my experience, the investment in sound intervention therapy seems most beneficial when done in-office. While, at first glance, it may not look as convenient, any downfalls are typically eliminated by the pros listed above.
If your child is struggling with the disorders discussed at the outset of this post, please reach out to our office. I offer complimentary consultations as well as Free Monthly Presentations and have years of experience helping kids just like yours. If you would like more information about our work please follow the link to Tomatis Method
