The Listening Program®, a Brain-Centered Approach for Developmental Disabilities

Every March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) and its partners collaborate to observe Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM).

At Advanced Brain Technologies (ABT), we join in the cause to bring hope and awareness to those with varying developmental disabilities, as was started by Ronald Reagan in 1987. We celebrate the opportunities for people of all abilities to grow, develop, and progress naturally.

ABT builds on Alex Doman’s 75-year family history of pioneering contributions to the field of human development and brain enhancement. The Listening Program® (TLP) is a music listening therapy based on decades of research and development, with over twenty independent studies.

The Listening Program (TLP) helps people of all ages and abilities, offering a drug-free intervention to support the brain. TLP’s creation was rooted in helping people through a natural developmental approach to help those with a range of disabilities improve their overall brain function.

When we listen to music, virtually the whole brain is involved. A quick look at the depth of research behind TLP is just one of the indicators of the vast benefits it has brought to the lives of people with disabilities, such as:

• Autism spectrum disorders
• ADHD
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Learning or intellectual disabilities
• Speech Delays
• And many other developmental delays

Gillian Liebrandt, a Special Educator and TLP Certified Provider, works with clients with various disabilities at Millennium Learning Advantage. She has made TLP part of her practice for over twenty years.

I work with individuals with a vast array of different challenges. Each has experienced the power of music to change the brain. I offer several programs, but The Listening Program is always the first program I suggest. More often than not, once a client has done TLP, they do not need additional programs.

The foundational benefits clients receive with TLP are unsurpassed. For example, about ten years ago, a young client with a gene deletion diagnosis used TLP Spectrum. After the first week of listening, his father shared: “If the only changes I get are the changes that we have seen in the first week of doing this program, I am a happy parent!”

This was a child that no one thought would ever get to high school. He is now a young man in his second year at university.
– Gillian Liebrandt

TLP Spectrum is a foundational TLP Core Program to calm auditory sensitivities, improve sensory processing motor control, reduce stress and anxious feelings to develop a sense of safety and well-being.

How The Listening Program Helps People with Developmental Disabilities

Sound vibration touches you at every moment. Certain sounds provided in the right context can organize the brain’s neural activity, support health, balance emotions, and help you feel vibrant and energized throughout your day.

The Listening Program includes four core programs to make it easy to individualize and adapt the training level and area of focus for those with developmental disabilities.

To discover which TLP Core Program is most beneficial, each listener completes a “TLP Brain Scale,” to rate skills and behaviors. Then, a TLP Certified Provider can determine which program will help.

TLP For People with Developmental Disabilities

Professionals, individuals, and families have found The Listening Program to be the key to growth and development in many areas of daily function since 1999. Listeners can enjoy the benefits of brain plasticity with TLP, in the comfort of their own home each day.

Many research studies have shown the effectiveness of TLP for people with various disabilities. This one, for example, published in the International Journal of Listening, the authors evaluated the results of 456 clients ranging in age from 5-50.

These clients completed The Listening Program in Australia with Tracey Butler at Links to Learning. Each participant was evaluated via the SCAN test in a quiet, distraction-free environment.

The SCAN is a valid standardized measure of auditory processing abilities. All four areas of auditory processing measured were significantly improved after TLP training.

This study supports the application of The Listening Program method for children and adults with auditory processing deficits. It deepens the body of research that validates TLP as an evidence-based practice.

Many individuals outside of formal studies have seen similar results, as with the following clients Gillian Liebrandt saw in her clinic.

“One child, born with fragile X syndrome, was non-verbal at the age of 6. About seven weeks after starting TLP Spectrum, he looked at his mother and said, “Nice hair, Mum.” His dad cried in my office as he never thought he would ever have a conversation with his son. This child is now ten years old, and while he will always have challenges, he is verbal and reads very well, with excellent comprehension.

In the eighth grade, a girl, “D.R.,” had dropped out of school. She had FASD, and at 19 years old, she spent most of her day sleeping. Her adoptive parents had been told that she would never be self-sufficient. Her mum was so excited about the changes in D.R. that she now has TLP in the daycare she is involved with at the time. D.R. went from being dependent on her parents to where she has her apartment, has a job, and takes care of herself.

I started working with a boy, “N.H.” about three years ago. He was labeled as Globally Delayed. The outlook for this family was not bright. He also had severe anxiety and would become dysregulated for no apparent reason. He was only allowed to be at school for 2 hours per day. He started on TLP Spectrum, and while progress has been slow due to his behavioral issues, he is no longer considered Globally Delayed. His anxiety has subsided, and he can regulate himself better. N.H. is now able to remain at school for the entire day and is working on catching up with his peers.”

As is the case with these clients, people with varying levels of developmental disabilities are finding growth, through TLP, in seven areas of brain performance:

• 1. Social and Emotional Regulation
• 2. Sensory (Auditory) Processing
• 3. Communication
• 4. Executive Function
• 5. Stress Response
• 6. Motor Control
• 7. Creative Expression

TLP lays the foundation and readies the body for what many children need for sensory regulation, calming, and decreasing stress. It helps to optimize motor planning and perceptual foundations and enhance overall auditory processing abilities, which are critical for full participation and achievements in higher-level learning.

It does so by utilizing the scientific evidence that the brain has a natural ability to physically change itself and strengthen its neural networks in response to any person’s experiences throughout their lifetime and despite any disability.

How TLP Supports Families of Kids with Developmental Disabilities

Initially designed to help those with developmental disabilities, a surprising finding soon emerged from the listeners of TLP. Families of kids with special needs who also used the program found it helpful for them.

The most interesting outcomes have been with stress reduction in families with kids who have special needs. – Alex Doman

A study at Vanderbilt shows scientific evidence of more stress and poorer health in parents of children with disabilities.

“Our research and findings from other labs indicate that many mothers of children with disabilities have a blunted cortisol response, indicative of chronic stress,” Dykens says. “They also have shorter telomeres, associated with an advanced cellular aging process, and have poorer sleep quality, which can have deleterious health effects. All of this results in parents who are less available to manage their child’s special needs or challenging behaviors.”

Having been created to lower stress, enhance brain function, organize thoughts, and improve overall energy, TLP is a powerful tool for caregivers across the globe.

As parents of a child with Autism and PANDAS, Shawn and Angela Blymiller have experienced the positive effects in their daily life, allowing them to provide the best care for their son.

TLP helps me organize my thoughts and relieve stress. It has been hugely beneficial to my wife and my son as we confront our lives, the stresses from an autism diagnosis, and the steps to take moving forward in the care. We have loved the calming and soothing relief that TLP offers to Theo and everyone in our family.
Follow the Blymiller’s journey on The Pure Living Family Podcast