A few years back, I was honored to be invited to the iLs (Integrated Listening Systems) Annual Conference where I had the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of doctors, therapists, educators, and other professionals. The one thing all of these people had in common was their genuine quest for more knowledge in how the brain can grow and heal through neuroplasticity and the use of the unique technology of iLs.
As more research is done in this field (especially in regards to autism), more people are realizing that when sound and movement are paired together in the right way, it can have a tremendous effect in normalizing the way the brain processes incoming stimuli. As the brain begins to normalize and regulate sound, movement, visual and other sensory information more accurately, many benefits can begin to take shape and have lasting results on the person (or child) going through the iLs therapy.
Music, after all, affects arousal, movement, anxiety and balance. Since the iLs therapy stimulates the vagus nerve (where 75% of your body’s calming ability comes from), it can help to regulate bowel function, reflux, behavior, sleep and digestion. As a Warrior Mom and lifelong autism advocate, I was very excited to hear about these amazing benefits.
At the conference, I learned that sound touches all areas of the brain. An over-stimulated brain can become quieted with the use of iLs therapy. An under-active brain can be brought up to the right level of arousal in order to attend, concentrate and act more appropriately. Anxiety can be lessened and emotional outbursts regulated. Do you realize that these are some of the most frustrating parts of autism?
It occurs to me that children with autism appear to have a missing link between their body and their brain. It’s like their body is on one island floating in a vast sea of overwhelming information and over-stimulation, and their brain is on a totally different island! Sometimes the tides move them closer together and sometimes much farther apart.
After learning so much about iLs, I now believe it can help to build a bridge between the two, by narrowing that gap and giving the child the ability to process information more accurately and appropriately. And once that bridge has been built, the possibilities for our children are endless.
For more information on Integrated Listening Systems or to find a therapist in your area, visit their website at www.integratedlistening.com.
