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In-Tuned® Sound Project

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Choosing the Correct Frequency for Listening

Rule of thumb: start low and go high.  Starting at too high a frequency is like running before crawling.  Crawl first and build the skills needed to run.  It’s best to gradually increase the frequency when positive changes are seen in skills and behavior. 

Everyone is neuro-unique and what may be true for one is not necessarily true for the next.  You may have to experiment with different frequencies to see what is tolerable, enjoyable and beneficial.  Results do vary. 

Low frequency and high frequency sound have the most impact on human brain activity.  Low frequency is nurturing and creates a calm, but alert state.  High frequency stimulates the most cerebral activity, learning and thinking.  Sound in the medium frequency range is the most comfortable to listen to and is what most instruments are tuned to.

GENERAL EFFECTS OF LISTENING TO LOW FREQUENCY (0 TO 30 HZ) SOUND:

  • Awareness of self and others

  • Recognition of more sounds helpful for speech and understanding language

  • Body organization and posture

  • Eyes more able to converge and track

  • Eye contact with others

  • Less stress with daily routine

  • Willingness to try novel activity

  • Self-regulation

  • More quickly settles for bed

  • Promotes better sleep

GENERAL EFFECTS OF LISTENING TO MEDIUM FREQUENCY (40 TO 5000 HZ) SOUND:

  • Maintaining more eye contact

  • Less avoidance

  • Increased willingness

  • More reciprocal communication

  • Less auditory distractibility

  • Less auditory hypersensitivity

  • Less tactile hypersensitivity

  • More tolerant of being touched

  • Engage in activities with less support

  • Engage in activities for longer periods

  • More attentive and focused

  • Can stay seated longer

  • Less hyperfocusing

  • Transitions better

  • Quantity and quality of speech

  • More safety aware

  • Attention to detail

  • Better working memory

  • More organized

  • Mood more stable

  • Motor control

  • Better eye-hand coordination

  • Playing more cooperatively

  • Initiates conversation more

  • Verbalizes needs

  • Less controlling behavior

GENERAL EFFECTS OF LISTENING TO HIGH FREQUENCY (5000-15,000 HZ) SOUND:

  • Improvements in attention, focus and working memory continue

  •  More confidence

  • Willingness with academics/homework

  • Increased reading speed

  •  More comprehension of content when reading

  • Initiative

  • Makes better choices

  • More mental flexibility

  • More creativity

  • More oriented to time

How To Listen

In-Tuned® Sound Project was engineered for listening with closed headphones, not ear buds.  Most of the Soundscapes are not for open air listening. Sea Cave Adventure is for both closed headset and open air listening.

There are many different types of headphones, including those with bone transducers/conductors, which provides haptic and proprioceptive stimulation via vibration to the middle and inner ear. The benefits of listening occur regardless of whether or not bone conduction headphones are used, however it is more impactful with bone conductors.

Our Soundscapes are purposefully recorded at lower decibel levels for safety reasons.  If you are not using an amplified headset as in number 3 below, you may need to experiment with the volume and or equalizer presets on your MP3 player to get the best sound for your specific headphones.

IMPORTANT:  Always make sure to place your player in REPEAT MODE so that no other unintended tracks on your device get played by accident directly after a listening session.

In-Tuned® does not sell headphones. If you have a closed headset give them a try and see how the tracks sound.  Here are some of the headphones we have used and have had a good experience with:

  1. AKG K99 Perception Lightweight Headphones (under $100)
    These headphones are comfortable, but they are top heavy so a sports headband may need to be used to keep the headset in place.

  2. Walson Bone Conduction Headset (under $100+)
    These operate using a blue tooth allowing for easier movement during listening. They are lightweight and loop around the ears with bone conduction through the upper jaw and temporal region. The back of the headset tends to slip down, which can be bothersome, but you can use hair clips to keep it from moving around.

  3. Waves Multi-Sensory Audio System/Bone Conduction System ($995)
    These headphones are comfortable, but are top heavy and may require a sports headband to keep in place. The bone conduction occurs through a transducer sitting on the top of the skull. This system comes with an amplifier and a lot of wires so a belt sac or money belt is needed to house the parts during use.

When to Listen

Listening is most effective done 20 minutes twice per day for 5 consecutive days. For some, listening once a day is plenty, but results happen faster when there is more frequency. 

It is not beneficial to listen everyday. Regular breaks from the brain stimulation listening provides with the 5 days on 2 days off schedule promotes development of neural networks through dendritic branching and pruning.

Picking the best times of day to listen can be tricky with busy schedules.  Here are some things to consider:

  • Before getting your child up in the morning have them lie in bed and listen for 20 minutes prior to getting up.  This works well if your child has difficulty waking and getting ready for the day.

  • If you have a long commute to daycare or school do it in the car.

  • Children are often tired and dysregulated after school, so listening upon arrival home is a good time.

  • One hour prior to bedtime will not only regulate the child enough to settle for bed, but will promote falling asleep faster and staying asleep. 

Whatever times of day you pick, try and be consistent.  Listening consistently for at least a three-month period is recommended for best results.  

What to Do While Listening

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  • Relax

  • Read

  • Draw, paint, practice cursive writing

  • Complete simple homework, like copying spelling lists

  • Play with LEGOS or blocks

  • Playdough or beeswax

  • Swing

  • Play simple matching games

  • Heavy work like pushing and pulling a wheelbarrow

Performing an activity requiring motor coordination, visual tracking or visual attention provide the best outcomes. The Sound Project was developed to help with sensory filtering, sensory cortex development and inter cortical communication, so combining sensory inputs during listening is best.

What Not to Do While Listening

  • Eat

  • Talk

  • Anything requiring heavy cognitive load, like difficult homework.

Why Choose the In-Tuned® Sound Project

There are other choices available on the market. I have used most of them with children in my practice with varying results, mostly positive. The cost of the most beneficial of these listening programs is too high to be accessible to everyone. I wanted to bring therapeutic sound to more people and in a unique context (different Soundscapes), which is different than the other listening programs available, many of which use classical music.

Different Soundscapes provide a choice based on what the user finds pleasurable. This choice increases the willingness to listen and to become active listeners. 

The Soundscapes are novel enough that the listener is attending to and looking for subtle differences in sound. Novelty also makes for more positive changes in brain function.