Efficacy of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshifts in Children with Sensory Processing Difficulties

Guzman Lecture Hall, Dominican University of California

Few empirical studies provide evidence for the effectiveness of Therapeutic Listening - Quickshifts (TL-Q). However, anecdotally, therapists and clients report TL-Q produces consistent positive results as an intervention for children with learning and developmental problems. In this study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of TL-Q intervention for five children with sensory processing difficulties to improve participation and function in (1) self-regulation and arousal, (2) activities of daily living (ADLs), (3) social/emotional skills, and (4) sensorimotor skills. Over the course of an 8-week prospective study, the researchers conducted a pre-test, post-test, prospective case study. During the intervention period, occupational therapist with TL-Q expertise chose the specific musical track depending on the needs of each child. Outcome measures included: Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Sensory Processing Measure, Clinical Observations of Motor Performance, Beery-Buktenica Test of Visual Motor Integration and parent journals. Results showed an overall positive increase in quantitative scores and through qualitative reports. Most notably, in the areas of social interaction and sensorimotor skills. This study provided evidence for the support of TL-Q in the clinical setting and developed an effective protocol for future research.