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Brief Report: The Effects of Tomatis Sound Therapy on Language in Children with Autism

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Abstract

Due to the myriad of problems associated with autism, parents often consider alternative treatments. The investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of the Tomatis Method on language skills in children with autism utilizing a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. The results indicated that although the majority of the children demonstrated general improvement in language over the course of the study, it did not appear to be related to the treatment condition. The percent change for Group 1 (Placebo/Treatment) for treatment was 17.41%, and placebo was 24.84%. Group 2 (Treatment/Placebo) showed −3.98% change for treatment and 14.15% change for placebo. The results reflect a lack of improvement in language using the Tomatis Method for children with autism.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the families of those children who participated in our research who committed to nearly 1 year of assessments and treatments. Funding was provided by the University of California, Davis M.I.N.D. Institute.

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Correspondence to Blythe A. Corbett.

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Corbett, B.A., Shickman, K. & Ferrer, E. Brief Report: The Effects of Tomatis Sound Therapy on Language in Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 562–566 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0413-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0413-1

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