Identification of a Listening Problem
Receptive Language
At the level of receptive oral language, the following can be considered symptomatic of a listening problem:
" A need to have instructions repeated.
" Distractibility, restlessness, daydreaming, poor attention and concentration in learning and communications.
" A tendency to misinterpret what is being said, which produces odd reactions and impedes communication with others.
" Difficulty to follow and/or participate in conversations in a noisy environment.
Expressive Language
At the level of spoken language, individuals with listening-based communication problems are frequently seen to have very poor audio-vocal control or self-listening. Symptoms include:
" Slow, hesitant, poorly articulated speech.
" Poorly modulated voice (too soft of too loud)
" Poor voice characterized by a dull, monotonic and lifeless quality or other impairments of timbre, tone and fluency.
" For adults, difficulty in sustaining the interest of a group while making a speech or presentation.
Body Image
At the level of body awareness of body image, the following can be observed:
" Poor balance and coordination
" Difficulty coordinating body movement.
" Clumsiness or awkwardness in body movement.
" Excessive body movement when speaking or listening (fidgety).
" Poor posture: overly tense and rigid (hypertonic) or insufficient tonicity (hypotonic)
" Missed lateral dominance letter and word reversals, signs of fine motor or gross motor coordination problems such as poor handwriting.
" Poor organizational and planning skills
" Poor spatial orientation and sense of time.
Attitude and Motivation
With respect to this aspect of listening and communication, common observations include the following:
" An indifferent, negative, or antagonistic attitude toward communication and learning.
" Tendency to withdraw or avoid communication in learning situations and/or social situations
" A lack of curiosity or interest in learning
" Lack of interest in oral communication and, in the extreme, avoidance or active refusal to use language as the medium through which to communicate with others.
Developmental Characteristics
In compiling clinical histories from centers using the Tomatis Method, the following events have had an unusually high incidence among individuals presenting with listening- based learning and communication problems:
" Difficult circumstances surrounding the pregnancy
" Difficult births or early separations from the mother as a result of illness or adoption
" Disordered sleeping and eating patterns.
" Recurring ear infections in the first years of life.
" The arrival of a younger sibling within two years of birth
" Slow or poorly established preference for right or left hand
" Delay in language development and, less frequently, in motor development.
" Difficult adjustment to school life and the recognition of problems by the teacher or by the parent within the first two years of school
" Underachievement at school or on the job, irrespective of age.
