The Tomatis Method was developed by Dr. Alfred Tomatis (1920 – 2001), French Ear Nose and Throat doctor and specialist in the fields of education and psychology.
Dr. Tomatis dedicated his life to the study of the ear and the role it plays in speech, language and communication. In 1957, The French Academy of Medicine and Science honored him for his groundbreaking work: "The Tomatis Effect".
Importantly, Dr. Tomatis differentiated between hearing and listening.
Whereas hearing is passive, listening is the active ability to tune into selected sounds and filter out competing sound. Listening requires volition. Good listening is the outcome of accurate auditory processing together with body control.
Dr. Tomatis recognized that listening begins in the womb and that babies hear and listen to their mother's voice before they are born. He maintained that it is this early listening experience that arouses the "desire to communicate".
Many people with attention, learning and communication difficulties have excellent hearing but are poor listeners.
Dr. Tomatis developed patented electronic equipment called the Electronic Ear. The Electronic Ear was first presented at the Brussels World Fair in 1958 and has undergone constant technological re-development. The Electronic Ear is unique to the Tomatis method, acting on a sound source using various sophisticated mechanisms.
The acoustically treated sounds stimulate different parts of the ear and the brain, affecting the way in which people listen to external sound and how they listen to their own voice.
Tomatis auditory stimulation enhances listening, thereby laying the foundation for improved attention, learning and communication skills.
A Tomatis listening program is tailored to individual needs. It consists of an assessment, intensive units of auditory stimulation and regular periodic
"Listening tests" and consultations.
For more information about our programs or to set up an appointment, please contact us.
We have English speakers on our staff who will be happy to help you
