Listening and Orientation Guidelines Important considerations for a proper listening experience :  Set Goals
Listening Schedules How to Wear Headphones What to do while listening Frequency of Listening Journaling/Client Documentation Contact Schedule Batteries vs AC Adapter in CD Player Doctor’s Visits Note: You can also view a printable version of these Guidelines in MS-Word or PDF, or Text formats,. Set Goals |  |
Please write out a few specific goals to share with Melissa during your first consultation. 
Listening Schedules | |
You may be ‘assigned’ a personal listening schedule – extended, base, or condensed - which you can reference in your guidebook. Some listeners will require a more modified approach to get started. Melissa is qualified and trained in modifying listening schedules to maximize comfort and effect for the individual listener. Your listening schedule may change during the course of your program experience, depending on how you respond to the music and frequencies. Please contact Melissa as soon as you experience anything other than a pleasant listening experience so that adjustments can be made if needed.
How to Wear Headphones | |
Position the left headphone cup over the left ear and right cup over the right ear for every listening session. Make sure to check your headphone connection and adjust volume at a comfortable level before you start listening.
What to do while listening: No TV, No Computer, No Chewing! | |
The best activity is to just simply be still and engage your active listening; I recommend that every adult do this since it is a lesson in itself apart from his or her normal multitasking. Children and adolescents can be engaged in other quiet activities while listening such as painting, drawing, puzzles, fluid sand-art pictures, or Play-Doh™. Please see our list of recommended activities when listening for some specific suggestions. Whole Brain Integration exercises, such as Paul Dennison’s BrainGym exercises, would compliment the listening session nicely as well. Reading and academic pursuits will conflict with the program and are highly discouraged along with eating, chewing, and being in the same room as a computer monitor or TV (that are on). Please check with Melissa before listening to any other music through headphones during your program. The Speech & Language Kids series CDs have been produced to allow the listener to engage in language-based activities (speaking/reading) while listening. Please speak with Melissa to find out more about the applications of these CDs.
Frequency (5/2) | |
The Program is designed for 5 days of listening in a row with 2 days off; this is necessary to rest the ears. If your listening schedule is disrupted for any reason, call Melissa for recommendations to get back on track.
Journaling/Client Documentation | |
I depend on you to note the changes you experience weekly prior to our weekly consultation. Feel free to make copies of the ‘Observations Checklist’ and give these to those who have agreed to offer their feedback. You may wish to make copies of the journal pages in your handbook or keep a separate notebook. There will be subtle changes or events that are best recorded at the time they occur (i.e. something your child said that amazed you) that you may not be able to remember in detail during your consultation.
Contact Schedule | |
Honeybee Listening requires regular contact with clients. The day and time that we establish for regular contact is important. If you know ahead of time that you will be unable to keep your scheduled consultation, please notify me so that we can make alternate arrangements. I invite you to email your ‘Observations Checklist’ on your last day of listening each week, with anecdotal explanations of your changes. This way I can note the changes in your chart and we can concentrate our phone time on your questions and general discussion of your listening experience.
Batteries vs AC Adapter in CD Player | |
Please use disposable or rechargeable batteries instead of the AC adapter that came with your CD Player. The electrical current may cause skipping or disruption which would interfere with your listening experience.
Doctor’s Visits | |
It is a good idea to have a tympanogram* performed before commencing an auditory stimulation program such as The Listening Program™. Please make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT) or Audiologist to have a tympanogram* performed before starting your program. This test will detect if there is a problem with the tiny bones in the middle ear, or fluid – both of which will interfere with your listening. It is possible to have fluid without any symptoms and there is no other way of checking this. The tympanogram is a quick, painless procedure covered by most insurance providers. It is not recommended that you start a new medication or adjust dosage of existing prescriptions at the same time as starting your program. Please speak with Melissa to discuss your options.
Additional listener support documentation is available from Advanced Brain Technologies. A tympanogram is a test used to detect disorders of the middle ear. Air pressure in the ear canal is varied to test the condition and mobility (movement) of the eardrum (tympanic membrane). This test determines the functionality of the tympanic membrane by observing its response to waves of pressure, and measuring the pressure of the middle ear. Note: The frequencies in TLP tend to lead the listener to a more moderate level of functioning, and some listeners have needed to decrease (some to eliminate) medications due to the benefits from TLP. | 
