I had said the words, "In our house ADD is more common than a cold." So to get a chance to review Soundsory from Sound for Life Ltd. was something I couldn't wait to get started with.
I have stated those above words many times. All six of us in our house have some varying level of ADD/ADHD. All four kids have tested on the autism spectrum also. We have tried so many forms of therapy that have been completely disappointing, and very costly. Needless to say, we have been disappointed so many times that when I see a product claiming to help with therapy for ADD/ADHD, I automatically go into a pessimistic mode. Things have gotten really bad with Lydia's ADD that I have reached the point of desperation. I do not want to give her anymore meds than she already is on.
Soundsory from Sound for Life Ltd. is a multi-sensory program meant to be completed over a 40 day period in roughly 30 minutes a day. The secret to the success of Soundsory is that the headphones use bone-conduction through a transducer in the band of the headphones that sit on top of the student's skull. This all is done while the student is listening to a variety of calming music through the ear phones.
The suggested routine for using Soundsory is to listen to the 25 minutes of music, with the headphones fitting properly on the student's head. At the end of the 25 minutes, there is roughly 5 minutes of body movements that follow. These videos are accessible through a link on the Soundsory website. The movements are designed to help with somatic movement, timing and rhythm control, and balance and spatial judgement.
It is also recommended that students to use Soundsory is when they are relaxing. When you are using Soundsory, you will want to have very few interruptions during listening time. Lydia used the program while she was reading or drawing, and there were even days when she would listen to them in the van when we were traveling to and from projects. On those days, I did make sure that she would have them on for a full 30 minutes in one shot. So she didn't just wear them when we were running quick errands. We didn't always do the suggested five minutes of body movements at the end of those sessions. I am not sure if that has made a direct impact on her success with using Soundsory yet.
Lydia is on meds multiple times a day to help with attention, sensory, and emotional troubles. Soundsory is meant to help kids with these issues by creating or repairing the pathways in the brain that are not connecting the way they should. If you find that your student needs extra sessions after the first 40 days, you can definitely use the program another time from the beginning with the same student.
The cordless headphones that we received are very nice quality. They are sturdy, which is a must with Lydia. I swear she can break headphones by just looking at them in a new package. The case that the headphones are stored in is also extremely nice, and makes a great travel case for her backpack when we are using the headphones in the van.
The headphones were very easy to use. You receive the headphones, a blue headband if the headphones do not fit well, a USB charger plug, and a storage case. I plugged them in to my laptop to charge. The entire program of music is preloaded on the device. You can control the volume, skip around the days, pause the music, and even use the headphones for regular use since they are Bluetooth enabled. So you simply turn them on and listen to them daily, and do the daily exercises when you are done listening. The biggest work is charging them every few days.
I liked that they are wireless. That's right....you can use these well-built headphones even after your child has graduated from the Soundsory program. They also have a built in microphone.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been skeptical. After years of struggling through disappointing and unsuccessful therapies, I was not sure what to expect. Soundsory has helped her on a couple different levels. The headphones are comfortable for her to wear. A huge MUST when dealing with Lydia and her sensory issues, this is a girl who cannot even stand the feel of lotion. She wants to wear it, but not touch it. On another level she has really enjoyed the music on her Soundsory headphones, and asks me daily if its time for her to listen to Soundsory.
I have found that Lydia is very relaxed when she finishes the daily Soundsory program. This is huge because she is a very headstrong and opinionated girl with a complete lack of inability to concentrate. And this is even when she is well medicated. She is actually going to be starting her second round of the program. I'm guessing since we missed a few days of the exercises that they do make a big difference in helping to make those reconnections in the brain. Plus we didn't keep a great schedule as to when she done it each day. I'm not sure if this makes a difference in the outcome of the program. But this round we will be using Soundsory right after breakfast, and before we start her work for the day. That is another benefit of using Soundsory, you can easily use the program again to continue to repair the connections.
We have seen benefits and improvements in areas with Lydia. Which is why I am going to let her start a second round. Soundsory recommends that you give it two weeks between the 40 day sessions. So she will start again on Monday. I will keep better track of her schedule this sessions, and make sure she does not miss any.
Soundsory can be used by anyone over 3 years of age and older. Even adults can use Soundsory. After watching the calm with Lydia, I am going to try the Soundsory program also. This is a program I can use while reading a book or early in the morning when I get up, before the family gets up. So even if parents are struggling, or even if your own aging parents are struggling after medical related issues, Soundsory is a program that could help them. Soundsory is very easy to use. I cannot wait to see the further improvements in Lydia. I have a houseful of people to continue to use Soundsory with.
Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review Soundsory from Sound for Life Ltd. Click on the link below see how they used this program in their homes and what benefits they have seen so far.
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