Testimonial from Sarah, sister of Myriam (13), who has dyslexia and ADHD

Many of the requests we deal with at the centre are about a child's attention and/or hyperactivity problems. Parents come to us looking for an alternative to medication such as Rιtalin, Conc∈rta or ∈lvanse, because it does not suit their child or does not fit with their values.

Here is Sarah's testimonial, which we are sharing with you today.

I discovered Mr Frère's practice and the Tomatis method a few months ago. Just reading about the benefits, all you want is to try it.

After just the first session, I could see that Myriam was less anxious and much more comfortable in her own skin, and she stopped her bad habit of biting her nails. With schoolwork, I was spending much less time on revision and, above all, it was paying off! More attentive at school and at home: pure happiness. And goodbye medication!

After the second session, her marks shot up: her overall average went from 3.8 to 4.8 (Swiss marks run from 0 to 6, editor's note). We were used to marks between 3 and 4, even when she had revised long and hard. Now her marks are between 5 and 6, and she revises a reasonable amount.

No more need for three two-hour sessions a week with the tutor.

If there is one method that works, this is it. Mr Frère and his assistant are charming people who really listen; it is a real pleasure. We recommend them!

Sarah S., Geneva, Switzerland. Received on 24 December 2016

Our consultant's view

After 8 years of observing more than a thousand children who have come through the centre and benefited from a Tomatis listening programme, this is what we have found.

Stimulant medication is essential help for some children, and we generally do not see those children at the centre. The children we see are those for whom stimulants are not suitable, either because they have no effect or because the balance between benefits and side effects is unfavourable. Or simply because, even though there is an attention deficit, stimulants were not recommended or necessary, or went against the family's values.

Please remember that the Tomatis method, which is a form of listening training, is not a substitute for stimulant medication, and that medical follow-up is a matter for your doctor.

We have seen several types of attention deficit, and the ones we can help with are those that stem from poorly integrated listening and language. In that case, the attention deficit is a symptom, and we can act on the cause.

Good language acquisition underpins:

• the ability to express oneself, emotionally and in terms of meaning
• the ability to understand what is said, emotionally and in terms of meaning
• the ability to think, analyse and organise one's thoughts
• prosody (the modulation of speech that conveys shades of meaning, intention or emotion)
• reading and writing
• short- and long-term memory
• the quality and organisation of knowledge and learning
• the ability to communicate with other people, and so to fit into a social group

In short, if language and listening are not well integrated, all of the above is affected, and the child will find it hard to understand what is being asked, to express their thoughts, to think, to learn and to communicate with classmates. On the surface, this shows up as difficulty staying focused in class, restlessness and anxiety. But that is the tree hiding the forest!

By improving listening and language with the method developed by Dr A. Tomatis, we help these children make up for their gaps and progress on every point listed above. With an added benefit: renewed maturity, independence and self-confidence.