Improvement of symptoms in children with autism by TOMATIS training: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Yujia Fu; Mei Tian; Jiaxi Chen; Wenfeng Chen; Huang Li

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1357453

Improvement of symptoms in children with autism by TOMATIS training: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

Front Behav Neurosci. 2024 Mar 18:18:1357453. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1357453. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Yujia Fu¹, Mei Tian^{1

2}, Jiaxi Chen¹, Wenfeng Chen¹, Huang Li³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
² Hai Perui Education Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China.
³ Affiliated Haixia Hospital of Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that is marked by deficits in social interaction, difficulty expressing oneself, lack of enthusiasm, and stereotypical conduct. The TOMATIS training method is an effective music therapy for children with ASD for its individually developed programs to improve behavioral deficits.

Methods: The research employed both longitudinal and crosssectional designs.

Results: In the cross-sectional study, the experimental group showed significant improvement in symptoms after TOMATIS training compared to the control group of children with ASD. The results validated the effect of TOMATIS treatment for ASD-related deficits, including perceptual-motor, attentional, social, and emotional issues.

Discussion: ASD's auditory hypersensitivity hampers social information processing, but TOMATIS enhances cochlear frequency selectivity, aiding in capturing relevant auditory stimuli. In addition, the longitudinal study confirmed these findings, which proved TOMATIS training effective in clinically treating ASD. This study focused on audiometric indicators and behavioural improvement, elucidating the mechanisms behind the training's success. Behavioral improvements might stem from TOMATIS' frequency selectivity, reshaping auditory organ-cortical feedback loops to filter interference and focus on valid information.

Keywords: TOMATIS; autism spectrum disorder; behavior improvement; music intervention; training.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported in part by the People’s Psychology Innovation Research Fund, Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China (RXA001).