Tomatis Method and Speech Therapies
Logopaedics or speech therapy
The speech therapist deals with communication, language, speech and voice disorders.
These disorders may be caused by brain damage, learning problems, developmental problems or illness.
Speech therapists use a variety of techniques, including speech and language therapy, to help people overcome their difficulties.
Tomatis method
Audio-psycho-phonologists trained in the method of Dr A. Tomatis also deal with communication, language, speech and voice disorders.
However, while the theoretical bases and objectives are the same, the methods used are different.
Speech therapy and the Tomatis method: what are the differences?
Logopaedics is a set of articulatory, phonological and vocal re-education techniques aimed at treating the symptoms observed, whereas the Tomatis method is a re-education of listening using switched and filtered music aimed at treating the causes of the symptoms observed.
In other words, where speech therapy, for example, seeks to correct incorrect pronunciation of certain sounds through repetition and listening, the Tomatis method goes further by seeking to correct the decoding and analysis of sounds carried out by the brain areas involved, which are at the root of this pronunciation error.
In short, if you mispronounce certain sounds, you can correct this by repeating these sounds until you manage to do so (logopaedic approach) or act on the brain areas concerned by re-educating the eardrum and stapes muscles (Tomatis method).
Targeted action on the cerebral hemispheres
Speech therapy involves articulatory, phonological and vocal re-education. This re-education acts specifically on the right ear - left brain axis, which is involved in spoken language.
The Tomatis method involves audiological, psychological and phonological re-education. This re-education acts on both axes: right ear - left brain, and left ear - right brain. The left ear - right brain axis is involved in emotional language.
Complementary approaches
Speech therapy and the Tomatis method are two approaches that aim to improve the situation of people with language and communication disorders such as dysphasia, dyslexia, stammering or aphasia.
Although they are complementary, they do not address the cerebral hemispheres involved in language in the same way. This is why, depending on the problem encountered, one or other approach will be more appropriate.
For example, if the emotions are amplifying the language problem, the Tomatis method will be more appropriate because it also addresses the right hemisphere.
If the main problem is articulatory, speech therapy will be more appropriate because of the specific exercises it offers.
In other words, speech therapy addresses expressive disorders, while the Tomatis method addresses receptive disorders.
Complementarity supported by science
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12918003/
In summary, this meta-analysis shows that speech therapies, which include logopaedics / orthophony, have a positive effect on expressive disorders (phonology and vocabulary), while the results are mixed for syntactic and receptive disorders (listening and comprehension).
A few words on the hemispheric specialisation of language
Language is generally associated with the left hemisphere of the brain. The left hemisphere is responsible for producing and understanding language, while the right hemisphere plays a role in the emotional and prosodic aspects of language.
Left hemisphere
- Language production: Broca's area, located in the left frontal lobe, is responsible for planning and producing the muscle movements required for speech.
- Language comprehension: Wernicke's area, located in the left temporal lobe, is involved in understanding spoken and written language.
Right hemisphere
- Emotional component: the right hemisphere, via the right angular gyrus, is often associated with the emotional component of language, including the perception of emotions in the voice. Facial expressions are processed by the right superior temporal cortex.
- Prosodic features: the prosodic aspects of language, such as intonation and rhythm, are also processed in part by the right hemisphere, in the frontal lobe.
The two cerebral hemispheres work together to enable full understanding and rich expression of language. The left hemisphere is responsible for the formal production and comprehension of language, while the right hemisphere contributes to the more emotional and prosodic aspects of linguistic communication.
Example
When you say to your child: "tidy up your room", you will colour your sentence with emotion by acting on intonation and rhythm. And you will communicate your instructions using words that match your request.
On the other hand, in your child.
Using his right hemisphere, he will try to understand the emotion you are expressing in your request, for example anger. With his left hemisphere, he will identify the words that make up your sentence, understand their individual meaning and then the sentence as a whole.
Importance of auditory laterality according to A. Tomatis
A concept developed by Dr A. Tomatis as long as 50 years ago is that of auditory laterality, based on the specific role of the cerebral hemispheres in language processing.
According to Tomatis, children with a language disorder requiring speech therapy have a dominant left ear. In other words, they give priority to analysing the emotional and affective components of the message. This has a major impact because, if we take the example above, the child will understand that you are angry, but will not always understand that he needs to tidy his room. Unless you repeat the request several times.
That's why, in our opinion, rehabilitation of language disorders starts with the Tomatis method, which regulates the left ear-right brain axis, and then continues with speech therapy.
In this way, speech therapy will be much more effective, both in terms of results and length of treatment.
Making your choice
Do you understand how speech therapy and the Tomatis method work, but need help deciding which approach would be best for you or your child? We suggest you make an appointment with our audio-psycho-phonology specialist for a free information session.
If you have made up your mind, or if you think that an audio-psycho-phonological assessment is the right step to take, you can make an appointment for an assessment at our centre.
Insurance Coverage and timeframes
One major difference is the time it takes for treatment to become available. In Switzerland, speech therapy is reimbursed by the canton as part of the support measures for children with learning difficulties. As speech therapists are in great demand, and follow-up is often of (very) long duration, there is a shortage of places. Sometimes you have to wait several months, or even years, before you can get support for your child. When it comes to adults, the problem is the same.
The Tomatis method taught by Julien Frère is covered by supplementary insurance in Switzerland, with a contribution to costs ranging from 75% to 100%. At the Tomatis Centre in Geneva, we have a capacity of 60 people per month, which means we can react quickly and offer treatment within 3-4 weeks. Treatment lasts from 4 to 6 months, depending on the problem.
On application, the Tomatis method can be covered by the AI, Hospice Général or basic insurance.
