While autism was a rare syndrome up to about 15 years ago, a recent increase in most developed countries is reaching pandemic proportions for no known reason. Various statistics show that the number of children in the autistic spectrum of disorders including PDD has increased 8 to 10-folds within that period. The most accepted interventions available to help these children consist of behavior modification techniques which are labor- intensive (minimum 2 or 3 therapists per child), time consuming (up to 30 to 40 hours per week of therapy) and extremely taxing for most parents. In contrast, Listening training is an effective approach to help children with autism. Its recognition is gathering momentum and there is an increasing convergence between the work we do and the scientific data supporting the rationale which permits to explain the results obtained with the listening training. For example, a major medical journal recently published a research study (Nature-Neuroscience, Aug. ‘04) indicating that one of the possible causes of autism may be due to the deficiency in the area of the brain specializing in the recognition of the human voice. Listening training leads to voice recognition – it provides a direct intervention on this type deficit.

The work of The Listening Centre with children within the autistic spectrum was the subject of a 1 hour documentary on the Discovery Channel in 1995. This program airs in different languages and is still featured worldwide. Listening training applied to autism was featured in 2003 on the US TV programs Today Show provoking a huge wave of parental and professional interest. Paul Madaule and the team of the Listening Centre is often invited to talk on the subject of listening training at conferences on autism. Paul recently published some of his findings on the subject. 

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