Keri Heilman, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Summary: A research project funded by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF) will be conducted in Australian facilities of the ACF to evaluate the effectiveness of the Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) in children with a trauma history. The SSP is designed as a “neural exercise” to reduce auditory hypersensitivities, to improve auditory processing of speech, and to improve behavioral state regulation. The SSP uses acoustic stimulation to exercise the neural regulation of the middle ear structures to rehabilitate and to normalize the acoustic transfer function of the middle ear structures. The current study is being conducted to evaluate efficacy and feasibility of the SSP and will use objective measures to evaluate changes in acoustic transfer function of the middle ears structures, auditory processing skills, physiological state regulation, and sensory symptoms.