"The Effect of Vibrotactile Stimuli via the Somatron on the Identification of Rhythmic Concepts by Hearing Impaired Children" |
| Source: Published Journal Article Journal of Music Therapy Fall 1989, XXVI (3), pgs. 115-124 Location: Kansas School for the Deaf, Olathe, Kansas Date: 1989 Contact Information: Alice-Ann Darrow, PhD, RMT-BC Associate Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas Harald Goll, M.Ed., MME J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt / Main, West Germany This research study was carried out to see whether or not vibrotactile stimulation via a Somatron could help hearing-impaired children identify changes in rhythm. Twenty-nine hearing-impaired children participated in the research being presented with ten different rhythmic patterns both via a Somatron and aurally via a tape player. When the different patterns were experienced via the Somatron, the children were able to correctly identify a higher number of changes in rhythm than they were when the patterns were presented aurally. This finding was statistically significant (p<0.01). The author states that “hearing impaired children can benefit greatly from additional sensory input provided by vibrotactile stimuli” and that “learning can occur at a faster rate and in a more relaxed manner.” "Enabling Through Sound and Music"Source: Mr. Gordon Dalgarno is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Keele University in England where he works at the “Unit for the Study of Musical Skill and Development”. Mr. Dalgarno and his colleagues’ work focuses on three primary objectives: 1) To enable individuals who are hearing impaired / deaf to experience music in a more enjoyable manner. 2) To assist individuals with other special needs and physical disabilities in expressing themselves through music. 3) To use music and sound therapeutically, employing techniques such as vibroacoustic therapy. The individuals that Mr. Dalgarno and his colleagues serve range from children to the elderly and these individuals are referred / recruited from local schools and other institutions. Mr Dalgarno reports that one of the primary goals of providing these services is to conduct scientific research, improving on current methods as well as developing new methods where there currently are limitations. Somatron, and other vibroacoustic equipment are used by the unit primarily with hearing impaired individuals. For these individuals, Mr Dalgarno stresses that an individualized program is the most successful. Music can be experienced both vibrotactily and visually at the unit and each individual is assessed for the most successful combination of the two interventions in order to insure that they gain the most enjoyment out of the music that is presented to them. Mr Dalgarno reports that currently they are in the process of developing and refining their vibroacoustic technology as well as designing and conducting scientific research. "The Effect of Vibrotactile Stimuli via the Somatron on the Identification of Pitch Change by Hearing Impaired Children"Source: This research study was carried out to see whether or not vibrotactile stimulation via a Somatron could help hearing impaired children identify changes in musical pitches. Seventeen hearing impaired children participated in the research being presented with ten patterns of changing musical pitches both via a Somatron and aurally via a tape player. Of the seventeen children, ten were better able to identify changes in pitch when the pitches were presented via the Somatron. It appeared that “feeling” the pitches on the Somatron enhanced the children’s ability to distinguish between different musical notes. These findings were generally consistent regardless of the direction that the pitches changed. The researchers and teachers involved in carrying out the project reported that they observed positive responses in the children during the time that they were using the Somatron. Research Note: Preschooler's Responses to Auditory and Vibroacoustic StimuliSource: This research study was carried out with preschool children. The aim was to see whether the experience of the Somatron had any effect on preschoolers’ attentiveness to and understanding of various stories. Ninety-six children participated in the study. Each child was assigned at random to one of four study groups. The four groups were as follows: 1) A story played via a tape player In each group, children lay down on the Somatron mattress, even if the story or musical story was played via a tape player. In order to see the effects of the different story experiences, the researchers watched the children to see whether they a) were focusing their attention on the stories as they were played, b) understood what was happening during the stories, and c) had preferences for any part of their experience. The researchers found that the experience of being on the Somatron was preferred the most by those children who listened to a non musical story through it. No differences were found, however, between the attentiveness of the children in any of the four groups and neither the music or the vibration of the Somatron affected the children’s preferences for the the stories they heard. For both the children who experienced the non musical story and the children who experienced the musical story via the Somatron, their understanding of the story appeared to be somewhat reduced. The researchers suggested that further research be carried out with children of different ages to further explore the possibilities of vibroacoustic stimulation to affect attentiveness and comprehension. |