Now See Hear!

A True Story: "Cured."

2007-08-14T00:10:00.001-07:00

Nick came to me with hypersensitive hearing and a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. His family was feeling fairly desperate because he hated his younger brother, and they didn't know how to cope with this.

From the start, I questioned whether ASD was an accurate diagnosis for him. He spoke a bit to fluidly, interactively, and flexibly for ASD to ring true. Still, there wasn't a better fit, and it ultimately didn't matter! He clearly was sensitive to sounds, so AIT was a good treatment option for him.

The parents had previously tried Samonis CD's with Nick, but he couldn't tolerate listening to them for even a few seconds! The speech therapist who had recommended that treatment persisted with it, then suggested that if he couldn't tolerate these CD's for even a few moments, there was no way he'd tolerate 30 minutes of Berard-type AIT!

But he did. From the very first day, he had no problem listening to the music. Why? Because our system eases the ears into it by starting off very quietly and gradually building to full volume. Also, and probably more relevant in this case, the CD's we use treat all frequencies simultaneously, jumping around from one to the next, so that there's no resting on uncomfortable frequencies. This makes it much easier for people to tolerate than the discs that focus on a single frequencies, as in the case with Samonis.

As he was receiving AIT, I had the opportunity to get to know his wonderful parents, and admire their commitment to find whatever treatment was necessary to help their son. They spoke with such sadness about the way Nick treated his brother, who was about 2 at the time. When the toddler would come in the room, Nick would run out of the room. When the toddler would talk, Nick would scream. When the toddler would cry, Nick would hit him. And perhaps the most heartbreaking part... the toddler adored his big brother and wanted to play with him all the time!

On the 7th day of AIT, the family came in to me for their 2nd session with big news! The parents reported that Nick had asked to play with his brother! For the first time ever! And they did! They played together, without fighting, hitting, or screaming! At long last!!!

The parents continued to see Nick improve by leaps and bounds. Within months, he was reassessed and found to no longer merit a diagnosis! Did he overcome autism? Or was it something less severe than autism, a more straightforward acute hyperacousis? I can't say for certain. BUT, I can say this for certain: He was an unhappy little boy who couldn't enjoy even the little things in life before AIT. Now, he races into life, living fully and with joy. And you can't tell, from watching him, that he ever had a day's struggle in his life!

Nick's story can be found in the book, "Sound of Falling Snow: Stories of Recovery from Autism and Related Conditions," edited by Annabel Stehli. To order this book, call 1-860-355-1545.

A True Story: C speaks out

2007-08-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

C is a non-verbal boy with autism. He is considered "very challenging" to his family and therapists, because he has a host of anti-social behaviours (e.g., drinking from the sink spigot, picking his nose), and although he is a beautiful child to look at, there's always a wildness in his eyes that can be expressed with a giant leap out of his chair and a slap across your face. Still, there's something there that people love... a hint of the intelligence within him.

C did Auditory Integration Therapy with me twice. The first time was because he was so obviously hypersensitive to ... well, everything! If someone cried, if the heater clicked on, if someone was singing downstairs, he'd get upset, scream, cry, hit, scratch, and kick.

His first few sessions of AIT were tough. We had to hold his hands down and his headphones on so that he wouldn't throw the headphones off. This is not unusual -- many kids with autism don't like to try new things because they're unpredictable, and therefore scary. Also, he has a pattern of reacting to unwanted things with a violent edge, so his aggressive behaviour at the start was not atypical for him; we had planned for it.

After the 2nd day, though, things started to mellow for him. He fussed for only the first 10 minutes, then only the first 5 minutes, then for only 30 seconds, and finally just a grunt of protest when the headphones were being put on. And then, one day, he came in, reached for the headphones, and tried to put them on himself! By halfway through the cycle, he was a model client, with the exception of when there was a frequency/decibel combination on the music that was difficult for him to deal with. But since these occurred only very briefly, he'd simply cry out once, then settle down again for more listening. [This occurs when we can't get an audiogramme done, which is common for children with autism. We can't filter out uncomfortable peaks. It's not dangerous, just uncomfortable.]

At the end of the 13th session (the typical turning point for hypersensitivity), he already showed signs of being more at ease. He was much less antsy, less likely to act out against a noise with a quick slap at the person closest to him. Over the next few days, he was responding a bit better in his school work, and he started to verbalise some of his favourite things. Amazing progress!

His performance in school and at home improved. He began learning to identify sight words, which he found much more interesting than letters and sounds. Amazingly, he started to repeat the word after it was said to him -- pretty astounding considering he was unable to imitate single sounds, which are supposed to be easier to produce!

A year later, his mother decided she wanted to see if she could get more out of him with another round of AIT. This time, although hypersensitivity wasn't totally resolved, he definitely wasn't as sensitive to environmental sounds as he had been. So this time, our hope was that we'd see more far-reaching changes.

C remembered the routine and, by the end of the first day, was keeping his headphones on without assistance. He happily sat and looked at toy catalogues, played with magnetic letters, and read out loud the names of his favourite things. He only fussed after about 22 minutes, which is when most kids start getting bored and ready to go home, and then was easily redirected to a new activity.

A week after AIT, I got a message from one of his teachers: "C is talking so much! He asked me, today, to take a shower [part of his daily living skill training], he's asking for new foods, he's using two-word phrases all the time, now, and an occasional full sentence! It's amazing!"

He's not so non-verbal, now!

Is Modi'in too far for a daily commute for you?

2007-08-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

Modi'in is centrally located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and is a short drive from many popular towns. However, it may still be too far from you to make the daily realistic.

Don't worry -- there are options!

You can arrange a therapy cycle in your area. For a minimum of 4 clients (maximum of 8), I will travel to your area. There is an additional fee to cover my travel expenses (lodging, food, travel), but since this is spread amongst the whole group, it is less expensive than your own travel expenses if you choose to stay in Modi'in for two weeks. It also allows you to have the therapy during the school year without your child having to miss out on school or you having to take vacation time from work.

If you'd like to arrange a therapy cycle, I can come to your area and give a presentation (in English) on AIT and who it benefits. This should be scheduled approximately 6-8 weeks prior to the targeted cycle date. Inviting teachers, principals, sayats, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and any other professionals, in addition to parents of children with autism, ADD, ADHD and Dyslexia will increase your chance of building a group of 4-8 clients quickly.

I will help you with this as much as possible.

Alternatively, if you want to come to Modi'in, turn it into a vacation. There are some self-catering rooms in Modi'in (simple bedroom/kitchenette arrangements) that are very affordable, year-round. During August and September, there are often whole houses for rent.

For out-of-towners, I can adjust your schedule so that you have a long stretch between sessions. For example, instead of being treated at 8:30 and 13:30 every day, we can schedule you for 8:30 and 17:30 for some or all of the days. This way you can take a day trip somewhere.

Where? How about the beach? Or Old City. Or Ben Shemen Forest. Or take a tour at Neot Kedumim Biblical Forest. Or Luna Park. Or Action Park. Or the Monkey Park. Or Jerusalem Zoo. Or visit an old friend who lives just that bit too far to see regularly. Or, just go to one of Modi'in's beautiful parks and play on the swings and slides.

There's loads to do within a short drive, bus trip, or train ride of Modi'in. Bring the whole family and have fun!

What is hypersensitivity like in real life?

2007-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Same two questions. First, let me explain that we use the word "hypersensitive," but we mean in most cases, "painful." Imagine you're sitting peacefully on your sofa, reading a book, when someone comes into the room without you realising and turns on the computer. The computer's volume had been accidentally turned up very loud the night before, so when the computer boots up, the welcome greeting jingle is LOUD!! How high did you jump? How fast is your heart beating??

Okay... you calm yourself down and go outside for a bit. You're immersed in your book again, when suddenly, your neighbour starts his mower, inches from where you're sitting! How high this time? How fast is it beating?

Go back inside. Calm down. Relax. OY!! What's that?! A helicopter is landing on your roof!! It's so loud, and you can't get away from the sound! Maybe if you sit in your closet with your hands over your ears, it'll be easier to tolerate....

Living with hypersensitive hearing can be very difficult. For the hypersensitive (aka hyperacute) person, an airplane in the sky can sound like the helicopter on your roof. The lawnmower down the street may sound like the one next to your ear. And every time the computer turns on, with the volume down low, it sounds as startling as did the one in our story. What's more, the list of things that could be perceived painfully loud goes on and on. And on. Washing machines, blenders, timers, garbage disposals, vacuum cleaners, hand dryers (in public restrooms), babies crying, people with high voices (young kids, women), certain songs, the air coming through an open window, people chewing, people snoring, people rustling the newspaper, and so many more.

Here are some signs to look for:

covering the ears
leaving the room
avoiding someone/something before they make noise
hitting babies
crying unexpectedly (if you tune in to the noises in the environment, you may notice something new in the background that might be overwhelmingly in the foreground for your child)
visually inspecting a room before entering
startles easily
complains of things and voices being too loud
hides in enclosed spaces
turns off fluorescent lights (which hum)
alerts to new noises, such as the refrigerator fan or heater turning on

What are auditory processing problems like in real life?

2007-08-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

This question actual is two different questions: What is it like to live with auditory processing problems? and What should I be looking for?

The first, first. Living with auditory processing problems is a constant challenge. If you're reading this blog to help your child or other loved one, I'll let you in on a secret... it's no fun to be your child! He (she) wishes to have an easy life like "everyone else."

A person with problems processing auditory input has to work hard to hear every word. Have you ever been listening to a lecturer who drones monotonously, or one who whispers, or one who uses such long, technical words that every word he utters has to be interpreted before you can understand it? How do you feel after listening to him for an hour? ... That's how it feels to have an auditory processing problem, only all the time!

And how did you cope with this? Did you start to whisper to your neighbour? Close your eyes for a short nap? Leave, just to stretch your legs and get a breath of fresh air? Stare out the window? ... Hmm ... it's starting to sound familiar, isn't it?

For those of you who have had to learn a new language as an adult, you'll have experienced a very normal auditory processing problem: not understanding the new vocabulary. However, the symptoms and experience are the same as the dysfunctional variety: you can't understand every word, you have to listen very carefully, you have to extrapolate by the bits you heard and understood, you tune out from time to time to take a mental rest, and you (maybe) feel foolish when you're trying to get information from someone and simply can't make it make sense. Exactly the same experience as that of a person with auditory processing problem with one major difference: When learning a new language, you can put it away for a while and speak in your native tongue with your family and friends, picking and choosing when you use the new language and when you ask, "Do you speak English?" If you have an auditory processing problem, you can never turn away from it for a break!

So, what should you look for in your child? Kids are clever, so they can always come up with new coping strategies, so there's no such thing as a comprehensive list. But here's a pretty good start:

Says "huh" or "what" then answers your question without needing you to repeat it
Looks at you blankly for a moment before responding
Talks loudly (to drown out the background noise that he can't actually push into the background)
Whispers (because it sounds so loud to his own ears)
Complains that the TV or radio is too loud or not loud enough -- this may change from song to song or show to show.
Doesn't like a baby or someone with a high voice for no apparent reason.
Afraid to enter new places
Visually observes a room before entering
Is easily startled
Complains of being bored when you instinctively feel he hasn't tried or you know he hasn't been at it long enough to get bored
Calls something "dumb" as an excuse for not doing it, even though you know it should be his cup of tea.

A True Story: A Family Affair

2007-08-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snapshots of families with auditory processing problems:
Family 1. Mom has ADHD, talks loudly and quickly (probably to cover up uncomfortable background noise). The daughter has ADD, one son has autism, and a third child has pervasive developmental delay. All did well with AIT.
Family 2. Mom whispers (probably because her own voice hurts her ears), the oldest daughter panics when she's in a room with too many children (probably because she's hypersensitive to the frequencies voices are on), the son "mumbles," which is really a problem where he hears things improperly and therefore repeats it improperly.
Family 3. Dad is hypersensitive to "mouth noises," Mom gets irritable when there are more than 2 people talking simultaneously, and daughter has difficulty hearing foreground speech from amongst the background noise.

Auditory processing problems are hereditary

2007-08-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

We all are delighted when we see our best traits appear in our children. Our artistic eye, our keen intellect, our love of music... But sometimes, we pass on things we don't like. Our "unibrow," our tendency to be too skinny or too fat, or our poor math sense. Sensory issues fall into the 2nd category of things we wish we didn't pass on but did.

You may have started reading this website for your child, but discovered that you have a lot of the symptoms described in the checklist, too. Or maybe you've finally figured out why your spouse complains that you're talking too loud.

This also explains why it's not unusual for more than one child in your family to have similar problems, such as a daughter with ADD and a son with ADHD.

I can treat two family members simultaneously, and do so at a significant discount, so that you don't have to pick which one receives treatment first, which one needs it more -- a question you shouldn't have to ask!

Protecting your ears, before, during, & after AIT

2007-08-12T06:11:00.000-07:00

Your hearing is precious! You should always do everything you can to protect it! Especially after AIT, you should be protecting the investment you made in your hearing. Following these simple rules will ensure that your ears are not faced with unnecessary auditory assaults.

Do not use headphones for any reason other than therapeutic treatments (e.g., audiogrammes, additional listening therapies). Headphones feed the sound directly into your ear without any air operating as a buffer. This means the sound waves are more intense as they hit your ear drum. This can damage your hearing over time.
Do not view fireworks without protection (e.g., ear plugs).
Do not expose yourself to sustained loud noises (e.g., rock concerts, construction sites, etc.)
If something is loud and hurts your ears (such as a passing ambulance), protect yourself by covering your ears!

Do's and Don'ts during AIT

2007-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Auditory Integration Therapy is a passive treatment. The only real requirement of the listener is, well, to listen! However, there are some do's and don't to keep in mind during your AIT sessions.

Do ...
... bring favourite toys, colouring books, and games to occupy your time. These toys should not make noise, though, so they don't compete with the AIT. We have toys in the office, but bring anything else that might pass the time more enjoyably.
... bring soft foods to nibble on, if you think hunger may be an issue.
... bring a bottle of water, as long as the bottle is contained (e.g., sippy cup or sports bottle, not open-mouth bottles) to minimize spillage.

Don't ...
... bring a book. Many people with auditory processing problems have learned to shut off their hearing in order to read. Thus, reading during AIT can interfere with the active listening.
... bring crunchy foods, as the crunch will interfere with listening.
... try to talk during AIT; you won't be able to hear my responses over the music. Save your questions for before or after your session.

My daughter gets "topped up"

2007-08-06T12:13:00.001-07:00

This is my daughter, Rivka. She's just started her 3rd AIT treatment. She loves doing it, and has been badgering me for the past 6 months to do it again! I had to explain to her (many times) that it's not safe to do it too quickly after the last session, she'd have to wait for summer.
She's delighted to be back in headphones, dancing to the music, and this year she has many more ballet moves under her belt, so it's a joy to watch her perform as she listens! Riv's wearing a headband, so if she gets a bit TOO into her dance routine and tosses her head, the headphones will stay on, no problem!
Last night, after a bit of dance, she coloured for a while. Tonight, though, when she got bored of dancing, she practiced writing Hebrew. I think she's eager to start back to school!
While listening to the music, you can do whatever you want to pass the time, with the exception of eating crunchy food, drinking, or reading. Reading is a no-no because many people with auditory processing disorders have learned to shut out all noise when focusing on reading, and this is counter-productive to actively listening to the music. Crunchy food interferes with the listening, and drinking is simply too high a risk to the equipment!
You can see the AIT equipment in the background. Nothing too scary!

How long will the benefits from AIT last?

2007-07-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

As long as the hearing is protected, the benefits that come from improved auditory processing will last forever. So, if a child receives AIT, and this results in a great leap of language, this language development will last forever.

However, some children will require a further cycle of AIT to improve their processing more. If you are able to get an audiogramme done on your child (i.e., he's able to respond to the audiologist's questions), it gives you a great comparison point. You can get a repeat audiogramme done 3 months after AIT, after all the changes in the way the ears work will have been completed, and then see how much improved the hearing is. You may find that the mountain ranges are gone altogether, to be replaced with straight(-ish) lines, or you may find that the mountains are now foothills. If there are foothills (still not perfect hearing but not as inefficient as pre-AIT), then you may feel it's worthwhile to repeat AIT a year or more after his first AIT cycle.

As for hyperacusis/hypersensitivities to sound, the effects are less predictable. Most people find that the effect lasts at least 9 months, and as long as many years. Some people say that the painfulness is gone after the first treatment but there is still hypersensitivity. There is just no way to know.

Fortunately, most people find such tremendous relief from the painful hearing following AIT that they are able to appreciate the difference between normal hearing and abnormal hearing for the first time ever. So, when the discomfort begins to return, they notice it straight away and ask for a refresher cycle of AIT.

The more you protect the ears from assaults by loud noises, the longer the benefits will last! This means not wearing headphones to listen to music or stories anymore, using some sort of protective device (ear plugs, headphone-style mufflers) when around loud, sustained noises like on an airplane, at fireworks displays, near construction sites, covering the ears when an unexpected loud noise occurs like an ambulance passing you as you walk down the street, etc.

Our ears are meant to hear noises up to 85 dB comfortably, when the sound has travelled through the air to reach our ears. If you use headphones for non-therapeutic activities (like listening to music), the volume may not be louder than 85 dB, but because it's being fed directly into your ear, without any "air travel" to soften the blow, it has the effect of a much louder decibel. And anything that is truly over 85 dB (rock concerts, jack hammers, etc) is just more than our ears were designed to handle! Be smart, don't try to be cool, and protect your ears!!

A True Story: A Hate-Love Relationship

2007-07-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

I conducted AIT on a young teenager with autism. This was something that his parent was uncertain about doing -- she just couldn't believe it might really help. I'd known her through my autism work for a while and had been talking to her about AIT on and off for about two years! She finally decided to give it a try.

About half-way through the AIT, his side effects started in. He was a boy who need LOTS of deep pressure and proprioceptive input (input to the joints and muscles to help you understand where your body is). As such, he was inclined to hand-flap, throw himself onto the sofa, wrestle with his dad and brother, and clench his muscles. This behaviour started to get really bad during his treatments. It was all I could do to convince him to sit still enough to keep his headphones on. I typically put a headband over the headphones, so a good deal of movement still won't result in the headphones falling off, but he was really active! He was giddy a lot of the time, and this was occurring at home, as well.

About 5 days after the AIT was done, I received a text message from his mother: "Dena, what have you done to my son?! I am NOT a fan of AIT!" Fortunately for me, the text got "lost in space," and I didn't receive it for several days. I let it sit for another day, wondering what I should say to reassure her that this, too, shall pass.

The next day (about 1-1/2 weeks after he'd finished AIT), I got another text from her: "Dena, he is AMAZING! His teachers are raving about how well he's paying attention in school, he's listening so well at home, he's like a different child! THANK YOU! I love AIT!"

Two months later, when he was faced with his biggest school challenge yet -- a new class, a new teacher, new friends -- he flew through it with ease, amazing everyone yet again!

A True Story: Like Clockwork

2007-07-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I conducted AIT for my secretary's son. It was wonderfully successful; my secretary reported that her son was much more social than in the past, happier, easier to get along with, did what he was told at home and at school much quicker and without complaints. She didn't notice any temporary side effects during or after AIT.

About 5 weeks after we finished, I was speaking to a new client on the phone about AIT. When she asked if there were side effects, I explained to her about the predictable "rough spots" after AIT -- those one or two days when children are often irritable and out of sorts that crop up one week, one month, and 3 months after AIT is completed.

When I finished my conversation, my secretary turned to me and said, "I heard what you said to her and I forgot all about that! My son was in a really bad mood, one day last week. He was just angry at everyone, and he couldn't explain why. It was all the more noticeable because he hadn't been that way since the AIT -- it used to be a regular occurrence, but I hadn't seen him in such a foul mood in ages." We looked at the calendar and guess what we found.... That day was exactly one month after he finished his AIT!

It really is like clockwork!

Side effects, if any, are minimal & temporary

2007-07-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Many people worry about whether there are any side effect resulting from AIT. Berard-type AIT is the gentlest type of AIT available. Because there is no "sitting" on a single frequency, and the ears are given ample time to rest, side effects are rarely seen.

When there are side effects, these are only temporary and typically wear off within a week after the treatment cycle has ended.

The most common side effect is an increase in sensory dysfunction. Many kids who have auditory processing disorders and/or hypersensitivity to sounds have other related issues -- sensory integration dysfunction of one or more types. These SI issues include a need to move (for example, bounce, rock, jump, hand-flap, etc.), a need for deep pressure (hugs, wrestling, hanging out in the bath or shower), and more.

Because the auditory sensory system is being adjusted, all the other sensory systems will also be adjusted. This shows up first as an increase in the sensory needs, and typically starts in the 2nd half of the treatment cycle. It lasts for up to two weeks total (in other words, for about a week after the sessions are finished), then settles down to levels that are lower than they were before AIT.

One week after you finish AIT, it is common to have a difficult day or two. "Difficult" may mean being out of sorts, ornery, irritable, or something else that's not the norm. There may be
a repeat of this a month after AIT is done, and again 3 months after the end of AIT, with this episode lasting as much as a week. Many people do NOT have this irritability, but when it does occur, it is at these intervals, like clockwork.

Confirming your suspicions through an audiogramme

2007-07-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

Audiogrammes are simple hearing tests used regularly by audiologists. I remember, as a kid, that a visiting nurse would come in to our school every couple years to test all the students' hearing; I remember putting on the headphones, listening for the tone, and raising my right hand if I heard it in my right ear, my left if I heard it in the left ear.

Typically, an audiogramme is used to check for hearing loss and deafness. As such, the test is conducted as a "spot-check." In other words, not every frequency is tested, and they only test for hearing within the typical range of hearing. This tells them IF you can hear, not HOW you hear.

A complete audiogramme will show HOW you hear. The audiogramme is plotted on two graphs, one for the left ear, one for the right ear. The vertical axis represents the decibels (volume) at which a tone is heard, and the horizontal axis represents the different frequencies we can hear. Normal, perfect hearing appears on the graph as two straight horizontal lines placed somewhere between 0-10 decibels. In other words, the quietest volume at which each frequency was heard was the same decibel, and was somewhere between 0 and 10 decibels, which is considered normal for humans.

However, people with auditory processing disorders will have mountain ranges on their graphs, instead of straight lines. AND, the mountain ranges are different mountain ranges -- they don't overlap one another. This means that the quietest the person hears (for example) the 1 kHz tone in the left ear is 5 dB, and 10 dB in the right ear, and the quietest he hears the 2 kHz tone in the left ear is 15 dB, and 5 dB in the right ear.

Someone with hypersensitivity to sounds may hear many frequencies relatively normally, but there might be one or two frequencies that are heard at -5 dB or -10 dB -- below the point at which people can normally hear! Or, they may have Uncomfortable Loudness Levels (ULL) that are quite low. In other words, he may find a frequency to be painful at only 40 dB, whereas we don't normally find sounds painful until they're over 85 dB.

If you want to confirm your suspicions that you or your child has hypersensitivities to one or more frequencies or an auditory processing disorder, ask your audiologist to conduct a complete audiogramme, testing ALL frequencies, testing down to -10dB, and testing ULL's.

A checklist to help you decide whether AIT will help

2007-07-22T10:54:00.001-07:00

Here's a checklist to help you determine if AIT is right for you. If you answer "yes" to even three of these items, then AIT will likely help.

Is there a history of hearing loss?
Is there a history of chronic ear infections?
Is there a diagnosis of Central Auditory Processing Disorder?
Does s/he listen to directions only 50% of the time or less?
Does s/he have difficulty listening carefully to directions, often needing them repeated?
Does s/he say "Huh?" or "What?" at least 5 times per day?
Is s/he unable to attend to auditory stimuli for more than a few seconds?
Does s/he have a short attention span of

0-2 minutes?
2-5 minutes?
5-15 minutes?

Does s/he daydream? Does his/her attention drift? Is s/he not "with it" at times?
Is s/he easily distracted by background sounds?
Does s/he startle easily in response to unexpected sounds?
Does s/he cover his/her ears and complain that sounds are objectionable?
Does s/he respond to certain sounds with wide-open eyes and flared nostrils?
Does s/he have difficulty with phonics?
Does s/he experience difficulty with sound discrimination?
Does s/he forget what is said after only a few minutes?
Does s/he forget simple routines from day to day?
Does s/he display problems recalling what was heard last week/month/year?
Does s/he have difficulty recalling a sequence that has been heard?
Does s/he experience difficulty following auditory directions?
Does s/he frequently misunderstand what has been said?
Does s/he have poor verbal concepts (a poor vocabularly) for his age?
Does s/he learn poorly through verbal instructions?
Does s/he have a noted language problem (morphology/syntax/vocabulary/phonology)?
Does s/he have an articulation/phonology problem?
Does s/he have difficulty relating what s/he has heard to what s/he has seen?
Does s/he lack motivation to learn?
Does s/he display slow or delayed response to verbal stimuli?
Does s/he demonstrate below average performance in one or more academic areas?

You can confirm your suspicions that your child needs AIT through an audiogramme.

A True Story: O says hello

2007-07-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

"O," a young boy with autism, came to me for AIT because he seemed to be lost in his own world, listening to something only he could hear. Communication is so difficult for him... he has to REALLY want something before he'll use the language he's learned. We did the AIT without having any idea what would come of it. For me, I always wonder, 'Will I get to see the changes? Or will I be gone before they manifest in his language or behaviour?'

I watched O get dropped off at school each morning, and his father would say goodbye to him, then wait for O to say, "Goodbye, Daddy." "Goodbye" generally came quickly enough, although it would be said without looking at his father. "Daddy" was much less likely to come. He'd guess a name at random. Then he'd wait for a prompt. When his father would say, "D...," he'd try a familiar name that began with "D," then another, until he finally guessed "Daddy." The same routine would take place again in the afternoon, when his father came to pick him up and waited for the greeting of, "Hi, Daddy." This was heart-breaking to watch, since I knew the family had worked with him on his greetings for years already!

On our 9th day of AIT, his father came in, and O immediately greeted him with "Hi!" as he looked at his father. When he was prompted, "Hi, who?" he thought a moment, then answered, "Daddy." When he was told to say goodbye to us all, he looked straight at me and said, "Goodbye." Again, a prompt was given: "D..." He quickly said, "Dena." No guesses, no waiting for minutes at a time until he answered, and no talking to the table/wall/door. He answered quickly, easily, and looked straight at me. WOW! Did I imagine that?

No, I didn't. The next day, I got laughter and joy from him all day long -- much different from the sad, disconnected boy I had been seeing the previous days. And when he said goodbye to me, it was with a quick turn to look at me, an easy, "Goodbye, Dena," a big smile, and then he turned and skipped away.

Does my heart good.

AIT can result in a great variety of improvements

2007-07-22T10:10:00.001-07:00

Every person's benefits vary from everyone else's. This depends partly on the client's starting point. For example, does he speak or not? Is he distractable or not? Is his eye contact good, moderate, or poor? However, here is a list of things that are commonly seen resulting from AIT. Your child (or you) may experience some or many of these changes, or maybe experience something else that's not on the list.

improved social behaviour
increased attention
reduced sensitivity to sound
follows instructions better
improved eye contact
decreased irritability
happier
calms himself more quickly
improved speech skills
decreased echolalia
clearer articulation
improved sleeping habits
more willing to interact with others
improved auditory comprehension
increased length of utterance
increased independence
decreased impulsivity

If there is a specific change that you hope to gain and you don't see it on the list, email me at denapage@gmail.com and I'll tell you if it's something that AIT might achieve.

What is Auditory Integration Therapy?

2007-07-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Auditory Integration Therapy, or AIT, is a sound-and-music therapy that improves the way the ears work together. It involves listening to music over headphones in a clinic setting for one half-hour in the morning and another half hour in the afternoon (at least three hours apart to allow the ears time to rest). These sessions are held every day for 10 days in a row, or 10 days within a two-week period (e.g., 5 days on, 2 days off, 5 days on). The equipment allows for more than one person to be treated simultaneously; however, in my practice, the client listens on his own, or possibly with a parent or sibling, but never with a stranger. Although some practitioners will pair strangers up to listen together, I feel this is unfair to the clients who may not be comfortable with one another.

The music that you listen to is digitally modulated so that it jumps around from frequency to frequency over a wide range of decibels. This forces the small muscles and moving bones in the ears to work hard to grab the sounds, constantly moving -- sort of like aerobics for the inner ear! At the end of the 10 days, the ears have improved their ability to process sounds sufficiently so that you are hearing the world differently.

AIT has two benefits:

It decreases hypersensitivity to sound. This improvement can quite consistently be seen before the treatment cycle is complete; in fact, it seems that, for most people, the 7th day is the "magic" day, the day in which the changes are first noted. That's the day that children can tolerate you using the dishwasher/blender/lawn mower or whatever noisy item used to send them running away in fear.
It improves auditory processing. This change occurs more gradually. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the changes that take place in the ear result in the person having to relearn the once-familiar in his world. For example, if he used to hear the word "fork" as "for," he now needs to relearn that the proper word for a tined eating utensil is "fork." He also has to learn that "for" is still the correct word to use when saying "this is for you," or "I am four years old." This can take some time. Secondly, the changes from AIT occur not only in the ear; AIT also stimulates cell-growth in the brain. Obviously, cell-growth isn't spontaneous, so changes resulting from this growth may occur gradually. Changes in auditory processing can be seen as early as a few days after AIT begins, and as late as 3 months after the completion of AIT.

About Auditory Integration Therapy - a brief history

2007-06-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

Auditory Integration Therapy is not a new therapy. Many therapies don't become "mainstream" until they've been around for decades, because it takes that long for the research to prove it works, and for people to begin to hear about it, spread the word, and try it for themselves.

AIT has been around since the 1950's, when Alfred Tomatis developed the original system to treat hearing irregularities common to children with autism. That original therapy (still in use today) used recorded music and the recorded voice of the mother, since Dr. Tomatis felt that the hearing had not developed properly when the infant was in the womb. His patients listen to this music through headphones for two hours per day, for a minimum of three weeks at a time, and they repeat this treatment frequently. Some of the theory behind this original therapy was sound, while other parts were not. So one of Tomatis's students, Guy Berard, took the basic therapy and improved upon it.

Dr. Berard spent 20 years researching and refining his work, and developed a "perfect" protocol. His therapy technique involves listening to music that jumps around through all the frequencies over a range of decibels for one-half hour, twice a day, for ten days. This therapy forces the ear to work harder than it does normally, exercising the inner ear, so that it becomes more efficient at processing sound quickly.

In the late 1970's, Annabel Stehli's daughter, Georgie, recovered from extremely hypersensitive hearing following treatment with Dr. Berard. Annabel then began her life's work to spread the word about Auditory Integration Therapy. Because Georgie had been diagnosed with autism, AIT's introduction was made to the autism world.

It is now recognised that AIT can help a wide range of people with a variety of hearing-related problems. It helps people with autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, some people with anxiety disorders (where there is a connection to hypersensitive hearing) and some forms of depression. It also helps people who are struggling with language development -- either learning a 2nd language or the otherwise typically developing "late talker".

Recent developments in auditory integration therapies have brought about home-based versions of AIT. While these seem to be effective to some extent, the results are not as successful as Berard's AIT, nor is there research proving effectiveness yet. More on this in "How AIT works."