Learning Disabilities: Auditory Aspects

My husband and I are the principal owners of Autism/ADD Resources, Inc. Through this company, we offer lesser known therapies for learning issues, including "auditory integration training" (AIT).

AIT was developed in France by Guy Berard, M.D. who describes his work in Hearing Equals Behavior (available through the Georgiana Organization, Inc. - 860-355-1545).

Through controlled listening sessions, AIT uses randomized sounds to enhance or change hearing perception. For example, if a person has a short attention span due to an underlying auditory distortion, AIT can reduce the distortion and thereby increase the ability to pay attention. AIT can also be used to lessen or eliminate hearing sensitivities for persons with overly sensitive or painful hearing. AIT will not work when the underlying problem is nerve damage or an intellectual deficiency.

In our practice, we see a wide range of pre-existing diagnosis in which an underlying problem or aspect of the problem is hearing dysfunction. These diagnoses include: autism; attention deficit disorder (ADD, ADHD); dyslexia, traumatic brain injury (TBI); cerebral palsy; learning disabled; retarded; Angelman’s syndrome; Williams Syndrome; Down Syndrome; sensory integration disorder; depression; "Central Auditory Processing Disorder" (CAPD) and/or visual disorder.

Our normal protocol is to administer a hearing test using an "Otoacoustic Emissions" tester. This is a passive test of hearing in which a small probe is placed in the person’s ear to provide static sound stimuli which are then echoed back to a computer for graphing. With the results, we are then able to create an individualized program using various filters.

Once the program is developed, the client will begin a standard protocol with two listening sessions per day over a 10-day period (with a weekend break). Often clients will soon report significant changes in their hearing, their outlook or their ability to sustain attention.

Marcy McCarthy, M.A.Ed.

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Postscript:

Autism/ADD Resources has offices in Federal Way, Washington and on Vashon Island. They also work throughout the United States and in New Zealand and Australia.