auditory integration training

[Chester]

Our little guys is signed up to go through an extensive Auditory Integration Training the end of July. It was recommended by our OT.

Here is a link I found about it......

www.auditoryintegration.net/

Anyone have any experiences with it? We live about an hour from the center that will preform the therapy.....1/2 hour therapy then three hours later another 1/2 hour for 5 days in a row, then it starts all over again for another 5 days after having the weekend off.

The reality of the impact on the whole family is starting to loom larger....what to do with all three of the kids during the three hour break, etc etc.

In our packet of papers we received today it says they "included copies of the most recent research on the results of Auditory Integration Training" but they must have forgetten to add those papers, they weren't included. So I'm being impatient and wondered what all of you "experts" may know about AIT?

[momofrussell]

Hey Chester the cat I have read up on this but have never done it with Russell. I read about it due to Russell's Autism and is processing and his adversion to certain situations, sounds, ect... Do they ONLY do it with the headphones? I know Russell would have a fit before those ever hit his head. LOL.. but please post up about it once you get started... I am truly interested in your opinion once you get started!

I have read about auditory processing types of stuff in the past. I know that BEARD is one of the people and ways to go about it.. the way you are doing it. I am glad someone is doing it so I can ask questions! LOL... I think Russell would benefit greatly from it if it didn't involved those darn headphones!

Good luck.. as for the 3 hour break in the middle.... I would maybe just pack a cooler everyday and find a park Then they kids can shake the drive off and relax a little and have some lunch or a snack. Maybe there are other cheap/free points of interest where you are going you could make it some educational field trip everyday!? Go to the library even...

Good luck!

a.

[donnac]

OK Chester (Sorry, don't remember your first name), I know practically nothing about AIT, but looked into it last year. I didn't receive any posts from here with any information. However, I did look up some info that you can find at :

www.autism.com

From there, you can find a link to Dr. Berard's website, and I have been told that no other methods compare to his. You can also find the link to SAIT, Society of Auditory Intervention Techniques.
I also tried to find a summary report that I printed out. You may find it on the autism website. When I tried to key it in and pull it up I couldn't. It was a 15 page report called The Efficacy of Auditory Integration Training. The old site is:

www.autism.com/airi/specialinterest/aitsummary.html

Good Luck

[Chester]

Orginially it was our 10 year old who was going to have the AIT done. The older he is getting the more "quirks" we are finding. He was dx'd with ADD quite awhile ago, but have always doubted that....but I couldn't put my finger on it. We're now heading down the road of some sensory integration issues/metabolic issues. The more we start to dig, the more we find....he's got a hearing loss, some eye tracking issues which could be the cause of poor reading skills, he is a shallow breather, his finger muscles are underdeveloped which could be the cause of poor handwriting. He does receive very limited IEP services because he is pretty much able to hold his own, but boy does he struggle like mad, and it is getting harder the older he gets. SO LONG STORY....on how I first learned about the AIT. I talked to Cory's deaf and hard of hearing aide and his OT aide before school was out and they thought AIT sounded awesome for him. So I trusted them and didn't really do much more research.

I was and am still surprised that the OT at the special childrens center recommended JT to go through AIT too. I am worried about JT sitting and wearing headphones for 5 minutes let alone a full half hour. The lady on the phone said not to worry, so I'm not exactly sure what that means. To me he seems a bit young too.

I am curious to compare how they both respond to the treatment. During the AIT it is strongly recommended that we provide the Welbarger Deep Pressure Program at home, which Cory thinks is dreamy, hopefully JT will too!

I'll let you know how it goes!

[nica1]

Hi, We tried this a year ago with our son. At our private Children's therapy center were Adam goes for speech and OT they let families check it out for a month to see if it is something that works for your child and then you can purchase it. We did have to buy the good headphones and they were a little $$. I too, was a little worried about Adam actually keeping headphones on, but he did much better then I would have ever thought. We did it before nap time and before bedtime so it was a good settling down time for him. We unfortunately did not see any differences in him. I did talk a parent who bought it because it really helped her son, he slept better (Would have loved for it to have helped with his sleeping!!!) and paid attention better she felt. And I know one parent who had to stop after first week it irritated her son and he became more hyper. Hope it works for you especially with all that drive time!!! But hey, if it works it would be worth it. Our OT did say sometimes the changes can be so subtle that you don't really see it, And Adam really would not be able to tell me if he felt any different, so it could have helped some but, we did not outwardly see it. Good luck, can't wait to see how it goes for JT please let us know :)Monica

[CC]

Hmmmm very interesting, to be honest, can't say I ever heard of this before. I have read the link you gave us some and will look at it more, as it might be a good thing for Chris to try.

Have to say thou, where they say on their site
"Please note that it can take up to one year for all behavioral changes and benefits to become evident." made me wonder Honestly just maturity in a year could be a reason alone for behavioral changes, KWIM?? Seems to me saying could take up to a year... is a good way to cover their butts Just my thoughts

But THANKS for sharing, I will definitely look into this more.

CC ~

[donnac]

Monica -- I believe that the training that you used with your child is different than the auditory integration training. The reason that I even looked into AIT was that an OT recommended the same protocol that you used. It was called Therapeutic Listening by Vital Sounds. Chester's child will only have the therapy twice daily for two weeks. The Therapeutic Listening program has your child listening for months from a selection of CDs. I was not sold on this type of therapy due to lack of research. I couldn't find any other parents using it other than a few from the practice that I took Tyler to. It seemed like they put many, many of their clients on the program without a lot of monitoring. They did tell me that it might make your child more hyper the first week, but you had to give it several weeks to see if it worked. Again, we never tried it.

Another progam recommended to me during my research on the above was called The Listening Program. It is an eight week program with twice daily listening. Again, I could not find much info on it so we never persued (sp) it either.

There is so much out there that you just don't know what works and what won't.

[nica1]

Donna, You are right, what we did was called "The listening program" Sorry, Chester!!!!! It just sounded so similar and I truthfully couldn't remember what it was called until I read Donna's reply I still am intrested in hearing how it works for you Again sorry, Monica

[Chester]

oh nothing to be sorry about Monica. They do sound very similar. Now that you mention that, the first OT we saw did say something about a listening program that could be done at home, but it wasn't her first choice so she just mentioned it and on we went to the AIT info.

Both boys have to have an audiogram done in the next week or so. They are scheduled to start the AIT on July 18th. I'll keep you posted.

I find it interesting that there is SO much out there. I just don't want to be sold a bill of goods.

Dawn....Chester is my cat

[momofrussell]

But Dawn.. I LIKE calling you Chester the Cat.... it's more fun ! heehee Unless I am offending you!

a.

[Chester]

A~
It take a lot more than that to offend me! It makes me smile when I read "Chester the Cat" with your winking smiley face.

[nica1]

Hey Dawn, LOL I kinda figured Chester was not your real name ;D!!! But it is a Great name for a cat!!!! And I promise I will not forget your (or your cats name ). Take care, Monica

[Chester]

Hey Monica,
I just noticed you are from Minnesota. Any chance you are near the Twin Citites? I'm in WI, but barely.
Dawn....and my cat Chester too.

[nica1]

Dawn, yes we are about 20 min. from twin cities. We live in small suburb called Rosemount. I haven't posted much but do allot of reading, (lately i've been posting and I did read that you adopted your little guy. We also adopted Adam. He was 31/2 months when we got to bring him home. I also have a 17 yr. old son. We did not plan to adopt a child with special needs we actually never even thought of it, we got Adam's information by accident (really not an accident I was destined to be his mommy ;D) and from the moment I opened that envelope and saw his picture and read the paragraph about him I knew he was my son. It was a Saturday and the fri. before it said he was scheduled for complete a.v. canal heart surgery, I was so worried for him and prayed all weekend for him. My husband thought I was crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! And actually told me No way No how!!!!!!! I finally got him to agree to learning about DS couple days later he gave me the green light and it all happened so fast. We didn't even have a home study done yet. They did everything in less then a month, I guess it usually takes like 6 months. We were seeing Adam everyday during this time the transition went so great. My husband and I both can't explain the bond we felt instantly. And boy is Adam a daddy's boy. He has my husband wrapped around his finger!!!!!!!!!!! Pretty funny for my husband thinking I was crazy! love to hear your story. How close are you to twin cities? good night, Monica

[Chester]

Sure I know where Rosemount is....Rosemount/Apple Valley share school district lines, etc. I have a cousin who lives down there. Back when I was in high school I dated a boy who lived in Apple Valley, even went to the Apple Valley prom. We live near Menomonie, WI....about 45 minutes from the Woodbury area.

Well you know how the pre-adoption paper work works, you have to mark the kind of disabilities you would consider. We have always marked the box that we would consider a child with DS. Our social worker called to tell us about this little guy with DS who was 8 months old, and also was African American. We weren't looking for an infant at the time, so that made us a bit nervous. The fact that we were a caucasion family in a rural area made us nervous to introduce "diversity" into the community. But we drove down to meet him, and just like you said, he was "our boy" the moment we met. It was awful leaving him in the foster home until the paper work got caught up. There was something, and still is, something about his eyes, they penetrated right into my soul.
I was so, so nervous about how our community would react to him, but he has become a sort of "icon" for diversity....both for people with disabilites and for diversity. Once we are outside of our sheltered little world though, I think we have more problems dealing with people with racist prejuidices over disability issues. I am kind of guilable about it sometimes, because I honestly don't see him as any different than my other kids. He's our baby and that's that.

How old is Adam?