AIT INFORMATION

[Guest guest]

AIT info that was sent to me. I cannot vouch for validity of this

information, but hope you find it helpful........Bob

Meg,

I don't have the time to write you all that we have experienced with

Auditory Integration Training (having mega computer

problems!), but I can tell you that when my son first did AIT, it

enabled him to be main-streamed into a regular 2nd grade class.

When he returned after spring break (1st grade), he stunned every

teacher, therapist, and I/A who had ever worked with him.

The principal (who had a S/E background) even went to an autism

conference the following year to tell his amazing story.

Literally overnight, his handwriting became legible. This enabled him to

take spelling tests along with the typical children (on

curriculum that he was not getting at school because he was being taught

in SE---long story). On the first day of AIT he rode a

bike for the first time.

Many things pointed to an " auditory/visual tune-up " . We had not thought

he had any sound sensitivities either. We were

wrong---he had developed an incredible ability to block out noise

(another long story), and we had no idea how he could have

taught himself such a highly sophisticated self-defence mechanism

without any awareness on our part. Certainly no auditory

tests revealed it. He also had developed a visual blocking system that

looked like he was starring at nothing at the ceiling.

What he was really doing was listening...he couldn't look and listen at

the same time, we later discovered. The reason?

Because his auditory and visual processing was taking place at a

different pace, kind of like an old movie with the sound not

matching the visual. I have since talked to autistic adults who

experienced the same thing as children, and it's extremely

difficult to pay attention when you must either block out vision or

sound. When he was listening intently, he looked as if he was

totally out to lunch...my spaceman, I would joke. It was actually a

regular ed kindergarten teacher who first observed this

inability to look and listen at the same time---that was 1990.

My son's first AIT was in 1992 at age 6 1/2. As I said, he stunned

everyone. This was before any biomedical treatments, other

than B6 & magnesium, were known. He went into a period of deep sadness

half a year later at age 7---we had no idea why.

We had been offered a free 2nd AIT (all 10 days) as a small study to

determine if there were any benefits to doing AIT more

than once. We were very reluctant because of his sadness (we now know it

was depression), but didn't want to miss the free

opportunity. After 3 months of chronic sadness, on the very first day of

the second round of AIT, my son instantly became the

happiest boy on earth! We realized that his AIT benefits, that had

previously been such a huge relief to him and such an

improvement in his quality of life, had reversed---had

disappeared---though we didn't know exactly when. Doing AIT a second

time was even more dramatic, but for an entirely different reason. It

gave him back what he lost, it gave him back his happiness,

it gave him back his hope.

An autistic adult I spoke with said the same happened to him after AIT.

But for some reason, the loss to him was so great that

he didn't want to do AIT again. (I didn't understand---that's like not

replacing your lost glasses that finally allowed you to see!)

My son, on the other hand, did AIT a total of 4 times---the last 2 he

asked for directly in 4th & 5th grades. He says he doesn't

need it now. He is not as verbal as many of the children are these

days, but then he didn't have nearly the jump-start that most

kids now get if their parents are plugged in to biomedical treatments.

He is 18 now, and is a wonderful, smart young man. He is also the joy of

my life. He most certainly still has autism, but AIT

changed the entire course of his life...and mine. Because of AIT, his

vision and hearing became aligned. I can hardly think of a

single thing in his life that wasn't affected by correcting this...even

if it has to be done multiple times. I can hardly imagine

where we'd be now had we not done it the first time, or if we did not do

it again the second time.

Good luck to you. If you respond to this e-mail and I don't respond

back, it's only because my computer is near death. I have

finally bought a new one, but the transfer will take a long time. You

may call me if you want more details. Actually, that would

be easier for me.

Audrey

Renton, WA

425-271-2229