X-Vmsmail-To: @AUTISM
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.autism
Date:         Tue, 12 Jan 1993 12:07:46 -0600
              <AUTISM@SJUVM.BITNET>
From:         "Lynda W. Huggins" <HUGGINS@MERLIN.NLU.EDU>
Subject:      AIT

Ray Kopp asked:


"Please post the reply to Jeff Yang, this is something I have wondered
about also, my daughter might leave the head phones on for about 5 minutes
but I would be shocked for an entire 1/2 hour!  Since so many autistics
also are Tactily Defensive, it would be interesting to know how they get
around this, Maybe a sound booth?  Also like Jeff's question if you can't
get a definitive reply/reaction to the test, what does the training get
based on then, what is the straight method?"

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I will repeat the information I sent to Jeff based upon my own experience
with AIT.  In October of 1991 my son Jon (age 16 then) had auditory training
as part of a research study being conducted by Dr. Stephen Edelson in Newberg
Oregon.  Although Jon is very verbal, the audiologist and I were not sure we
were getting consistently valid responses from Jon on the audiogram.  She had
asked that he raise his hand each time he heard the sound.  The audiologist
took a few minutes to have Jon practice dropping a poker chip into a can
each time he heard a noise.  This seemed to work better, but I still doubt
that his responses were 100% valid.  An audiogram was administered before, mid-
way of the 10-day training, and after AIT was completed.

In addition to the audiogram, another test was given to test Jon's sensitivity
to various frequencies.  During this test, his face was video taped.  He was
asked to indicate when he heard the sound by raising his hand.  I made a
written record of my observation of his response to each tone.  I was to
indicate the degree of his response - none, little, obvious discomfort, pain,
etc.  I believe that all three - the video, Jon's responses, and my observations
were used to determine his degree of sensitivity to each specific frequency.
This test was done both before and after AIT.

Jon had no difficulty wearing the headphones.  Although on the first day he
said "turn it off" and tried to remove them.  I was able to persuade him to
leave them on and "listen to the music so we can go to McDonald's."  For the
first few days, he did indicate that he wanted us to "turn off the music"
but he cooperated and kept them on with a little encouragement.

I beleive that Berard AIT practitioners have "practice" tapes that can be
used to help teach your child to "listen for the beep" and practice wearing
headphones in a few weeks.  The lady coming here said that many of the parents
of the kids she has trained were afraid that their child would not tolerate
the headphones.  She has encountered only one child that she absolutely could
not get to wear them.

AIT must be done with headphones.  A sound proof booth is not used.  The
headphones are the type that cover the ear.

Dr. Edelson's study is also trying to determine if only persons with sound
sensitivities benefit (or benefit more).

My son will have AIT for a second time beginning Feb 3.  I personally will
not be satisfied until he has AIT via the Berard type device.  In the
research study (which was to compare the BCG and Berard equipment) we were
not told until 9 months later that Jon's training was via the BCG device.
He have seen many subtle changes in his behaviors since receiving AIT - most
significant is a general overall calm in his demeanor.  Dr. Edelson's next
study will be on the effects of a second training.

Lynda in Louisiana
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