AIT ?

[drivemecrazy63]

AIT how much did it help your dc please anyone ?

[IndigoBell]

A huge amount.

Before AIT DD could not learn to read, she had incredibly slow processing and almost no memory. She was stuck for 18 months of the very first level of reading books ('cat sat on mat' type).

After AIT she her processing speed improved vastly, her memory improved vastly and she learnt to read. She made a year's progress in reading in 8 weeks (going up to level 8 / purple band books)

Before AIT DS used to walk out of class 5 times a day. After AIT he stopped walking out of class.........

I have before and after audiograms for both of them, and in both cases the results are jaw dropping. Before both of their audiograms looked like spiky mountain ranges, with significant (and painful) hypersensitive hearing. Afterwards both of them have almost perfect hearing (an almost flat line at 0)

[eandz]

Auditory integration training?

[IndigoBell]

Yes - Auditory Integration Training is the AIT I was referring to

[eandz]

You know, I wanted to give this to N years and years ago because I thought he had APD. How old do they have to be in the first place and where did you go?

btw, the Penguins are great, but for some reason I really enjoyed the previous penguin pool.

[IndigoBell]

I did AIT at the Sound Learning Centre

I'm not sure the minimum age (ring and find out :) ) But I know other posters on this board have done it with children as young as 4.

My DCs were both 8 when they did it.

[dolfrog]

Like all of these types of programs they can help some but not all. have a look at Auditory integration training and other sound therapies for autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review

[IndigoBell]

Dolfrog - AIT helps people who's audiogram shows a specific pattern.

DrimeMeCrazy's child has had the audiogram and fits the profile of a child who would benefit from the treatment......

[staryeyed]

We had it recently for ds1. Im on the fence to be honest. He has had some improvements sleep is better sound sensitivity has diminished but no massive leaps and nothing immediately after so it wasnt necessarily aas a result of treatment. No ones has commented that he is different in any way. Still nonverbal. Stillhas other sensory issues. It is expensive but I dont regret it- if you dont try you dont know.

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell

AIT is also reviewed in the 2008 review paper
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Treatments for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders which says that SOME parents report benefits

[IndigoBell]

Dolfrog that link you posted just says

AIT should be considered an experimental treatment until evidence based trials support its use

I can't find where it says that SOME parents report benefits.....

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell
sorry my APD word recall problems.
exact words
"Many parents also report improved behaviors"

[IndigoBell]

Ummmm.

Many parents also report improved behaviours.

That sounds like a good thing to me......

It's possible that not all parents returned the form about whether or not the treatment worked......

It's possible that there were positive side effects but that the parents didn't notice or attributed it to something else.....

Anything's possible. The only thing we do know is that - Many parents also report improved behaviours. - which is clearly a good thing.

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell

The paper review was defined as
"For the purposes of this paper, we reviewed the existing literature and report the strength of the evidence as Grade A (randomized controlled trials, reviews and/or meta-analyses), Grade B (other evidence such as isolated well-designed controlled and uncontrolled studies), or Grade C (case reports or theories). This grading refers to the strength of the evidence; evidence that supports or refutes the use of the intervention."

AIT was graded as "Grade B" and they have been waiting for "evidence based trials support its use" since 1998, (American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Children with Disabilities)

[IndigoBell]

They are waiting for evidence based trials.

That still tells you nothing about whether it works or not.

If it works after a study has proved it works - it works before the study as well, doesn't it............

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell

"They are waiting for evidence based trials.

That still tells you nothing about whether it works or not."

In 13 years they would have published the research evidence based on numerous trials if it worked for the benefit of all, that is the nature of peer review research, and review papers.

so the wait continues.

[dolfrog]

drivemecrazy63

I have been aware of Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD): A Key Factor in Developmental Disorders and I have been in contact with Rosalie Seymour for some years now, we have a presentation of hers on the APDUK web site.

The issue here is whether to buy a program, without knowing it will provide any benefit, try it and see, AIT is not the only program available nor is it the cheapest or most expensive, but the real issue is that none of these programs including AIT, are able to tell you whether any individual will gain any benefits,no benefit, or that it could do some damage prior to use.

I am only trying to inform all that they need to be aware all possible outcomes before they invest in any program. Some have spent thousands of pounds on these types of programs to gain very little or no benefit. So just because one parents child has gained some benefit does not mean that others parents children will gain any benefit. Some programs (not AIT as far as I am aware) use parent endorsement as a form of marketing when they lack clinical trails to support their claims.

[IndigoBell]

Dolfrog - You have no evidence that AIT ever does any harm. AIT is not the same as the listening program or FastForward or the other programs you have gripes with.

DriveMeCrazy has already said she's getting the program for free. Her SS certainly thinks it's pretty good to provide it....

Other posters have also told me that their dyslexia school provides it for free....

So there's enough evidence for those schools. Presumably each of those schools have put lots of kids through it, and would know more than most if it work or not.....

You seem to be the only person who has a problem with it - and you haven't done it.

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell

So why has The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 145,000 members and affiliates who are speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists in the United States and internationally), banned the use of AIT by its members, and more recently only let its members use AIT again.

[IndigoBell]

Probably because it's as helpful as the NHS, NAS, BDA and all those other professional bodies that provide a crap service over here?

[dolfrog]

IndigoBell
In the USA all of these types of programs are paid for by the health insurance companies, who in turn refer to bodies such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to provide research based recommendation as to the treatments that they should provide. ASHA bases its recommendations of evidence based clinical trails, and the research of its members, And there was some research in the late 1990s regarding possible damage resulting from AIT.

In the UK the NHS is government funded and unable to provide adequately trained clinicians at a local level, and tends to be run by managers who have their own political agendas. The BDA has its own remedial program which does not best suite all dyslexics and only considers those who can benefit from their program to be dyslexic. I have not had any experience with nor investigated the NAS so i can not comment.

[drivemecrazy63]

its always the same its still fairly new compared to other therapies and old traditions die hard when new medical/ therapies and interventions come along the same as new medicines they can take years to become common place sadly i agree with you indigo ,,,i never said it was a cure just that its worth a go IMO anythings worth a go

[IndigoBell]

So if it was approved then health insurance would have to pay for it.

And you really wonder why it can't make the approved list?

[dolfrog]

ASHA represents audiologists, speech and Language pathologists, researchers etc in the USA so this is their professional body making these recommendations about the programs they would recommend to their patients. And in 1998 they found a problem with AIT, which at the time one of the many programs they had previously included in as a treatment option.
AIT is not a new program it is years old, but it is relatively new to the UK, Auditory Processing and Auditory Processing Disorders are relatively new to the UK, as the UK plays catch up with the USA who have been aware of APD since the 1970s.