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Father and Autistic Son Success Story and Auditory
Integration Training
Submitted
by Kymberleigh Herwill-Levin,
Berard AIT Practitioner, USA.
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by Abba, a husband and a father of an autistic boy on the the ASD spectrum.
Written by the father about his experience and his son's experience with
Berard AIT.
Reprinted
by permission.
April 11, 2011.
"Thank you for allowing me to share our story.
I do not gain financially from the story,
but we have gained benefits in other areas, our son’s progress, speech, focus
and emotions and progress in areas that I was having issues in. I told
Khymberleigh that I would
write about our experience and she asked if I would do it whatever the outcome,
good or bad!
So here goes….
My wife, three children (two
typical and one on the spectrum) and myself moved to the West Coast two years
ago. We just received a diagnosis of autism with our eldest son (5) and we were
talking divorce. The stress of a major move (one that I was not happy about but
my wives' family lives in LA, wanted us closer to be in a position to help out
with the children), dealing with three little children, one with special needs
was getting to me, not having a job and I was supposed to just being a man!!!
I was isolating myself and not
wanting to be part of the family. I was battling to get a job, lost all
confidence in what I would and could do and I was getting deeper and deeper into
depression.
By January this year my wife and
I finally separated. We got to a stage in our marriage that we could not talk
to each other without ending in an argument. My wife and children moved in with
her family and I moved into a little apartment - still with no job but searching
for one and going to many interviews. Every time I was rejected, I felt even
more awful about my situation and my family. I could see no light at the end of
the tunnel.
My children were spending half
the week with me and half the week with their mother and I was still praying
that things would work out with my wife. Not a good formula for our children.
On February 3rd I took my son to a therapy
session in Santa Monica.
While in the waiting room, I heard some families talking about two therapies
that they had found helpful for their children. One was a horseback riding camp
in Arizona, whose
focus is on social skills on horseback and the other was local, a woman by the
name of Khymberleigh Herwill-Levin
who does Auditory Integration Therapy.
I did some research on both and
then spoke to my wife about them. We decided to do the horseback riding first,
then to do the Auditory Therapy.
My wife and son set off for Arizona and while
they were away I went to see Khymberleigh to
fill out all the paperwork and get everything going so that when my son returned
to California we could
start the therapy.
While I was filling in the
forms, I noticed that more than half the questions applied to me. I asked
her if adults did this therapy and what the results were. She was extremely helpful,
explaining what it involved. She did a full, very long and extensive assessment
on me. I was blown away with what she could tell me about me from this
assessment. I decided to begin the therapy the next day.
-
Day one
was very hard for me:
I became very emotional and began crying. I could not tell you why I was
crying and I was unable to stop for many minutes. Khymberleigh
wanted to stop the therapy but I insisted on continuing. I had felt
something, I cannot tell you what, but I felt something "click" in my body
or my brain. After the first session, I felt a sense of relief, again I was
unable to explain what the relief involved, but that was the emotion I was
feeling.
-
On the first day but the second session
I became very emotional again and there was some sort of shaking within my
body. I again felt something "click" in my body or brain but I am still
unable to identify exactly what it was. It was a good "click" and it felt
right. That night I felt a sense of calmness and extremely relaxation.
-
Day two
I was excited to get started.
I had asked Khymberleigh to set
up times when no other clients were around, as by this time I was extremely
embarrassed about the fact that I was a grown man, weeping and being all
emotional. I did not want others to see this "unmanly" side of me. I do
know that she did her
very best to make sure that no-one was around for the first few days and I
thank her, as it was hard for me dealing with my emotions.
-
The first session on the
second day was great
It was relaxing, soothing and put me in exceptionally good mood.
-
The second session
and I was confident enough to bring my other two children along with me went
well with no meltdowns on my behalf.
-
The sessions were going
well and I was feeling GREAT.
I was happy and enjoying some quality time with my children.
-
On the fifth day,
while on the telephone to my wife, she commented that I sounded different.
She said that I did not sound so agitated, sounded calmer, a little like my
old self. She asked if I had asked the doctor to give me some medication.
I just chuckled to myself, as I had not told her what I was doing.
-
Day seven,
I had another emotional breakdown.
This day my children were spending the day with the grandparents and I was
alone. It was a blessing as I wept like a baby. At the end of the session
it felt as if a ton had been taken off my shoulders, like this therapy was
making me deal with issues I had for years and I was finally dealing with
them. (whatever they were)
-
Day eight,
I was running late, had to cancel twice and had to make them up late that
night but surprise of all surprises I went for an interview, felt
particularly confident and I GOT the job. ( I had been in this job for
nearly seven months now and it's all going very, very well!)
-
Day nine,
my wife and son returned from Arizona, (which unfortunately was not so
successful as my son wanted to "look" at the horses, but not get on them.
Seven days were spent trying to get him on the horse without any meltdowns,
and on the afternoon of the eighth day, he finally got on with one of the
therapists. My wife had some commitments in LA and so could not stay any
longer, but we were willing to try again next summer, but have just found
out that the camp has closed down due to a shortage of funds.) On their
arrival, my wife immediately noticed something, she kept asking me what
I was taking or what I was on. I had asked my in-laws to watch the children
while I went (with my wife) for the second session. It went well, I felt
GREAT again and my wife spoke with Khymberleigh about our son and I think me. (not too good and lip reading)
-
Day ten
and the last six and a half months have been wonderful.
I feel rejuvenated, to say the least. I am calm, relaxed, confident,
focused and my memory is outstanding. I am sleeping once again at night ( a
major problem I had before the Auditory Therapy) and I am happy, something I
had not felt for years. Happy with my family, happy with my job, just happy
with life.
My wife and I are back together
and things are perfect (her words).
So with that being said, we
realized that if I had gone through all these feelings and emotions then we
needed to get our son the therapy too.
He did not
have any of the meltdowns. I did, but it has been five months since he has done
the Auditory therapy and we have seen many, many benefits too.
He is saying more words than he had before,
he is asking for things in two word sentences. (wants to drink, or wants TV)
He is finally potty trained, (a major
problem before the therapy) he is also much calmer and seems happier.
His teachers, therapists and all our family have noticed the change. He
was very much a hair puller, if you were at his level and were trying to
interact with him, he would just look at you and then grab your hair and pull
HARD. He did this with anyone and all the time, we have not had this
behavior since beginning the therapy. He did not know how to
interact with his brother and sister and they were always complaining that he
was destroying their games, now he will sit next to his sister and watch and
want to join in, but in a very gentle way.
He is looking for new
ways of interacting with children, even at school the teachers are noticing
this. We have notice too that he is a lot more independent (sometimes a good
thing and sometimes not so good).
He is also trying to taste new
variety of foods, this is good as it was always a fight for him to eat anything
other than rice, apples, carrots and water.
Both my wife and I want to thank
the families at the therapy sessions who told us about Khymberleigh,
we cannot remember their names and also to
Khymberleigh who to us is an
"angel." She helped us with our precious little boy, help me with my issues and
saved our marriage. Thank you so very much. We are extremely grateful for her
knowledge, her patience and her gentle ways."
God Bless you all."
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