Diary
of Auditory Integration Training Progress and Success!
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A
10 day journal written by a mother and her
child both doing Berard AIT simultaneously.
Texas, USA. Reprinted by permission. June 2006.
"I have to say, I cannot believe the
changes in my daughter (9 years) with regard to organization and linear thinking
abilities! We have had several diagnosis for
her through the years: Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD-NOS), dyspraxia, dysgraphia, etc. No one
really could put a finger on anything for sure.
Something I find very important
with regard to her difficulties was a hearing loss that occurred when she was
around 2 years old and was not repaired until around 3-3 1/2 years. It is my guess
that most of her difficulties were the result of missing out of the important
auditory and vestibular connections that are made in the brain in this time of life.
I think the Berard AIT addressed these issues and made huge improvements. I cannot wait
for this school year to start to see how she improves academically."
July
10, 2006 – Day 1
Today is the first day of
Berard AIT. We did
hearing tests the day before to see if any filters were needed and to compare to
tests we will do on the last day. We both showed peaks in the hearing test but
neither of us had a need for special filtering. After the morning session K.
asked for gum on the way home. She was tired and hungry
but otherwise the same as usual. She does not want to return for the second
session at lunchtime. Could be the drive (half hour) or could be typical
behavior due to change in routine.
I found the music to be annoying. It is
regular songs with bursts of sound at different intervals and pitches. It did
not seem to bother K. as much as it irritated me. By the end of the first
session my right ear was itching and both ears were very
warm. The second session didn’t bring any itching but both K. and I
noticed our ears were quite warm. I have not noticed much change in my day so
far. I have had a busier than usual day and have managed to get many things done
with little effort. I’ve had days like this before also so it would be difficult
to say if it is the
Berard AIT or just
an efficient day.
July 11, 2006 – Day 2
Last night we both slept very deeply. K. fell asleep quickly and did not move until morning. It has never been easy for
her to fall asleep, this was a new thing. I slept soundly and recalled my dream.
Very unusual. I noticed on the way to
Berard AIT
this morning that I actually heard the words
to the songs on the radio and understood what the song was about. After the
first session this morning I was so tired I took a nap before the
second session at lunchtime. I am having an easier time getting small tasks done
without becoming distracted.
K. has noticed that her ears are warm after the
Berard AIT sessions. She
is still asking for gum afterwards also. This afternoon I have
noticed that she is more “touchy-feely” than usual. She is
leaning on everything (almost like she needs the support to stand
upright) and touching everything. I wonder if this is her vestibular system
doing some adjustments. I’ve also noticed she seems to be talking more than
usual and seems to be able to stay on the subject a little better than usual.
Her energy level seems to be the same as it always is so far. She is spending a
lot of time jumping on the trampoline and asking to go swimming.
July 12, 2006 – Day 3
We both slept soundly last night and
both had vivid dreams. During the day today K. ate
ravenously. She got out toys that she hadn’t played with in ages and
began organizing them and then setting up elaborate scenes and
playing independently. When time came to clean up K. was very
methodical and sorted the toys before storing them. This is new, before
everything was thrown into the first available container. She has decided there
needs to be some order to her things! I also caught her sitting in a chair with
a notebook and pen poised to start writing. Because it was close
to bedtime we decided to wait until tomorrow to write anything.
J. noticed that K. was
leaning on everything today and she seems very affectionate.
For me, I find myself less stressed and my thoughts are becoming
more focused and organized as well. I have had
little trouble running errands and remembering what it is I am
doing. Distractions seem to be less of an issue. I also have noticed the words
to songs for the first time and have been able to understand and comprehend what
the song is about. In the past it was such an effort just to make out the words
that the comprehension was never there. I gave up even trying to hear the words
years ago. This has been a new experience as well.
July 13, 2006 – Day 4
I didn’t sleep at all last night. I was tired but just
couldn’t fall asleep. K. had a restless night, was
talking in her sleep and tossing and turning. She also wet the bed
last night. She woke this morning in a miserable mood. She got
herself out of bed and dressed in time to eat and watch some TV before we had to
leave for
Berard AIT. She did not
seem to be distracted like usual. K. has stopped complaining about going to
the
Berard AIT although she
still says it’s “boring” After the first session this morning I took a nap –
still exhausted. K. watched a movie quietly. K. is a
little more contrary than usual and seems a little aggravated.
She is also making clicking sounds with her mouth as sort of a
background noise when she isn’t talking.
An observation: I asked K. to take some clothes into
our bedroom and put them away for me. On the way, the doorbell rang and she
answered it before putting the clothes away. It was a friend of hers wanting to
play. Normally I would have found the clothes she was holding when she answered
the door on the table by the door but I was surprised to see than she had
actually gone and put them away after answering the door! This is remarkable.
Usually the smallest distraction disrupts K. from anything she is starting to
do and she NEVER returns to something after an interruption. If this is the only
thing we achieve from the
Berard AIT it will be
worth it to see her able to complete a task!
July 14, 2006 – Day 5
Sleep – both of us slept
excellent. I am still tired in the afternoons and nap most days. J. is
making dinner for everyone because I just can’t seem to get off the couch. K. still seems to have plenty of energy.
K. got up and dressed by herself this
morning and did not need to be re-directed. She was aware of time!
and managed it on her own. I was shocked when I told her that it was almost time
to go and she told me she was ready! On a normal morning I
have to follow her around the house putting her clothes on her while she’s
putting food in her mouth and talking and watching TV and playing with the dog
and cats … etc. She managed it all on her own this morning. K. also
seems to have stopped the leaning on things like she was
doing on day 3. She still seems to be extremely affectionate and
is still clicking with her tongue.
I have noticed that she seems able
to manipulate things better and her motor planning seems greatly improved. She
was playing catch with a baseball sized beach ball in the living room with J.
last night. Her brother walked in the room and started watching and said “K.,
I didn’t know you could catch”. She told him, “I can’t catch silly” and he said,
“Well, you couldn’t catch, but you CAN now. When did THAT happen?” She said
“Hey, I CAN” Also, she was playing a game at grandma’s house that required
adding two digit numbers to keep score. She was adding them in her head without
using her fingers. This also is a FIRST! For me, I am still feeling
organized and not experiencing the distractions I usually do. I am still
getting errands and chores done without interruptions or getting distracted. I
feel very relaxed and like I am remembering things better and
staying better focused.
July 15, 2006 – Day 6
We both had good sleep again last
night. I had a very rough time with the
Berard AIT
today, found it very irritating. I was also exhausted after both
sessions. My jaw hurt during the sessions and I had a migraine
after the first session that lasted all day. I had to sleep after both sessions.
K. seems fine. She still says her ears are warm during the sessions but
doesn’t complain afterwards. She did mention later in the day that her ear
hurt but when I asked later she said it was fine. K. spent the
afternoon with her Aunt so I wasn’t able to observe her much today. Tonight she
got ready for bed quickly and without complaint and was asleep in a very short
time.
July 16, 2006 – Day 7
Once again we both slept well last
night. K. is starting to get up in the morning with little complaint. She is
eating way more than usual, seems hungry all day long. It would
appear that she isn’t yelling as frequently. We are working on asking her to use
her words to describe her anger rather than screaming and she seems to be
catching on. We went to grandma’s house and swam for a few hours in the
afternoon and K. ate three dinners tonight! K. is
talking nonstop!
July 17, 2006 – Day 8
K. woke up on her own again today. She
got dressed and ready to go by herself as well. She has had
two breakfasts before 10 am today and says she’s still hungry.
I’ve noticed today that she seems to get over her frustrations a little bit
quicker. Not a lot, just a little but it is an improvement. We discussed her
frustrations and outbursts and she seems interested in improving them and even
suggested we develop a plan for reminding each other when there is anger or
yelling in our voices rather than conversational tones. Her discussion was very mature.
I notice that she seems to go back and forth
between immature babyish behavior and speech to mature and adult like
conversation and behavior. I think she is experimenting with limits and finding
what it appropriate and comfortable. She is definitely becoming more
independent. K. also seems to be acquiring a better
understanding of the context in language. She has had difficulty in the
past when people speak indirectly about something. She is typically a ‘black and
white’ kind of thinker (she doesn’t understand someone asking ‘how are you’ when
they really don’t want to know how you are) I’ve noticed on the drive to and
from
Berard AIT as we listen
to the radio she has started commenting on the things the announcers are saying.
She will say “he meant…..” as if she understands the real meaning of what they
are saying for the first time. I still notice my jaw hurts during
the listening sessions and I am still tired afterwards. Yesterday
I slept all day again.
July 18, 2006 – Day 9
Last night K. had
nightmares and slept restlessly. This morning she had to
be drug out of bed. I’ve noticed she has been very interested in swinging,
jumping on the trampoline, and swimming. Also, she has been very
descriptive and animated in her speech. Her conversations are much more
organized and linear. She has been extremely verbal.
Her temper is shorter and she is quick to get frustrated;
however she seems to be calming herself more quickly after a meltdown.
I still have pain in the
joints of my jaw when listening that goes away when the headphones are
off. I’ve also noticed some nausea and queasiness. Yesterday was
another migraine day. Not sure if it was related to the
Berard AIT
or weather. My memory is much better and my thoughts are much
clearer. I have not had much trouble getting anything done!
July 20, 2006 – Day 10
We were both tired yesterday and had no
trouble falling asleep or staying asleep last night. This morning before the
last sessions of the
Berard AIT we retested
our hearing. Both of us showed improvements and an evening-out on our tests. It
is my understanding that the brain now has to play catch up with the changes
that have been made and it will be another three to six months before things are
evened out.
My nausea and jaw pain still continue
through the
Berard AIT and some even
afterwards. I’ve also had a decreased appetite for the past week
or so (yeah!). K. still has a voracious appetite; she’s eating
five or six meals a day!
She also seems to have more
energy than ever. It would appear that she is rediscovering things in a
different way. She is going back to things and spending time with them rather
than floating around from thing to thing without much rhyme or reason. She seems
able to focus on what she is doing without distraction. She is able to put away
one thing before moving to the next.
Her short term memory
has greatly improved. She does not forget what she is doing in the middle of it.
She can head into another room for a chore and not get distracted and forget
what it was she was supposed to do. These are huge improvements!
After notes: July 22, 2006 and
on...
K. has wet the bed the past two nights. During the days
she’s been full of energy still and eating six to eight meals a day. Talking
non-stop, to the point she is exhausting all of us. She has been engaging in
a lot of imaginary and creative play. It is almost as if she is going back in
time a few years and doing what she would have done at age 6 or 7. Her temper is
still a little short; especially when she is interrupted from something she is
engrossed in. I have had migraines the past two days, still nauseous, and my jaw
continues to hurt along with my sinuses. Hard to say if it is
Berard AIT related or not
but I’m inclined to think at least the jaw pain and nausea are. My thoughts
are still very clear and organized. I am not having trouble with focus or
attention and I am feeling very calm and relaxed.
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