AIT Helps Improve the
Lives and Learning of Those with Autism, ADHD, Hyperacute Hearing, Speech Delays
& Tinnitus...in 10 Days. The
AIT Institute is the #1 Provider off
AIT At Home Services
globally and is the largest AIT resource website in the world.
AIT
is the #1 clinically studied auditory based
educational intervention! All sessions are
conveniently completed at home under the supervision of an
AIT
Practitioner. AIT services are available in the
USA, Canada and other English speaking countries.
AIT
requires 10 hours of sound therapy, with 20 sessions of 30 minutes
each, done 2 times daily over 10 consecutive days. This
listening therapy helps to
correct
hyperacute
hearing,
tinnitusand other auditory
challenges.
AIT
has been used successfully with children and adults with many
different
diagnoses for
over 60 years.
Stephen
Porges, Ph.D., a professor of Human Development at the University of
Maryland, may be closing in on the reason why Auditory
Integration Training and other similar auditory interventions
may be beneficial to children with autism
and other related disorders. Dr. Porges’ work has been described
in a previous issue of The Sound Connection, but we are learning more
about his hypotheses and research findings (see The Sound Connection,
Vol. 6, No. 4).
Similar to the works of Dr.
Alfred Tomatis and Dr. Guy
Berard, Dr. Porges’ research has focused on the two muscles
in the middle ear -- the tensor tympani and the stapedius. Dr. Porges has
found that the same nerves that control these two muscles also control
vocalization, facial expression, heart rate and breathing.
When we experience fear and/or anxiety, the two muscles in the
middle ear can no longer diminish low-frequency sounds. Based on an
evolutionary perspective, this would allow the individual to attend
to all sounds in his/her environment in order to perceive danger rather
than attending mostly to higher frequency sounds such as speech.
According to Dr. Porges, many children with developmental disabilities
are in a state of high anxiety. As a result, it is difficult for them
to attend to only the high frequency sounds such as human speech.
Dr. Porges has developed an intervention that is similar to AIT and
the Tomatis method. First, the child is encouraged to relax. This may
include playing with toys or sitting/resting in a quiet area. This,
in itself, should improve the function of the middle ear because the
child will be less anxious. The child then listens to specific sounds
or music within a narrow frequency range. This is similar to the frequency
range of human speech. Gradually, the frequency range is widened which
is intended to vigorously exercise the two muscles in the middle ear.
Since the middle ear muscles share the same neural connection with
facial expression and vocalization, Dr. Porges expects to see an improvement
in communication as a result of an improvement in middle ear function.
His 10 years of research on this subject has supported this hypothesis.
Dr. Porges’ line of research is very exciting and may lead
to better understanding of some of the
Auditory
Integration Trainingeffects.
However, it does not seem to explain changes in many other areas such
as handwriting and drawing, variety in diet, balance and coordination,
sensory processing, vision skills, sleep patterns, etc. Some of these
changes may result from stimulation of the cerebellar-vestibular system.
Effects of musical training on the auditory cortex in children. Annals
of the NY Academy of Science, 999, 506-513.
This paper presents a review of several
studies of musical experiences and sound representations in the auditory
cortex. Studies examined auditory evoked potentials to a variety of
different instruments and pure tones in adults who are and are not musicians,
and in children with or without musical experience. One specific portion
of the auditory evoked potential, the P2 was larger in both adults and
children with musical experience. The paper also reports that musical
training enhances this component suggesting it is particularly neuroplastic.
Neural plasticity following auditory training in children with learning
problems. Clinical Neurophysiology, 114, 673-684.
Children
with either ADHD or a learning disability participated in an eight week
commercially based auditory processing software training package and
were compared to control groups of both learning impaired and non learning
impaired children who received no remedial interventions. Comparisons
were performed on auditory brainstem function in response to click and
speech stimuli, and cortical function was compared in response to speech
stimuli in quiet and noisy conditions. The groups that participated
in the remediation program demonstrated improved measures of auditory
processing and cortical responses in both quiet and noisy conditions.
Brainstem responses did not show significant changes. The researchers
conclude that children with learning problems exhibited plasticity of
neural encoding at the cortical, but not subcortical levels, following
participation in this remediation program. The plasticity was accompanied
by changes in behavioral performance.
Sensor neural hearing loss in chronic otitis media. Otology &
Neurotology, 24, 141-144. This retrospective study examined the relationship
of chronic ear infections to hearing loss in 121 clients. Three frequencies
were measured for hearing loss in the subjects and thresholds at 4kHz
were examined as well. Chronic otitis media was related to hearing loss,
with the loss increasing gradually according to the duration of the
ear infections. Hearing thresholds shifts were more accentuated with
increasing age. More hearing loss was apparent at 4kHZ than at speech
frequencies. The authors suggest that the inner ear is vulnerable with
greater vulnerability with increasing age. Proximity to the infection
may mean higher exposure as the cells processing higher frequencies
appeared to be more damaged.
Ear
Infections: Impact on Learning,
excerpts from article by Dianne Craft www.diannecraft.org
"Ninety per cent of hyperactive children studied
gave a history of three or more ear infections..." according to a study published in the
May 1997 issue of Clinical Pediatrics. In a 1987 article in Parents
Pediatric Report, researchers stated, "Ear infections and their
effect on language development are prominent topics in pediatric literature.
Hyperactivity is another item of great interest...On the surface they
seem to be two unrelated entities. But could there be a connection between
these two conditions? Very much so, says a study from the University
of Colorado in Denver, and Yeshiva University in New York.
Early childhood ear infections,
which plague many of our children, often succeed in administering an
effective, "one-two punch" to a child. First, the subsequent,
repeated use of antibiotics to clear up the infection upsets the child's
natural intestinal ecology, resulting in an irritated nervous system.
Second, the infection and inflammation of the ear often causes some
damage to the "cilia" of the ear, the tiny hair-like structures
of the ear that help transmit sound, affecting both language abilities
and auditory processing. These effects can be felt throughout a child's
school career. However, once the cause is established many natural things
can be done to greatly reduce, and eliminate these problems.
We are very grateful for the discovery of
antibiotics. Their timely
use has saved many lives. However, the multiple use of antibiotics,
particularly the use of the broad spectrum antibiotics such as Septra
and Ceclor, sterilize a child's intestines, eliminating the good bacteria,
while feeding the naturally occurring yeast in the intestines. This
causes an upset balance in the ecology that directly affects a child's
nervous system. Some books that explain this process in more detail
are, Help for Your Hyperactive Child by William Crook, M.D. and Superimmunity
for Kids by Leo Galland, M.D. Most often we see this upset ecology manifesting
itself as problems with learning or with behavior. The learning problems
associated with this condition are a poor memory, difficulty with sustained
attention (often seeming "spacey"), and difficulty understanding
new concepts.
The behavior problems that we see are hyperactivity, anger,
moodiness, irritability, or inappropriate behavior, often talking too
loudly or invading others' space regularly. In my experience working
with bright but struggling students in special education and
regular
education programs I have seen many children exhibiting these symptoms.
Some of them are placed on the medication
Ritalin. Others are labeled
with a learning disability, often with an auditory or language processing
dysfunction. A smaller group are placed in a behavior lab program in
the school, with an individual IEP designed to modify their unsociable
behavior. When I have studied the files of this diverse group of children,
however, I have often found a common link. I found that many of them
suffered with many ear infections as a young child. I also found that
even more of the children have some type of allergy. As we know, when
yeast overgrowth is an issue, the child often develops a "leaky
gut", causing food allergies to develop.
The most common offending
food, in the case of ear infections or bed wetting, is milk and milk
products. I have seen so many children's "learning and behavior
problems," respond to simple interventions such as a trial elimination
of dairy products, along with replacing some of the missing good bacteria
in the intestines. To replace the good bacteria, a parent can simply
buy a product in a health food store that contains the good bacterial
strains, acidophilus and bifidus. Although this good bacteria is present
in yogurt, it is in very small amounts. When purchasing a more concentrated
form of this good bacteria as a supplement, buy a brand that is refrigerated
in the health food store, since this is a live bacteria. It can be purchased
in capsule or powder, and placed in juice or cold food without altering
its taste. The liquid and chewable forms of this supplement are far
less viable. Parents report to me that giving their child this natural
beneficial bacteria two or three times a day often results in a reduction
in temper tantrums, less irritability, better concentration, and a more
cooperative child. Along with Acidophilus we have found Grapefruit Seed
Extract to be helpful. GSE is an antifungal that reduces the colonies
of yeast overgrowth thus helping to restore the bodies natural balance
between good bacteria and yeast. We always suggest taking one supplement
for at least a week before adding another one. This helps you to identify
any adverse reaction your child may have.
Reducing sugar intake also
makes a noticeable difference in behavior. There are many more things
that can be done to help a child whose nervous system is upset due to
the multiple use of antibiotics, but this is a good beginning and almost
always brings good results.
One of the results of multiple childhood ear infections
can be difficulty with language and auditory processing. These children
have difficulty distinguishing certain sounds. Sometimes this difficulty
with the discrimination of individual sounds can present itself as a speech
problem or in learning phonics. Both their reading and their spelling
are affected. It also affects the way that they are able to listen. We
frequently accuse our children of having, "selective hearing",
meaning that they choose to listen to things other than their parents.
This can be the case of course, but because of the amount of energy the
process of listening and storing auditory information requires, the child
can do only so much listening, before he tunes out because of the overload.
At times these children are inaccurately diagnosed as being ADD (attention
deficit disorder), when actually their attention is dependent on the amount
of auditory processing that is required for a situation. These children
often have difficulty sequencing, as represented by repeating a story
with the events in proper order. They also have difficulty hearing
their own internal voice, preferring to read aloud to understand information.
Tasks that require alphabetizing are particularly onerous to them, as
they have to repeat the alphabet over and over to themselves in their
head. They often do anything to avoid this type of task. What are some
things that we can do to help our child with these kinds of problems resulting
from multiple ear infections? We can teach them in a more visual manner,
using pictures for clarification, teaching phonic sounds (called phonemes)
with the letter combination superimposed on a picture that gives that
sound. We can teach them right brain strategies such as visualizing a
word to more easily memorize its' spelling. We can teach them math facts
using funny stories and pictures, using their right brain to store them,
rather than the rote learning that the left, auditory brain hemisphere
enjoys. And we can use natural vitamin supplements to help heal the auditory
system. As mentioned earlier, the "cilia" of the ear is affected
by multiple ear infections. In his book, Feed Your Kids Right, by Lendon
H. Smith, M.D., the famous "baby doctor," states that the highest
concentration of vitamin A in the whole body is in the cilia of the ear.
After multiple ear infections the store of this vitamin is greatly depleted.
Often these children hear noises in their ear that are very distracting
to them.
Children I see often describe the sound as a mosquito buzzing
close to their ear, or like the "whoosh" of wind in their ear.
Knowing that a deficiency of essential fatty acids is often found in learning
disabilities, we can supplement them by using some orange flavored cod
liver oil, which is a good source of both vitamin A and essential fatty
acids. Flaxseed oil (not capsules) that also contains borage oil is helpful
in addition to the cod liver oil. Of course you would always add some
vitamin E in the form of drops or capsules to keep the oil from oxidizing
in the body. Along with a good yeast-free multiple vitamin and separate
multiple mineral, a healing program would be started. For regular readers
of the CHEC Update, the information given in the last issue on the use
of lecithin to reduce auditory processing problems, would help round out
this important program. According to the research, after four months,
the child's information processing should be much easier. Although the
impact of multiple childhood ear infections on a child's learning and
behavior can be large, it does not have to be permanent. There are many
natural approaches to correcting the influence of these ear infections.
Learning can become easier and a child's nervous system can be calmed
by using the natural supplements that God has given us.
"One of the most exciting areas in which I have seen
lecithin make noticeable differences is in the improvement of auditory
processing function in children. I have received many reports from speech
pathologists and parents telling of greatly improved auditory processing
(hearing and remembering) in children who take this natural soybean
product. My experience is that when lecithin is taken alone, it is very
helpful, but when taken along with the essential fatty acids (fish oil,
flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil) and Vitamin E, it produces marked
results. Because of its fat emulsifying properties it helps the child's
body digest the extra oils, thereby making use of them properly.
Many
children who have suffered with numerous ear infections benefit from
the regular use of lecithin. The "cilia of the ear," (the
tiny hair-like parts of the ear) are frequently damaged when many ear
infections have occurred. It is known that the highest concentration
of Vitamin A in the whole body is in the "cilia" of the ear.
Lecithin increases the body's absorption of this vital Vitamin A dramatically.
Thus it is very healing to the areas in the ear structure and brain
that affect efficient auditory processing function. In the MIT study
referred to earlier, in testing adult subjects in learning and memory
tasks, it was found that the subjects taking lecithin daily showed "improvement
of thinking and intelligence." Since we know that the left hemisphere
of the brain is responsible for auditory storage, and we often refer
to it as the "thinking hemisphere," we can see how any substance
that improves auditory processing would also affect the thinking ability
of the brain. The MIT study also referred to substantial improvement
in the area of speech. Again, this is mainly a left-brain function.
This is a very exciting application of research, since auditory processing
problems are historically difficult and lengthy to treat. Dr. Levinson,
a neurologist from New York, in his book Total Concentration, states
that he frequently uses lecithin to help both attention and learning
in his young patients."
