The word auditory pertains to hearing.

Here are a few information regarding the word auditory when it comes to learning and language development. There are several intervention methods to improve auditory training to be able to maximize the full learning potential of people, most especially those with needing intervention services. 

Aside from undergoing occupational therapy and speech and language therapy with (some) focus on the auditory processes in relation with learning and other developmental concerns, there is an alternative intervention method to improving auditory skills: Auditory Integration Training.

What is Auditory Integration Training? Auditory Integration Training is a method of retraining the ear. AIT was developed in the mid1900′s by Dr. Guy Berard. Dr. Guy Berard is a French ENT doctor who developed Auditory Integration Training to initially correct genetically induced hearing loss.

What does AIT do? AIT is one of the alternative intervention methods that parents can avail for their children who were diagnosed with special needs and needing intervention and therapy.

AIT uses filtered and modulated music to help:

1. Normalize and improve hearing distortions.

2. How children perceive sounds as they develop is very important as this can affect the way they acquire their language skills. Any abnormalities in verbal perception will result in an inaccurate imitation of sound.

3. Improve sensory processing (which is very important for children with sensory issues). Children who have difficulty integrating and interpreting internal and external sensory cues will encounter difficulty in learning to communicate.

4. Improve the ways in which the brain processes auditory information. This in turn impacts on the different areas of the brain that controls the different senses and systems of the body.

5. Stimulate the auditory (as well as vestibular) and neurological systems. The vestibular and auditory systems are closely related and difficulties in this area can impact on speech and language development.

6. Improve sensory overload tolerance and reduce self-stimulating behaviors.

7. Diminishes or resolves behaviors related to sensory defensiveness. People who are sensory defensive often react negatively to or experience anxiety to sensory input that is generally considered harmless to other people. Both painful and uncomfortable, it can impair one’s ability to attend to daily tasks. Example: a child may refuse to join a loud party, have a haircut, or be orally defensive (in the case of an extremely picky eater).

8. Improve speech and language.

9. Improve behavior and learning.

10. Improve mood and social skills.

11. Improve comprehension which impacts on learning which may lead to better academic performance.

What types of problems does AIT (plus other intervention services) help with? In 1998 the US FDA evaluated and approved Auditory Integration Training as a safe and effective way in improving impairments in auditory discrimination associated with the following diagnosis:

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder
2. Asperger’s Syndrome
3. Pervasive Developmental Disoder
4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
5. Attention Deficit Disorder
6. Central Auditory Processing Disorder
7. Learning Disabilities like Dyslexia, Non-Verbal Learning Disorders, Language Delays and Communication Disorders
8. Those with Sensory Processing Disorders, Hyperlexia, and Sensory issues  can also benefit from AIT

To know more about Auditory Integration Training, contact Sound Therapy Learning Center

Sound Therapy Learning Center Unit 7 3rd Floor, The Promenade Building 198 Wilson St. Corner P. Guevarra 1006 San Juan, Metro Manila
Telephone: (02) 775-8100 Mobile: (0917) 887-7852
Email: bridging2worlds@gmail.com
Website: http://soundtherapy.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/aitph

ML, the youngest child with two older siblings, reached his significant milestones like expected till he reached a year old. When he turned 2.5 however, there were noticeable delays in his development. At 3.8, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Later on, at 6.5, his diagnosis was PDD-NOS Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified.

Before he was given intervention after the first diagnosis, he exhibited the following behavior:

• echolalia
• receptive language at 12 – 15 months
• expressive language at 9 – 12 months
• inconsistent eye contact and negative joint attention
• poor sitting and attention span
• poor balance and fine motor skills
• no approach-request skills
• hyposensitive
• experiences diarrhea and has foul smelling stool
• gross motor skills like walking, jumping, swinging, climbing and running have difficulty

The following steps were undertaken for ML by his parents after the first diagnosis:

1. “Traditional” intervention services: Occupational and Speech Therapy services
2. Researched about autism and joined support groups
3. Other intervention methods

In details, the following were the services that ML went through (and is still going through):

Traditional (what are usually being recommended by developmental pediatricians) intervention methods:

• Occupational therapy and speech therapy
•  ABA or Applied Behavior Analysis
• Special Education tutorials
• Special school with social skills training
• For socialization skills, he was enrolled in a mainstream progressive education setting

Non-traditional intervention methods:

• GFCF (Gluten-Free Casein-Free) Diet and juicing which also addressed allergy issues
• Biomed intervention (for biochemical imbalances in the body as well as yeast and fungal infections)
• Auditory Intervention Training to address balance/motor coordination problems, proprioceptive issues, improvement of focus, eye contact and receptive language skills.

A lot of people do not give importance to music as a way to to teach children with special needs.

One of the things I enjoyed when I was still teaching preschool was to include music in the day to day curriculum. There are songs to make the kids get up and play, there are songs that teach learning concepts, there are songs that helps them pack away the materials they used such as there are songs that signals the class is ending in a bit and we have to say good-byes.

I have to say that though I have very limited musical ability when it comes to playing musical instruments during those times when I was still teaching the young ones, I know that did not deter me from enjoying music with them then. I just wish I paid more attention when I was taking piano lessons when I was way younger.

Teaching children about music (and also how to play various musical instruments) is a good way for them to learn a lot of things:

• they learn to listen
• they learn to feel the rhythm, the beat, the essence
• they learn to be more sensitive in listening to others especially if they have to play musical instruments with others
• they move to the beat of the music
• they are able to distinguish similarities and differences for say for example, ultra light acoustic guitar strings or nylon strings

Music is a good learning tool and when properly used, can be a big help for the children with special needs.

Here are a few samples of songs to teach for children with special needs. 

My students and I had a Saturdate two weeks ago.

We went to the nearby Moonleaf milktea store to buy milktea drinks.

It was fun teaching them to choose what they think would taste good. We answered life-changing (lol!) questions and options whether to have more or less ice cubes, how much milk to be put in the milktea and what kind of sinkers they think would be good.

We stayed in the milktea store for several minutes before deciding to walk back to where we came from.

Oh, they were able to convince me to buy some McDonald’s food for them before we went back

Do you want to see your grades improve?

Do you want to establish a routine for your study skills that will help you do better as a student?

One of the most important things to do before achieving more success with the scholastic aspect of your life would be to learn how to organize your homework.

Homework is given not just as a discipline to hone up your intellectual skills but also as a guide to establish a study routine. This discipline in having daily study habits gives you, the student, an advantage in getting more concepts understood compared to being in a classroom with other students.

Having homework teaches you to be responsible in doing projects and reports, as well as studying in advance what will be discussed in class the next day.

So how should you organize your homework?

Below are some tips to help you organize your homework to be able to reach the maximum potential needed to attain a certain level of mastery in accomplishing the tasks lined up:

• Establish a routine and spend adequate time doing homework. Set aside a specific time to do homework daily. This will also help you do time management. Doing homework well into the night will make you very tired the next day.
• There should be a study space where you will spend your time doing your homework. This may not be a room entirely for that purpose. This study space may be a corner in one of the rooms in your house. Just remember that this study space should be the best place for you to organize and finish your homework.
• Make sure that the school supplies you need in doing your homework are readily accessible in your storage cabinets. These should include papers, dictionary and other reference books, pencils and other materials like folders, fasteners, paper clips, glue, crayons, and scissors among others.
• Use folders or a system of filing to help you organize paperwork. If possible, use color coded folders for each file like red form math files, green for science and yellow or social studies. Have all the necessary paper works filed in its respective folders upon arriving home.
• Keep a record of the homework assigned. Mark these as done or still to be completed, whether these were given in advance or has been done already. Have a planner or a calendar readily visible, for the purpose of knowing when homework is due to be given.
• If you have a computer, consider having an online calendar. This will help you organize files about your homework store in your computer. These files can even be printed if in case you need a hard copy.
• Ask, if you need help. If you have a hard time understanding a concept, then ask for help whether from your parents, or through a phone call to a classmate or someone who is knowledgeable about the topic you need.
• Remember to feel good about what you are doing. Even if the homework tends to be difficult at times, think of it as a challenge that you need to conquer.

Homework is given for you to be able to accomplish something. Homework is given to help you become a better student who can complete requirements. Having an organized homework will make you better in time management, organization and prioritizing important matters.

Bullying is probably one of the worst things that can happen to children. Most vulnerable to bullying are children with special needs.

No matter how much we brief our children on what to do just in case they get bullied, it is another story when they are on their own.

Young children are not exempted from bullying.

Online bullying happens and is probably just as scary as being bullied at the back of the school building because more people read and see what is happening. It is important to teach children about being careful when they do online activities.

For the teens, with the many issues they are going through, there are some things happening that make them vulnerable to being bullied or becoming bullies themselves. Coping with the challenges they face may make them unsure of what they should do and there are cases when they act out unexpectedly. continue reading this entry »