Sensory Therapies
Sound Therapies
Just as there is more to sight than being able to detect light, there is more to hearing than being able to detect sound.
Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT, also called Digital Auditory Aerobics or DAA) is NOT a cure or even a treatment for autism, or any other developmental disablity (nor is any other form of sound therapy, for that matter). It is a treatment for certain types of hearing abnormalities that may be a factor for some individuals who have been diagnosed with developmental or learning disabilities. These hearing abnormalities, which include those listed below, are usually not diagnosed in routine audiological screenings, unless the audiologist has been trained in the Berard method and knows what to look for.
Auditory problems that are treatable with Berard AIT:
· problems in response timing (A delayed response could be a sign that a problem exists with the patient's hearing.)
· painful hearing (The patient indicates that a sound is so loud that it is painful, at intensity levels that are much lower than for most people.)
· hypersensitive hearing (Sounds that most people find unobtrusive or even pleasant can cause a fearful reaction if they are perceived too intensely. They can also be a source of distraction.)
· lack of selectivity (The patient has trouble distinguishing between different frequencies. For instance, he may perceive that 6,000 Hz is higher than 8,000 Hz, when in fact it is actually lower. This is important given that different speech sounds occur at different frequencies. It also interferes significantly with musical ability.)
· auditory distortions (The patient can detect sounds at normal levels, but what he/she hears is distorted.)
· auditory laterality (The patient’s hearing perception is unbalanced, making it difficult to locate the source of a particular sound.)
· tinnitus (Tinnitus refers to ringing in the ears. We don’t know that AIT can help with every case of tinnitus, but we do know of people for whom AIT resulted in significant improvement of tinnitus symptoms.)
For more information about sound therapies, we highly recommend these sources:
BOOKS:
Bérard, Guy. (1993). Hearing Equals Behavior.
Davis, Dorinne. (2005). Sound Bodies Through Sound Therapy. Landing, NJ: Kalco Publishing, LLC.
Stehli, Annabel (ed.). (1995). Dancing in the Rain: Stories of Exceptional Progress by Parents of Children with Special Needs.
Stehli, Annabel (ed.). (2004). Sound of Falling Snow: Stories of Recovery from Autism & Related Conditions.
Stehli, Annabel. (1991). Sound of a Miracle: A Child’s Triumph Over Autism.
Tomatis Alfred. (1996). The Ear and Language.
Tomatis Alfred. (1991). The Conscious Ear.
WEB-SITES:
http://www.berardaitwebsite.com/quality.htm
Vision & Learning
To get the right kind of help, it is critical that you take your child to the right kind of eye professional.
Types of Eye Professionals
Ophthalmologists are medical doctors who specialize in eye diseases and other abnormalities related to the structure of the eye. Like other physicians, the bulk of their training is in physiology and the use of medicine and surgery as treatment. Ophthalmologists also prescribe eye glasses to correct problems with acuity.
“Optometrists (O.D., Doctor of Optometry) are independent primary health care providers who specialize in the examination, diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures. Optometrists are uniquely qualified to deal with functional vision disorders and/or problems in visual processing which affect reading, computer use, and other aspects of learning, development and behavior. They also work with the visual rehabilitation of people with head trauma, brain injuries, etc.” (Source: http://www.optometrists.org/ the web-site of “Optometrists Network.”)
Behavioral Optometrists are “Fellows of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (FCOVD).” They are optometrists who have successfully completed their (post-graduate) certification process and are Board Certified in Vision Development and Vision Therapy. (Not all optometrists are FCOVD.) (Source: www.covd.org the official web-site of the
“Vision therapists are certified to work with COVD Fellows as Certified Optometric Vision Therapists (COVT).” (Source: www.covd.org the official web-site of the
“Associate members of COVD are practicing optometrists who have not yet completed the Fellowship process. COVD associates are required to participate in professional continuing education to enhance their knowledge and skills in behavioral vision care.” (Source: www.covd.org the official web-site of the
Opticians are technicians who make and dispense eye glasses based on the prescriptions provided to them through ophthalmologists and optometrists.
HERE ARE SOME THINGS WE FEEL YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VISION:
· Routine vision screenings often miss some of the most common vision problems that can contribute to learning problems.
· Undiagnosed vision problems are at least a contributing factor for some people’s reading problems. However, there are other factors, unrelated to vision problems, that cause significant difficulties with reading and writing.
· Common symptoms of untreated vision problems include:
o problems with reading fluency (the ability to read smoothly)
o the inability to fully focus on meaning while reading,
o and a lack of motivation to read.
· Not all vision problems result in poor academic performance, even though they may cause difficulties in other areas, such as eye-hand coordination and depth-perception.
· Failure to properly diagnose the causes of an individual’s difficulty with reading and writing can result in inappropriate instruction that worsens the literacy problems rather than correcting them.
· Good research supports the use of vision therapy, following a proper diagnosis of a vision problem.
· The longer a problem goes misdiagnosed, the more difficult it is to overcome.
· Appropriate treatment of vision problems will help a student derive more benefit from instruction, but it is not a replacement for good instruction.
To learn more about specific types of vision problems and how they impact learning, we recommend that you go to these web-sites:
If you live in the Albany / Schenectady, NY area, we also recommend going to http://www.optometrists.org/fox/.
Sensory Processing Disorder / Sensory Integration Dysfunction What is SPD? According to the Sensory Processing Disorder Network (www.spdnetwork.org), “Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children and adults. People with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. They may feel bombarded by information, they may seek out intense sensory experiences, or they may have other symptoms.” When we were kids, we were taught that we all have five senses. Now Occupational Therapists (OTs) that specialize in Sensory Processing tell us that we have 5 “far senses” (hearing, seeing, taste, smell, & touch), as well as 3 “near senses.” These near senses are: · tactile (processing information about touch through the skin), · proprioceptive (processing information about body position and body parts through muscles, ligaments, & joints) · vestibular (processing information about movement, gravity, and balance through the inner ear) Who has SPD? Sensory Processing Disorder is not the same thing as ADD/ADHD or a Learning Disability (LD), although someone diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or LD can also have SPD. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders frequently have SPD as well. Finally, it is possible for people with no other diagnosis to have SPD. What are symptoms of SPD? Because of the strong connection between the brain and behavior, there are a number of behaviors that indicate SPD--too many to list here. These symptoms can vary greatly because some individuals have overly-sensitive sensory perception, others have under-sensitive sensory perception, and still others are sometimes overly-sensitive and sometimes under-sensitive. Also, as we mentioned, there are several senses that can be effected. The book The Out-of-Sync Child (see below) has detailed descriptions of SPD symptoms and useful checklists. Where can you turn for help? Occupational Therapists, especially those with additional certification in Sensory Integration, are the professionals to turn to if you suspect that your child has a Sensory Processing Disorder. If you’re just looking for information, we highly recommend these sources: Kranowitz, Carol Stock, M.A., The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction.