Improving the Lives and Learning of Children with Autism, ADD, ADHD, SPD and other diagnoses...in only 10 Days.
The AIT Institute connects families seeking AIT services with expert AIT Practitioners worldwide.

AIT Can Help Your Child! Complete On-Line AIT CHECKLIST with Scored Report Now

English

Français

Deutsch

Nederlandse

Italiano

Portuguese

Español

Adjustments After Auditory Integration Training (Berard AIT): What Positive Changes Occur and Why Adjustments May Happen

After about 3 months in the majority of cases, a child experiencing an adjustment or regression period after Auditory Integration Training will typically begin to function better than before. In many cases, a child may demonstrate remarkable gains and new successes.

Anytime Berard AIT brings benefits, it is always a combination of the Berard AIT and the child's own efforts and opportunities in life after Berard AIT.  The more ones does with Berard AIT's results, be mild results or striking results, the greater the gains can be. During Berard AIT and for 3 or 4 months after, parents often see both positive and negative changes as the brain adjusts to the hearing retraining.

A Child who Participates in Berard AIT May Begin to Experience a Very Different Environment Than Before

The brain is like a computer that has peculiar settings to compensate for basic component problems. It’s been compensating for distortions, sensitivities, and information-sending problems for years. Berard AIT makes changes in basic components and can cause changes at a deep level that impact many skills and processes.

Since the brain is miraculous, and not a machine, it adjusts at a neural level on its own to bring optimum function and efficiency to the system. Considering how long the ears and entire system have been distorted, working with “peculiar settings” for years, this adjustment for the better takes place very quickly!

Here of some things that may change for your child after Berard AIT:

• Many children experience clear and dramatic benefits, while others are simply calmer and more comfortable.

• The child's own voice may sound different

• Family voices may sound different to your child

• Food may taste and smell differently

• Familiar surroundings and objects may look different

• Depth perception may change

• Vision may change

• Colors may seem brighter or vision seem clearer

• Your child may be experiencing these changes simultaneously and adjusting to them just as an infant or very young child would - slowly, over time while adjusting to new situations, exploring new sensations, experiencing new emotion after Berard method of AIT.

A Child Who Participates in Berard AIT May Have a Temporary Adjustment or "Regression" Period

• Each child's experience of Berard AIT is unique to that child's circumstances and biology.

• Many parents read or hear about an "adjustment period" or "regression period" during and after Berard AIT.

• This can feel alarming and may cause some parents fear and concern about whether or not Berard AIT is the right choice for their child.

• It is very important to know that NOT all children who participate will go through such an adjustment or regression period.

• In fact, if a child DOES experience an adjustment or regression period, parents should really be encouraged to interpreted this as a sign of POSITIVE CHANGE in how a child is processing areas in the brain - and recognize that the child has been POSITIVELY impacted by Berard AIT!

Why Might There Be An Adjustment Period After Auditory Integration Training?

To better understand "why" a child goes through an adjustment or regression period (if they do) parents need to better understand what areas are impacted by Berard AIT . Besides the hearing and the auditory processing changes, there are other important changes that may occur:

• Berard AIT helps this system function more optimally than before.

• It is clear that changes in the vestibular system, proprioceptive system, visual system, and the cerebellum can be involved in the benefits of AIT.

• The SENSORY areas of the child - touch, smell, vision, taste, proprioception - all of these may be impacted. Sensory processing issues can improve.

• The VESTIBULAR system is housed in the ear but impacts functions of the body globally.

  • Berard AIT  stimulates the vestibular system.

  • The vestibular system is the central control center for sensory processing and is often impacted

• The CEREBELLUM is a connection between the vestibular system and the cerebellum.

• Functions that are regulated by the cerebellum may also improve because the cerebellum is a connection between the vestibular system and influences balance, motor sequencing and planning, motor coordination, sense of direction and orientation in space and rhythm. This area can also contribute to a decrease in anxiety.

• AIT participants often experience benefits in receptive and expressive language.

• The list goes on and on, as does the list of possible upsets as the brain reprocesses after AIT!

What to Expect If There is an Adjustment Period After Auditory Integration Training:

• An adjustment or regression period typically does not last more than 3 months for most children.
• Every individual is different, so there are no set rules about what will happen.
• For many children, it looks as though the strength of negative effects is proportional to the eventual gains to come.
• For other children, no clear changes are seen for several months, and then positive changes seem to happen all at once.
• Periods of adjustment or regression are written about in parent success stories documenting in two popular AIT books (see Dancing in the Rain, Sound of Falling Snow, Sound of a Miracle).
• These periods are described by parents as occurring at 7 days, 1 month and the first 3 month intervals.
• When a child adjusts theses are the types of behavioral changes are often what is observed after Berard AIT:
  • Being overwhelmed in their environment
  • Emotional reactions or outbursts
  • Mood swings
  • Disobedience
  • Confusion
  • Fatigue

What Can a Parent Do If There is an Adjustment Period After Auditory Integration Training?

Following Berard Auditory Integration Training, parents have a unique opportunity to help their child begin to function better. Here are some tips:

• Be prepared for an adjustment or regression period after Berard AIT so you aren't surprised if it occurs (remember - it may not!)
• Be patient with your child - is it they who are experiencing all these potential changes!
• Find ways to given your child quality attention, private time, reassurance and extra affection when needed during this period after Berard AIT.
• Interpret any regression or adjustment period as an indication that Berard AIT had a positive impact on your child's system!
• Don't overload your or your child's schedule post AIT.
• Keep your child's schedule and family life to a manageable level and don't add additional stress or unnecessary activities.
• Provide teaching opportunities whenever possible for your child to handle new circumstances and emotions appropriately.
• Discuss your child's changes with the school or child care facility in advance and prepare them with ways to accommodate your child's needs.
• Continue with other therapies and inform your child's other Practitioners and other professionals in advance of your child's AIT sessions.
• You may find that your therapist for Occupational therapy, Speech Therapy and other types of therapies may be astonished at the gains they observe and the rate at which your child progresses after Berard AIT - another exciting bonus!

Other Important Things to Remember After Auditory Integration Training:

• Interpreting Audio Tests (if done) After Berard AIT
  • Parents may see their post-AIT tests and think that significant changes have not taken place.
  • Most of the time, the variability within each ear’s test will narrow after AIT. Peaks and valleys usually flatten. One ear often looks more like the other ear after AIT and a general normalization occurs.
  • Though this is usually the case, parents should not use the tests alone to determine if AIT has been successful. It’s critical not to do anything to disrupt the effects of AIT, whether you can see the effects, or not, on a graph.
• Avoid Headphone Use Completely!!
  • During the year after Berard AIT (and of course, during AIT) it is critical to avoid all headphone use for listening to music.
  • All family members, including extended family, and all teachers and therapists must know this is the case.
  • Parents should ask their Berard AIT Practitioner for a note about this subject, if they do not have a written statement to that effect, and make many copies for their use.
  • Parents can get others to sign statements saying they will not compromise AIT in this way and this will help get others’ attention!

• Unless Directed By Your Berard AIT Practitioner: DO NOT DO ANY OTHER SOUND INTERVENTIONS for 9-12 MONTHS AFTER AIT!
  • There are generic and take-home listening programs available via the Internet and from Occupational Therapists. In order to protect the changes made to hearing and to protect the system’s evolving adjustment to these changes, parents should NOT use such programs.
  • Parents may be tempted to use other sound-based therapies to speed up or change the adjustment period. Unwitting therapists may suggest that parents do this.
  • Parents may think that since no obvious changes are visible in 3 months after AIT, that it’s time to try another sound-based therapy.
  • Parents must not do any of these things and must give it time!
  • The changes in the middle ear function often happen quickly. The brain’s response to this takes many weeks and even many months.

Return to top

Copyright 2004 - 2012 by the AIT Institute for Berard Auditory Integration Training (Berard AIT).  All rights reserved.  Site Map.