AUTISM AND HOW IT WORKS WITH AIT
     Individuals with Autism have unusual social, communicative, and behavioral development and may have abnormalities in cognitive functioning, learning, attention, and sensory processing.

     Autism is a severely handicapping disorder which begins at birth or within the first two and a half years of life. Autism prevalence rates from studies published before 1985 are 4 to 5 per 10,000 children. However, since the early 1990's the rate of Autism has increased enormously throughout the world, so that figures as high as 60 per 10,000 are being reported.

     Though many Autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, many spend their time engaged in puzzling and disturbing behavior which are markedly different from those of children with non debilitating disorders. They may stare into space for hours, throw uncontrollable tantrums, show no interest in activities with others (including family members) and pursue strange, repetitive activities with no apparent purpose. Autistic individuals have been described as living in a world of their own. Some Autistic individuals are remarkably gifted in certain areas such as music or mathematics. Whatever the case, this disorder is somewhat treatable and has proven results using the Auditory Integration Training through Berard's Method Center.
     Research has documented different strategies for teaching communication skills to children and adults with Autism. Berard's Method Center of San Diego uses the Earducator (among other methods) to increase you or your loved ones communication skills.

     The Earducator is an audio signal modulating device for processing music from selected compact disks (played on a standard CD player) to headphones, in application of Auditory Integration Training (AIT) according to the method developed over many years by Dr. Guy Berard in France.

     Auditory Integration Training sessions are 1/2 hour a day for 20 days or twice a day for 10 days and must be separated by a number of hours. Sessions extending over a two week period and can be separated by a weekend.
     An Audiogram is performed after the first 10 sessions and again after the 20th session. Follow-up is done three, six, nine months later with a special questionnaire. Various music selections are chosen by the listener.