Guy Berard, M.D. - Auditory Integration Training

Letter from Dr. Guy Berard

Last Considerations Concerning AIT and Minimum Age of Children

Since the beginning of my work, I have placed a great deal of thought into these issues, in order to avoid wrong ways.

I first used:

my understanding of AIT
my own experience with AIT

Then gradually I had to add:

the reports sent to me by practitioners and parents, -
my correspondences with other professionals in Audiology and Autism

These contacts with professionals taught me that there could be some underlying conditions, different than the usual ENT area, such as mercury toxicity, magnesium deficiency, the possible need for secretin, which could lead to sound sensitivity found in autism or other behaviour anomalies.

Being aware of this information, practitioners should discuss these possibilities with parents before applying AIT with my method. The parents will realize that the practitioner is informed of different sound sensitivity issues.

AIT can be appropriate for sound sensitivity, particularly when other underlying conditions have been ruled out or treated. AIT may also be appropriate for enhancing skills and abilities such as attention, language, socialization, etc. depending upon the individual.

Now, as for the minimum age for applying AIT, all my trainees are aware of the different rules that I have successfully taught, according to my own past experience. The first paragraph of this article explains that, little by little, I have had to take into consideration all of the advices which were provided to me by these numerous correspondents.

I shall now conclude that:

in the interest of children,
for eliminating any possibilities of damage of the ears, even if very very rare,
for suppressing the criticism of audiologists or other ENTs,

the minimum will be imperatively 3 years old, never less, even if parents are insisting for obtaining a younger age.

April 13, 2002, Annecy, France

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