Autism Treatment Options~The Brain

There is more and more research that links many learning and developmental difficulties to poor communication and synchronisation between the two brain halves. An effective way of improving the processing functions in the brain is to listen to specially altered sound or music through headphones as pioneered by Dr. Alfred Tomatis (Tomatis method) and Dr. Guy Bérard (Auditory Integration Training - AIT).

Now there is a new Sound Therapy Program which has been specifically developed with the aim to improve sensory processing, interhemispheric integration and cognitive functioning and it is entirely free to download and use at home. It has helped many children and adults with a wide range of learning and developmental difficulties, ranging from dyslexia, dyspraxia and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder to sensory processing disorders and autism. It is not a cure or medical intervention, but a structured training programme that can help alleviate some of the debilitating effects that these conditions can have on speech and physical ability, daily behaviour, emotional well-being and educational or work performance.

I downloaded this program & have used it with my Joel. We did one hour sessions in the morning before he goes to school and he is usually asleep. Joel likes the music so much,  he has started asking to listen to the music while he is awake. We finished our 3 weeks and I don't see a difference except that Joel wants to keep listening to the music, so I made him a seperate childrens tape to listen to, but the company says it may take up to 3 months to notice a difference. I e-mailed Steven at SAS Centre several times with questions & he was very helpful. My only comment to him was that the music needed to be more kid themed or instrumental & he did say they were working on that.

Check out the Free Sound Therapy Home Programme from Sensory Activation Solutions. There is no catch, it's absolutely free and most importantly often effective. Find it at: http://www.sascentre.com/EN_home.html
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Interactive Metronome
A good friend of mine who has experience as an occupational therapist recommended we check out Interactive Metronome for Joel. She is licensed to practice metronome with children & tells me of amazing transformations she has seen in children with special needs.

There is growing understanding that motor planning and sequencing is one of the most significant processing capacities that underlie a broad spectrum of children's learning impairments and endowments.

The object of Interactive Metronome Training is to help individuals improve their ability to selectively attend, without interruption by internal thoughts or external distractions, for extended periods of time. Simple limb motion exercises are used as systematic outward catalysts to an underlying mental focus improvement process.

Until recently, interventions to strengthen motor planning and sequencing capacities have been limited to working with overt or surface behaviors in educational or therapeutic settings. Interactive Metronome Training is the only educational intervention to systematically use guidance sounds and repetitive limb motion exercises to help users improve their underlying motor planning and sequencing ability.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy will soon publish a study which investigated the effect of the Interactive Metronome® on children with ADHD. It found the IM to be the first attention training technology to achieve statistically significant improvements. Children with autism, Asperger's Syndrome, PDD, Cerebral Palsy and other Learning Disabilities can also benefit from Interactive Metronome Training.

Typically children have to be at least 6 years old and have the motor skills to do the program.

For more information on this, go to http://www.interactivemetronome.com/IMPublic/Home.aspx

Thank you all for sharing this Autism Awareness Month with us.