7 year old boy with ASD ‘s improvements with AIT

G. is a 7 year old boy with ASD. He is currently on a GFCF diet, Low Oxalate diet. He is currently undergoing Biomedical Intervention with Dra. Leones.  He is also doing ABA ( 3x a week), OT (   3   x a week) and Speech Therapy ( 1 x a week). He goes to a school in Manila where he is taught to learn daily life skills on top of school.

He was actually diagnosed at age in August of 2014. His mom made an appointment with the pediatrician when she noticed that when compared to the older brother, this little boy’s eye contact and vocabulary deteriorated at around age 2.   Mom also noticed that G. had no attention span.

Before age 2, G. seemed to be developing normally. He had eye contact, and would say “ Hello” and wave for “Goodbye”. He crawled and stood on time. Although as a baby, he was fussy and would easily be woken up by sounds. By age 3, Mom removed G’s milk. She was already reading about how food like affected behavior.

At age 2 to 5 years old, G. was in the care of an O.T. who took care of his ABA, Speech and OT therapy 2 hours a day. At this point in time, G. was living in Mindanao, where therapists are hard to come by.   Although the O.T. did her best, there came a point in time at G. ‘s learning reached a plateau. G. by then knew his alphabets, shapes, colors and numbers. Mom decided to get another therapist because the 1^st therapist had become busy and therapy was no longer as consistent as before.

G. was 5 when Mom made the brave decision to come to Manila to pursue therapy for him. They saw a new dev’t ped in Manila who recommended his current school. He had O.T. 3x a week, ABA 3x a week. He was also hyper at this point. He wasn’t recommended for speech therapy because he could barely sit down.

It was only when G. was six years old and at Mom’s insistence that G. finally had a speech therapist. Mom noticed that G. had very poor auditory skills. He had difficulty in speaking as well as listening. It took a year of training, but it was noticeable that G. could follow instructions. G. shows sound sensitivity to the sound of an airplane engine. Mom decided to undergo AIT (auditory integration training)  G. to help improve his auditory skills.

G’s mom was able to learn a lot of things from the therapists over the years. What’s G’s mom recalls the most is the moment when G’s ABA teacher taught her to do co-regulation with G. Mom is thankful for this learning, it enabled her to see that G. was able to learn more if she herself was calm.  There was no need to get upset while teaching. Mom finally realized that getting stressed or  angry while teaching your child was counterproductive. So, teaching sessions between Mom and G. changed from being stressful sessions, into calmer learning sessions.

Part of G.’s essential recovery was his yaya. G.’s yaya was a very patient person who would listen when the therapists taught her what to do and how to handle G’s willfulness. She was taught not to give in to his willfulness. She also condoned bad behavior. Mom is very thankful for Yaya (while she was still there) because she help make G. more compliant and easier to handle.

Mom’s expectations of AIT:

My expectation is to see any improvements in whatever aspect: language, behavior, socialization, focus and attention.

On the 1^st day, G was compliant and would hold on to his favorite toy while being seated listening to the music. His mom would put a timer in front of him so that G would have an idea of how long he would have to stay seated.

2^nd day G. surprised his yoga teacher by not being fidgety or “kiti kiti” as his mom would say. For the first time he did not have to wear his compression shirt. He was able to actually hold his yoga pose for 20 seconds. Before this he would often just run around.

3^rd day. Mom noticed that G. ‘s response time has improved, his attention to flashcards has also improved and he responds to flash card questions more easily now unlike before.

8^th day: G. is the kind of child that automatically wakes up at the slightest sound. Usually, when Mom turns off the aircon, G. even with his eyes closed will say “ ON AIRCON”, but today, Mom was pleasantly surprised, that G. didn’t wake up when Mom turned off the aircon.

9^th day: This is the 2^nd day that Mom has been able to turn off the aircon without waking up G. It is not a coincidence.

10^th day. Mom says his audio and visual skills had improvement.   Mom shared this .

Therapists comment on G.’s notebook dated Feb 10, 2020:

G. mas generally compliant today.  A bit fidgety and restless but calms down after heavy work.  He shows good  listening skills and visual skills today.

This shares G.’s coloring. Note the coloring Before and the 10 days After coloring.

Please note the comparision Before and 10 days After Therapy, even the drawings are significantly different.

Mom is looking forward to the next AIT Session after 9 months after noting how even therapists have seen G’s improvements in the therapy sessions.

 

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8 year old boy with ADHD and his improvements after AIT

J. is an 8 year old boy diagnosed with attention deficit disorder at age 2 by a developmental pediatrician. Mom noticed that J was delayed in many aspects. His mom found AIT after doing research on therapies that helped improve sound sensitivity.

He started speech therapy at age 2 (once a week). He also started OT at age 2 (2x a week). At age 4, J. Also started ABA (2x a week 2 hours per session).

J is verbal , echolalic with limited speech. He speaks when he wants something like food or toys or wants to go out.

He was very uncooperative during assessment and would shout “Wee wee” even if he just peed and would try to remove the headphones from his head. His mom and yaya would have to hold him and prevent his hands from removing the headphones. After the session, he kept going to the electric fan and is fascinated. He finds it difficult to sit down and would keep moving around, dragging the yaya with him.

He recently went to see a DAN doctor for treatment. He was given vitamins and placed on the GFCF (gluten free cassein free diet).

Mom’s expectations :

1. For J to be less sensitive to sounds (reduced shouting/ startling after hearing unfavorable sounds).

2. For J to be able to focus more on assigned /required tasks.

3. For J to demonstrate less hyperactivity

4. For J to demonstrate less fixation on spinning objects like ceiling fan, aircon, exhaust, evaporator, etc.

5. For J to demonstrate even better comprehension and speaking skills.

1^st session : J is uncooperative and refuses to go in. He literally has to be pulled by his mom, his two yayas and Teacher into the room. He is also very strong and refuses to sit quietly. He tries to remove his headphones several times. He also keeps talking loudly. Mom has to hold him to cooperate. The afternoon session is pretty much the same . J will say “ Wee wee. Bye. Bye Teacher.” “No.” At the end of the session. J is prompted and asked “ Are you done? Say “I’m done or I’m finished” J is able to say “ I’m finished” easily. On the 2^nd session, he is again uncooperative and needs to be held by him mom and yaya. He said “ Wiwi. Bye bye. No more. Bye bye. “ When someone left the room to get something, J says “ Close the door.” At times he ‘ll say “ I’m finished” during the session even if the session isn’t done yet. He surprises everyone in the end by saying “ I thank you. I’m finished.”

2^nd session: J was little bit more cooperative this time. He also seems calmer. He doesn’t run around the room. His mom talked to him and he listened enough to sit down. He tries to dislodge headphones several times. He told Teacher Steph “ Hi Girl. Hi Lola. “ “ Hi Boy.” “Girl.” “Boy” “Lola” several times. Teacher Steph turned off the aircon for a while as the room had become too cold. J looks at Teacher Steph and says” Turn on the aircon Lola.” Mom laughs and say J “Ang lupit mo.” Teacher Steph also laughs. J looks at Teacher Steph then says “ Turn on the aircon Teacher .” At the end of the session, J notices that the session is done and says “ I’m done. I’m great.” Mom noticed yesterday that J ‘s sensitivity to sound lessened.

3^rd Day : J entered the room. He said “Listen to music. Listen to car. Sit down. Wee wee. He would say this throughout the session. He even said “Are you done? Are you done? Finish!” He would repeat words and phrases and shout from time to time during the session.

4^th Day: J is behaved during the 1^st round. On the 2^nd session, J said “ Get ears” “J will get ears. Wee wee. No. Get earring. “ He was very restless and would shout. “Teacher Steph “ several times. “ Wee wee” He would say “I’m done” or “ Bye bye” even if session is not done yet. At the end of the session, he is able to say “ I’m done” without prompting.

5^th Day: 1^st session: J said “ I’m done “and “Great Job” without prompting. 2^nd session. Mom stays outside. J is able to behave and immediately says “ Done” when the music is done.

6^th Day: J would go in and sit down. It took a while to convince him to lie down and relax. Lights were turned off for J to help him relax. J would would telling Teacher “ turn on the light” or “ Done” or “Mika sit down ! (referring to the yaya). He would quiet down and listen when Teacher gave him a choice between “turning on the lights “ or “turning off the aircon”. J would say “ don’t turn off aircon”. After the session, J said “Great job. 2 + 2 =20. I’m done. On the 2^nd session, J was relatively behaved, Teacher Steph closed the lights so that he could relax more. He would say “ Kati ilong” several times and was able to say “ Done” after the music ended.

7^th session: J is disruptive he tries to insist on what he wants. He shouts to get Teacher Steph’s attention. He says “ Done” even if the session isn’t done. He shouts “Wee wee” in order to stop the session. He commands his Yaya “ Sit down Ate Mika.” He tries twisting his head left and right to get the headphones off. After 15 minutes of this, he relaxes and tries to close his eyes when told to close his eyes. At the end he say’s “ I’m done. Great job.”

8^th session: J “ Listen to ears. I want earrings. Listen to music.” Teacher Steph. “ Quiet please.” J “ Teacher Steph ! Teacher Steph! Turn on lights. Listen to music then go home. Go home to emerald tower.” J would say “ Kati leeg” and not stop unless his yaya rubs his neck. J says “I’m done” immediately after the session.

9^th Day: J tended to be disruptive this morning. He would try to dislodge headphones. He would shout “Teacher Steph” and “Turn on the lights.” Teacher Steph asked him to choose “Turn on lights “ or “Turn off aircon”. He said “No. No turn off aircon.” At the end of the session, Teacher Steph did not immediately remove headphones and J said “ Are you done? Are you done? “ Teacher Steph asked, “Are you done? “ J said “I’m done” On the 2^nd session, J said “ Listen to ears. Listen to ears. Get ears. “ He also told Teacher Steph to “Turn off lights.” As his mom was there, J was very much behaved. He said “I’m done.” several times before Teacher Steph and Mom noticed that he was really done.

10^th Day: J was able to be behaved today. He would listen when Teacher Steph would tell him to be quiet. He only shouted once or twice. He seemed to understand better than he needed to listen and to be quiet during the session. When the session ended, he announced several times, that the session was done. He said “ I’m done. I’m done.” J was also behaved during the second session. It’s easier to make him understand that he needs to listen, although he will still try to say things like “wee wee” or “done “ for Teacher Steph to remove the headphones. He said “ I’m done” as soon as the session was done.

He cooperated very well when asked to do his AIT drawings. Teacher noted that he was able to write his first, second and last name completely, whereas during the first session, he wrote only his first and last name.

His demeanor was also better, he would complete the tasks and color and draw within the areas when asked. He also demonstrates better control of his fine motor skills.

He is also less focused on his fascination with electric fans. Mom also noticed that J’s sensitivity to sounds have lessened. He also tends to be able to understand instructions better than before.

J is due for AIT the following year.

A 4 year old boy on his 2nd year of AIT and exceptional progress

Finn is a 4 year old boy diagnosed with social pragmatic communication disorder . He has 2x of Occupational Therapy 2x of speech 2 x of ABA. His mom is looking into additional 2 hours of physical therapy along with taekwondo for Finn as exercise this summer. This is Finn’s 2^nd round of auditory integration training (AIT)

1^st Day : Finn was behaved. He said “music” during the session. He was quite behaved and was prompted to say “I’m done.” On the afternoon session, Finn was crying and had to be prompted to say “Finished”.

2^nd Day: Finn was behaved. Finn said “ I’m finished”, “ Massage ears.” He is impatient and has fleeting eye contact. His mom made him look at Teacher with eye contact. He was prompted to say “ See you soon Teacher” and “Bye Teacher”

3^rd Day: Finn was behaved and said “ I’m finished”, “ Massage please”. He also had to be prompted to say “Remove headphones please”. According to Finn’s mom, Finn surprised everyone last night by saying “ Baby’s crying” for the first time. Finn has a baby brother who is 2 months old. Finn often ignores the brother. Finn was also able to say “open” “close” with hand gestures (without any prompting).

4^th day: Finn was behaved during the 1^st session. He was upset the 2^nd session. He said “ I want finished” “ I want finished” . He expressed this desire without any prompting. He was also trying to remove the headphones several times. Once the music finished, he immediately said “ I’m finished” . He was prompted to say “ Please remove headphones.” and prompted to say “ Bye Teacher”.

5^th day: Finn was again irritable during the 1^st session and would try to remove headphones. He would shout “I’m finished” several times during the session. This also happened during the 2^nd session. He fell asleep before the end of the session.

6^th day: Finn was again irritable and would say “I’m finished “ even if the session wasn’t done yet. He would say “ I’m finished” as soon as the session was done. He would need to be prompted to say “ Remove headphones please.” He said “Good” when Teacher told him said “ You did a good job.” He was prompted to say “ Bye bye Teacher “ and to look at the Teacher.

7^th Day: Finn was argumentative again and would say “I’m finished” even if he wasn’t done yet. After the session, Finn was able to say “ Teacher remove headphone please” during the session. He was able to say “I’m finished “ and “Remove headphones please.” He was prompted to say “ Please massage ears”. On the 2^nd session, Finn surprised us by saying “ Sleepy na ako” and “Five more minutes” He wanted the session to end. He was able to say “ Remove headphone please” without prompting. He said “Open please “ to open door. Finn was able to say “Bye Teacher Steph “ with eye contact. He was very happy when the session ended. He was prompted to say “ Massage ears please”

8^th Day: Mom noticed that Finn said “ kalabaw” and “cow” in the car after class. Typical dialogue that Finn likes to say is “ ano sabi ng rooster” and “ano sabi ng chicken”. Mom dissuades him from doing that by saying ” walang rooster” or “walang chicken” .   He also prayed in the car and made the sign of the cross saying “ in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen. “ Last night, He surprised everyone by to saying “ Good Night” to his Dad without prompting. He also kissed his baby brother, whom he usually ignores. He was also able to express “ ayaw ko na inom” when he saw the Sun chlorella vitamins his mom was giving him. During the 1^st session, Finn was argumentative and would tell Teacher that the session is done, even when it’s not. On the 2^nd session, Finn was still argumentative but fell asleep halfway through the session.

9^th Day: Finn’s mom told us other surprising words that Finn has been saying. Last night when Finn was drinking soup, he said “ mainit”. He doesn’t normally do this and would just push the spoon away. Finn also surprised everyone by greeting Kuya J the driver “ Good morning, Kuya J.”

Finn said “ OFF na” when Teacher put headphones at the start of the session. He said “Yes” when Teacher asked him “ Do you want OFF na ?” During the session, Finn said “Remove headphones please “ nearly six times. He also said “ Teacher Steph remove headphones.” and “ jingle bell, jingle bell rock”. He tries hard to remove the headphones. He said “five more minutes” was upset and crying after. Teacher asked “what do you say?” Finn said “ Remove headphones please” and “ Massage ears”. Mom reminds Finn to say “ Massage ears please.” He also said “open door” before he went out of the room.

Improvements of Finn after the 1^st AIT ( almost 1 year later)

Finn no longer needs instructions repeated several times. It is easier for him to relate to what he sees and hears. He is more motivated to learn compared to before. Attention span is bit longer now. He was non verbal and now he is able to speak with prompts. Before he would not even understand directions, now he is able to follow simple one step instructions. Comprehension has improved compared to before. He is better at expressing himself in one or two word phrases. In a crowd, Finn still doesn’t sometimes realize that speech is directed at him.

Finn is still learning the appropriate use of toys but he has been improving. He sometimes needs visual gestures in order to comprehend. He doesn’t play well with other children. He used to be very echolalic, repeating words and phrases over and over again. Now, he has started repeating words and phrases less and has been adding new vocabulary to his repertoire of words to say. He has poor handwriting. He is easily distracted by others. Before, he would only interact with family or familiar people, now he is becoming more open. He is faster at replying to questions compared to before.

Finn used to cover his ears in groceries every time he hears an announcement. He also hated fireworks. He used to startle easily to sounds, but he had a love for music. According to his parents, it’s only the sound of the meat grinder that bothers him now.

Finn’s improvements also extend to improve toilet training. He is also able to dress by himself and occasionally will need assistance. He also had fleeting eye contact, whereas now he takes the time to look at the person he’s talking to, especially when prompted. He seems to know a lot but cannot get it out. His waiting time has improved as well as his frustration tolerance at being told “ No.”.

How Sound Therapy helped a 6 year old boy with autism improve his sensory processing issues

Angel is a 6 year old who was first diagnosed at 2 years and 8 months with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by his developmental pediatrician. His parents still remember Angel at age 2, he was a relatively normal typical child. As he had very conscientious parents, he was always up to date on his vaccines.  It was only at 2 1/2 years old that his parents realized that Angel was not developing as fast as his twin brother.  He was non verbal, had fleeting eye contact and  would often  ignore his parents.  There were no physical telltale signs that something was wrong.

At 3 years old, he was taken to an alternative doctor who put him on the gluten free cassein free diet (GFCF) and on methylcobalamin b12

When Angel was 4 years old, his parents decided to put up their own therapy center as they were tired of not having enough slots for Angel to do his therapies. Angel would have 3x a week therapy which would range from OT, Speech, SPED and Aqua Therapy.

When he was five years old, he joined group socialization.  He was able to get ABA training.  His parents saw that Angel improve the most with occupational therapy.  Angel was non-verbal and would mostly babble and make nonsensical sounds.  He seems to understand simple one step commands.  He points or pulls at you to get what he wants.  He is fixated on food, water, cookies, crunchy food and juice.  When he dislikes the texture of the food, he will cry and spit out the food.

Angel has many sensory issues.  He hates the sound of the piano, the wheel.  He hates the sound of hammering, his brother crying, and thunder.

Angel was recommended for sound therapy (AIT)  by his occupational therapist due to the child’s sensory issues.

Day 1 : Angel spent the first 20 minutes crying and trying to remove the headphones.  He calms down the last ten minutes.  On the 2^nd session, he would still cry but not as much as the first session.

Day 2: On the 2^nd session, Angel spent 10 minutes trying to remove the headphones. Prior to the session, his dad says that Angel remembers this building and did not want to get down from the car.  He gave up after 10 minutes and just calmed down.  He kept making clicking sounds with his mouth.

Day 3: Angel, initially didn’t want to go in. Dad had to physically carry him inside to comply.  He would even grab at the door post to prevent his Dad from bringing him inside the room.  Today, Dad noticed that Angel was hyper for the first two days.  He would run and jump but would respond more to being called.  Once inside the room, Angel was cooperative and would listen to the music.  He also seemed relaxed and concentrated.  He also said “Ddddone” when he finally realized that Teacher Steph would not remove the headphones after the session.

On the 2^nd session, Angel was behaved throughout.  He was only able to say “Done” out of frustration after 30 minutes with very heavy prompting.  He was able to say “Open” in a breathy manner.

Day 4: Angel sat down quietly for the first time.  He was also very well behaved.  He was able to say “ Done” with prompting after 2 minutes.  He said “ apu chick” instead of open .  He didn’t get mad today. On the 2^nd session, he again was able to behaved throughout the session.  He was only able to say “done” after 30 minutes.

5^th day: Yesterday, Angel willingly walked out of the car to go to the center.  It had been a struggle for the last four days.   Angel behaved for around 17 minutes sitting by himself before Dad had to hold him as he tried to pull the headphones off. On the 2^nd session, Angel sat down and behaved.  He was only able to say “Done” after 10 minutes. He got very upset with his Dad though and pulled his hair in retaliation. He did not say “open” today as they had to leave earlier.

6^th day: Angel was very behaved and sat down beside teacher.  He was able to do therapy for 30 minutes.  He was able to say “ Ddddone” in two minutes and said a silent “ Open”. On the 2^nd session, he went in by himself and was behaved.   He even fell asleep till the send of the session.

7^th day: Angel was behaved  and would try to reply even if the words are barely understandable.   He got to say “ Ddddone” after 5 minutes.   On the 2^nd session, Angel was sleepy and not too cooperative.  They also had to leave early.

8^th day: Angel was behaved throughout the session and said “Dddone” in less than 5 minutes with prompting.

9^th day:  Angel’s first time to go to AIT with his mom.  He threw a tantrum and was very upset during the session.  It took him more than 30 minutes to say “Dddone” and he was angry and crying before he said “Done” clearly.

2^nd session, Angel is  a little calmer this time but is still crying and having tantrums. Mom still did the AIT session with him.  He was able to say “Ddddone” without prompting and he was able to say “ open” before we left.

10^th day:  Angel took Teacher’s Steph’s hand and went in the room. He was calm . he made clicking sounds. Thirteen minutes into the session, he said “Dddddone.”  He is talkative.  He is playful.  He said “Ddddone” after 5 minutes.  And “Open” clearly after 2 minutes.

Mom’s observations:

Angel’s “Daddy” became clearer.

Before Angel would only say “Ma” and only when he is upset, now he says “Mommy” to call his mom’s attention.  He has done this 4x since AIT started without prompting.

Angel is less sensitive to sound and calmer.

He is easier to call to pay attention to do tasks.

He is also became more compliant.

During eating time, Angel would often stand up half way through his meal but now if his attention is called, he would come back.

Prior to AIT, the whole trip through NLEX, Angel would cover his ears.

 

 

Auditory Integration Therapy on a 3 year old boy with social pragmatic communication disorder

Finn is a 3 year old boy.  He currently undergoes ABA, OT and Speech Therapy.  Finn was initially referred by a developmental pediatrician for a different type of auditory therapy as there were no slots available.  Finn’s mom decided to do diligently do some research on the internet and came across Sound Therapy.  She compared the different forms of therapy available and settled on AIT due to the short amount of time it needed.

Finn is diagnosed with social pragmatic communication disorder. Children like Finn have difficulty using spoken language in socially appropriate ways.  Finn has limited speech.  He also has hypersensitivity and is dislikes certain sounds of the blender, electric toothbrush, vacuum and  the rosary announcement as SM.   He also gets easily surprised by loud sounds.  He has fleeting eye contact with people. He has difficulty expressing his needs.  He tends to ignore people and needs to be prompted in order to him to greet.   He likes to play by himself.

Finn for his age is easily distracted, and has difficulty with long periods of sitting and paying attention. Finn’s mom often uses the ipad as a way to make Finn sit down for longer periods of time.  In a restaurant, Finn’s mom often requests for a high chair as a way of physically restraining Finn from wandering around the place.   Finn’s mother hopes this therapy will help Finn with his auditory sensitivity and help Finn improve in other aspects such as attention.

Finn is resistant to having AIT done.  He has difficulty with tolerating the sounds.  He would cry often during the sessions, especially the 1^st and 2^nd day.

3^rd day: Finn was a little bit more behaved and calmer during the 1^st session, but was again crying during the second session.

4^th day:  Finn didn’t cry during the 1^st session and was actually able to say “ I’m finished” within 2 minutes of the starting.  When Teacher didn’t remove the headphones, Finn started crying and wanting to remove headphones until the end.  He also had to be prompted to say “Finish”.  On the 2^nd session, he cries again and says that “I’m really sad” which is says three times.  He also turned to Teacher and demandingly asked. “ Are you sure?”  Ang sakit. Carry. I’m sleepy. Ayaw mo.  Ayaw ko. Why? Go down. Daddy Go down. Finish na.    He would say these words during the session.   He also needed again to be prompted when the session was over . He calmed down after the music stopped and looked up at the airplane mobile hanging in the room and said “Airplane” and spends a few seconds staring at the airplanes.

5^th day :  Finn is again upset and crying.  “ Mommy “ , “ I’m finished na”, “Teacher, mommy, yaya. Why? Why? “ At the end of the session, when the music stopped, Finn was able to say “ Teacher, I’m finished “ with a little prompting like “ Are you finished?”.  At the start of the 2^nd session,  Finn already says “ I’m finished.”  “Teacher Music go home na.” “Why?”  “ Go home na”.  He was actually able to say  “I’m finished” without prompting when the music ended.

That night, Finn surprised his family by greeting his Lola and aunt by saying “ Hi Lola and Hi Tita Cha “without prompting.  Previously, he would just ignore his Lola and Aunt.

6^th day:  Finn again cried during the first session.  On the 2^nd session,  he was also crying but fell asleep at the last part.   When Finn woke up, he was in a good mood since the session was over.  He was asked by his mom to say goodbye, since Teacher Steph was distracted and talking to someone else.  He went over and touched Teacher’s wrist to  call her attention, this made Teacher Steph look at Finn, and Finn said his goodbyes.

Finn surprised his parents today by greeting and kissing Manang Tess . This was done with no prompting from anyone.

7^th day :  Finn started fine and then starting crying and having a tantrum.  He kept saying “ I’m done”  “Are we done na?” “I’m done pa”.  After that he shouted “ Oh my God!” “Mommy” “God! God! God!  “  “Remove headphones.” “I want to remove headphone.”

After the session, Finn again says his goodbyes.  He now kisses people on the cheek with sound effect.  He also looks at people and waves goodbye.

8^th day:  Finn says “ no more sound”  “ I want music please.”  “Teacher  remove headphones”. For the first time today, Finn did not cry.  He also kissed Teacher on the cheek.     On the 2^nd session,  Finn got upset and said “ What are you doing? “ Why?”.  He also said “ I want remove? “   He needed to be taught to how say “ headphones”.

9^th day :  During the first session, Finn is crying less.   He asks “ What’s wrong? “ “Sakit” “Remove the earphone” “Massage the ears”. He would whine but would also try to cooperate.  He wanted to pull his eyelash  On the 2^nd session,  he was able to say more words “ Teacher look. I remove it. No.  It’s okay. Don’t cry (while crying).   He says again “ Teacher look.  I want to remove it. Later. Later. It’s okay. Mommy I remove it.  Look at me. Look at you.  Then he turns to teacher and says “ look at me first (with eye contact).  I want to hear.  What you want to say.  At the end, he was able to say “Teacher I want remove”  .  He had to be prompted with “ I want…”.

Finn went to his Grandparents’ home for a party. Finn surprised everyone by showing interest in wanting to play and interact with the adults, something he would not do before.

10^th day :

1^st session.  He said “ Look, Teacher. I want to remove this.  Please help. Help me. Help me . Help.   At the end of the session, he says “ Look at me. Teacher, please get.”  After he requested, we removed the headphones.  At the end of the session, Finn surprises Teacher Steph by saying goodbye. He hugged Teacher and pressed his cheek to Teacher’s cheek.

Finn’s mom took him out to lunch and was pleasantly surprised to find the Finn was able to sit down on a regular chair and pay attention to his food.  He was not given an Ipad during this time and was very well behaved during the entire lunch.

2^nd session was much better. Finn was much calmer. Although he whined and complained that he wanted to remove the headphone.  He said he was sleepy and eventually fell asleep.

Mom’s observations:

Finn has lost his aversion to the blender, vacuum, and electric toothbrush.  He now pays attention to what he is working on during coloring activities and even looks at the numbers on the sheet.  He has also become more verbal.  Mom plans to have Finn do another session next year as a follow -up.

It’s surprising to see how much one’s hearing can have so much impact on one’s behavior.

 

Christmas comes Early for R, a 5 year old child with developmental delays

R is a 5 year old child who showed signs and symptoms of autism at 2 years 8 months old. R’s mom noticed that something was amiss when R took his MMR vaccine at 18 months old. At 18 months, R was a bubbly child and could say words like “Daddy”, “Mommy”, “Yaya”. He was sick and had high fever after the vaccination. A few weeks after, R seemed different. He started saying less words, having less eye contact, and showed tactile, auditory and other sensory integration issues. He started tiptoeing as well.

R’s parents were able to start him on occupational therapy once a week at age 3. At age four, he started speech therapy once a week. He also started going to a SPED school once a week at four years of age for around 7 months. R’s mom started doing her research and began R on a gluten free cassein free diet (GFCF). 

R’s mom saw improvement when she started the gluten free cassein free diet. After seeing the changes, R’s mom decided to look for a biomedical doctor to handle his case.

R’s mom had difficulty handling R. He had so many sensory integration issues. He’s afraid of the razor, blender, juicer and any other “objectionable” sounds from the environment. A visit to the mall can end up in disaster as R is overwhelmed by the varied lights, sounds and smells coming from the mall. He is often anxious and has difficulty understanding verbally given commands. He keeps to himself and doesn’t play well with peers.

R’s mom learned about AIT while searching through the internet trying to find the best form of sound therapy that could treat her son’s issues at this point in time. R is described by his mom as a child with auditory integration issues. She wanted to address his hypersensitivity to sounds and at the same time be able to address other symptoms. It was definitely a leap of faith for R’s parents to start the therapy as they both had to take a leave from work in order to help R get the therapy he needed.

Mom’s expectations prior to AIT:

1. To be able to tolerate certain sounds such as razor, blender, juicer and other objectionable sound from the environment.

2. To be able to manage transitions and changes and cope w/ unexpected situations, persons and events.

3. To be less anxious.

4. To understand more verbally-given forms of communication. Improved comprehension.

5. To be able to improve speech & verbal language and communication.

6. To be more social and play with peers.

1st Day AIT Coloring

1st Day AIT Drawing

The Sessions:

1st Day – R cries during the 1^st session and is very upset. Parents had to hold him. R is more behaved during the 2^nd session and actually sat by himself. He is compliant. Halfway through the session he is happy and laughing and would say “ headphone” , “bye” , “no” , “open door” or “remove headphone” without prompting. When the session ended, he surprised everyone by saying “ finished” without prompting.

During sleeping time, R is often asked by his mom “What time is it?” R would always answer “it’s bedtime” or “ time to sleep”. This time R surprised his parents by answering “ it’s 4 o clock”. Parents notice that R is starting to approach other people, when he would just ignore them before.

2^nd Day – R turns on the lights by himself in the therapy room. When removing headphones, R often makes eye contact with his therapist. R continued to be behaved and articulate a lot of words in a clearer manner. He is more talkative and would say “ I don’t want to” , “Ayoko” and “ I don’t want headphones”. He also started approaching his parents more in order to communicate his needs.

3^rd Day – Parents notice that R is easier to call and follows instructions unlike before wherein he had to be physically prompted.

4^th Day – Mom noticed that R hasn’t been staring at the ceiling when going out of the hotel room. R also seemed irritated the whole day. He was cranky, impatient and easily upset. On the 2^nd session, he surprised everyone by saying “let’s start” before the start of the session. Parents noticed that R is able to stay still in the hotel lobby and stay calm while waiting.

5^th Day – During the 1^st session, R cried for 10 minutes. He was upset and wanted to remove the headphones. He often likes sitting on his Mom or Dad’s lap for AIT sessions.

Parent’s feedback: It’s R’s first time to be able to take a shower for the first time without trying to get out of the shower room. He was crying while taking the shower. R is very calm in the car. R surprised his parents today by going into the mall without a fuss.

It is R’s first time to enter a mall without being overwhelmed by the sensory overload he often experiences when he enters places with unfamiliar lights, sounds and smells.

R can also stay longer and stay still in the hotel lobby without crying. Prior to this happening, he would always hesitate entering a room. He would spend time studying the area, the ceiling, nooks and crannies. He was able to go on trips to nearby historical places without giving his parents much trouble.

6^th Day – Today he was again behaved and surprised everyone by saying “ No more headphone” When teacher asked R teasingly “more headphones?“ He reacted by strongly shaking his head in the negative. He also made an upset sound and significant eye contact to show his displeasure.

He is impatient to remove headphones and would get upset if Teacher would prompt him to say “Teacher please remove headphones”. He would say the words after three reminders but he would get very upset afterward and immediately leave the room.

7^th Day – For both sessions, R is usually happy the first twenty minutes and gets upset after. He tries to make eye contact with the therapist and says “Remove headphones” around 3 to 5 times, before he gives up and starts to have tears roll down his face.

He is able to say “finished” when the session ends and gets upset when the therapist doesn’t immediately remove his headphones or asks him to say the words again.

8^th day –  R is happy during the 1^st round, after twenty minutes of sitting on his mom’s lap. He will often refer to “mommy “ and “daddy” each session. He again tells the therapist to “remove headphones” and gets upset when nobody removes his headphones.

9^th Day

1^st session. R is relatively happy through out. He was able to say “finished” , “ I’m done” twice.

End of session: R surprised Teacher by going all the way to give me a big smile and a buss on the cheek when I called him.  The last few sessions after therapy, he was so impatient to go home and he would go inside the therapy room and pull his mom to go. Once he even tried to gently push Teacher back into the room so that everyone (his parents and Teacher)  would all stop talking and finally go home.

Parents’ Feedback:

Yesterday R went up to mom holding an orange, and asked her to “remove sticker” and then he was also able to say “ peel orange” without any prompting. Mom was so surprised because this is the first time R has done that. Usually, it’s Mom who says “do you want me to peel the orange?”. While they were talking, R wanted Mom to go from the kitchen to the bed area. R would instinctively look at Mom while she was talking. Mom was amazed, before R was unable to pay close attention to what she was saying.

R’s Dad also noticed that R went to the restroom on his own and removed his pants and underwear on his own. This is the first time R has done this. Before, R’s parents would have to prompt him or even pull him to go to the bathroom. Both parents are happy at R’s increased awareness.

10^th Day. R was very much behaved. He would say words like “ remove”, “remove headphone”. “oh yeah”. Prior to the end of the session, he would look the therapist in the eye and say” remove the headphone”. At the end of the session, he said “ I’m finished” without any prompting.

Parents’ Feedback:

R is able to understand verbally given commands more. He can now tolerate loud sounds that used to bother him, although he is still uneasy in restaurants. He has shown signs of improvement in terms of increased meaningfully used words.

Yesterday, he surprised everyone by engaging his 7 year old cousin in a game of chase. R initiated the game and the little girl reciprocated by running after him and chasing each other around. This is unusual behavior for R as he usually keeps to himself and does not seek to interact with other children that much. Overall, parents are generally happy with R ‘s improvements and the changes they perceive in him.

10th Day of AIT Coloring

10th Day of AIT Drawing

Kay’s Autism Journey of Exceptional Progress

We first met Kay at age 6 in 2008. He was first diagnosed with ASD at age 3. Kay’s mom first heard about AIT during a seminar in Mall of Asia that she attended.

Kay’s interventions include GFCF diet, ABA, low oxalate diet, occupational therapy, biomedical intervention, speech therapy and HBOT.

Kay has inconsistent eye contact, he has problems with language development and interpreting body language. He is very fixated on his Thomas trains and loves spinning objects like fans. He has hyperacute hearing and hears sounds more loudly than others. Sounds like the hair dryer bother him.

When Kay was born, he had sub-arachnoidal hemorrhage and had to stay in the ICU for two weeks wherein he also had jaundice and hypoglycemia. He was a picky eater and would gag at lumpy food and fruits. He had allergies to dairy. He was constipated and also suffered from diarrhea.

He was sensory defensive in terms of taste, olfactory and auditory. He has a bionic memory and would recall places like where the car is parked. He would often overreact over TV commercials about hair and laundry products. He would toe walk, spin and hand flap. He had poor listening skills. . He rarely interacts with his peers and is particularly attached to his mother. He is able to empathize with babies crying and he would also pretend that his toys are crying.

He has a lot of stims. He doesn’t follow instructions well. He lacks self-discipline. He is withdrawn and has a tendency to shut down under pressure. He has adverse reactions to physical touch and unusual reactions to noise. He has poor gross motor skills and is “wobbly”. He wets his bed at night.

He generally has poor focus, but is able to hyperfocus on things that he obsesses about.

Mom’s wishes:

Mom wishes for Kay to have more verbal interactions. Mom hopes that Kay becomes less sensitive to sounds, especially that of the blow dryer. Mom would like Kay to lose his deathly fear of the barber. She would like for him to become more verbal/conversational. She also would like Kay to pay more attention to verbal instructions. She would like to see Kay begin to socialize with peers and classmates as well as other kids. She wishes that he would be able to relate how he feels and what happened on his day at school/therapy center in a more complex manner.

During the evaluation, he was unable to draw on the drawing sheet provided or comply with instructions given.

Improvements of Kay after the 1^st round of AIT:

Kay is able to concentrate longer . He no longer flits from one thing to another.

He no longer takes others by wrist to use their hand to open doors or get objects.

He no longer needs instructions repeated several times.

He is motivated to learn.

He still gives odd or inappropriate responses to conversation.

He now tolerates social contact

His echolalia improved, repeating sentences and phrases has lessened

He has a faster response to simple questions compared to before.

He still hates to have a haircut

He responds better now whenever his name is called.

He is not as easily startled by sound as before.

He still turns on the music loud.

He has less issues with delayed toilet training and blowing his nose. He is better able to dress now but still requires assistance.

Tantrums are not as bad as before.

He doesn’t like to told “no”.

He is not as picky with food as before.

Improvements after the 2^nd round of AIT

Kay showed a lot of improvement after the 2^nd round of AIT in the areas of language. He no longer needs instructions repeated as often. He no longer has problems recalling what was heard last week, month, year. He is better at relating to what he hears. He is better motivated to learn. He has longer attention span. He speaks even without being prompted. He no longer comes to situations “without a clue”. He no longer tries to read facial expressions.

His organizational skills have improved. He knows the appropriate use of toys. He no longer withdraws from family gatherings. He no longer has distorted speech.

He still has delayed response to verbal stimuli. He has better comprehension compared to before, but it is limited to basics. He likes to hum and makes noises to himself and give inappropriate responses to conversation.

He has poor handwriting and difficulty in spelling (although this skill has improved, Kay can spell basic words only). He speaks too fast and can be fixated on gong to certain places.

Kay doesn’t like to have haircuts. He likes putting his ears next to the TV speaker. He easily responds when his name is called. He no longer hears things ahead of everyone else. He has lost most of his issues with regards to tactile sensitivity.

In terms of self-help, Kay is very much toilet trained. He can blow his nose by himself. He only needs assistance when it comes to dressing up.

Kay still loves to spin things and has difficulty using public bathrooms that are dark and cluttered.

Many of his previous behaviors have been resolved like tantrums, repetitive watching of videos, fixations on a topic. Routine is still very important to him. He no longer lines his toys up. He is less picky. He is able to accept being told “ no”. He is more aware now of dangerous things compared to before.

Current issues are mostly auditory in nature: Kay has a fear of heights, certain TV commercials and hates large exhaust fans in hospital elevators.

2013  AIT Therapist’s Observation:

On Kay first day, he keeps on trying to remove the headphones.

On Kay’s 3^rd day of AIT:

Before listening to AIT, Kay was not behaving, keeps on talking and laughing.

Mom asked: “ What do you like, we go to the dentist or here AIT?

Kay answered: “ Stephanie.”

While listening to the AIT music, Kay keeps on laughing (tries to tickle himself and laugh.)

On Kay’s 4^th Day:

Kay is very restless. He tries to remove the headphone since day 1.

After the therapy ended, Mom ask Kay to say good-bye to the therapist but he doesn’t want, so he was ask to give a handshake.

Kay complied and shakes hands with therapist  and said, “Good-bye Doodles” with a smile on his face.

From Mommy’s Diary:

2013  6th day

When Kay had a conversation with his Daddy on his 6^th day, he noticed that Kay can answer more questions than before, Kay was more focused. He immediately complied when his Daddy called him. Kay was more articulate when asked, like when, “ Ask what he listened to from the headset?” Kay answered, “ Lullaby ” without prompting.

His Tita also noted more focus from Kay in studying his lessons. His Teacher Tita was able to introduce multiplication for the first time.

Kay was noticeably attentive and patient while working. Kay’s fear of heights was also partially addressed. Kay can go down the stairs by himself with minimum assistant versus having to grab Mommy’s whole body and both arms before while walking down the stairs.

Kay is also calmer – he doesn’t get upset easily or doesn’t get irritated much by the ads in the TV.

7th day

When Kay arrives at the center , he usually is excited and immediately went to the C.R and urinate, this is his routine every morning.

On his session he is excited, giggles and laughs.

2^nd Session:

While waiting for his turn for AIT, he was asked if where he did go for his 3 hours break.

Kay looked and answered: “ Shangrila.”

On his 10th day of AIT.

Was asked to do some worked (writing, colouring and drawing).

While doing his work, Mom notice that he doesn’t focused while colouring the shape (oval), keeps on smiling and laughing, but when prompted to focus on what he is doing, he immediately complies.

In writing his name, he does it by spelling the letters and wrote it in the sheet. He followed instructions when asked to write his name on the 3 lines.

Conversation while writing his name:

Kay keeps saying, “Yummy, Mushroom Noodles”

“Yummy, Lucky Me Noodles”

He smiled when answered back, “ Yummy, Lucky Me Pancit Canton?” Kay answered back “No, Yummy, Lucky Me Noodles” and went back writing his name.

He is more focused now when ask to draw the following: SUN, RAINBOW, FACE, HOUSE, CIRCLE and NUMBER 8.

One month after AIT

Kay seemed to have become irritable and seemed to have lost calmness and focus that he has gained immediately after AIT. He was always crying and throwing tantrums although he was communicating better than before.

In July, Kay had some change of diet. He takes more beef fat soup (bulalo), duck eggs, buffalo’s milk and has started taking organic sulphur (MSM).

4 months after AIT: 

Kay has significant improvement in terms of communicating with others – he can now converse in 1-2 detail levels. He can answer what, why and who questions (the latter being most difficult for him). He can report incidents that happened yesterday last week or last month. He usually speaks in the third person.

He likes playing games with his teachers, parents and other relatives – his favourite is tag-running. He can now sustain playing more age-appropriate games like monopoly. He is more observant of what is happening around him and tends to imitate other children – like yesterday at church, he observed that a boy in front of us stepped out and went into the garden to pick flowers. Kay commented “Why did he go there?” When mom said it’s ok, Kay also stepped out to pick a flower and showed it to his mom.

Kay can now go to the barber, sit on the chair without prodding and finish the haircut without crying. He even gives a tip to the barber.

Kay’s handwriting has improved significantly. He would now engage in writing words like Yes, No, names of his classmates, names of airplanes – on a blank paper or on the white board. He as gained interest in the calendar and days of the week. He is anticipating his birthday this year and has communicated how he wants to celebrate – Jollibee party, Shinkansen cake, cupcake giveaways with popsicle stick picture of shinkansen on top, train engineer’s costume.

Kay has gone a long way. AIT and a combination of therapies and alternative health practices as well as GFCF have given Kay’s parent’s hope.

Kay’s story is one example of a devoted mother who begins her journey with the single step of acceptance .  She has tried  to learn and apply  everything that she has discovered about Autism.  Kay still has his autism, but what matters to his mother is that he can communicate better and that he is more capable of  handling his sensory issues.

  Autism is a journey that will take many parents thousands of miles to discover the path  to   recovery if only they are willing to take that single first step.

How A 5 year old Boy with PDD NOS finally found his words

My son W. has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS (within the Autism Spectrum Disorder) at the age of 1 year and 9 months. He has speech delay and poor socialization. He can identify things but would not name them when asked.  He also would not use words to communicate with us whenever he felt  like making a request or calling us.  He also preferred  to play alone and would not consistently respond when called.

My husband and I were shocked when the doctor we consulted for W.  gave him a diagnosis. I started recalling everything to see what went wrong during my pregnancy. My son was a product of a term pregnancy by normal delivery with birth weight of 8lbs. He has been generally healthy, he had mild infectious diarrhea when he was younger and has history of seasonal allergy manifesting as skin rash and rhinitis. His immunizations are all up to date.

We became concerned about his speech when he was more than a year old when we noted that his eye contact was fleeting. We also noted some changes in him.   He would often communicate by pulling our hands to lead to what he wanted. He would also shout or bang his head when frustrated. He is active and would just repeatedly run around the room or run back and forth.

The Developmental Pediatrician recommended us for Occupational Therapy for Sensory Integration & Behaviour Modification twice a week and speech therapy once a week on one-on-one setting. Although imitation, attention and sensory-processing skills have improved, hyperactivity, distractibility, sustained attention and speech still remains to be an issue.

When he was 5, my friends introduce me to AIT (Auditory Integration Training) where a headset was used to retrain my son’s listening  for 10days”.  To our surprise, my son started to use the word “I Want” properly after the AIT program. Before he would always say “ I want water” even he is asking for other things.

We also noticed that he can understand what we are telling him and what we want him to do. He can follow instructions better and he can also self-correct his words like calling names of a person and answering YES or NO question (except with regards to preferences). Other words he said are “Remove shirt please”, Put it in the laundry basket”, “eat your rice”, “drink water”, “open the door”, “sit on the chair” (with prompts).

Even he is still hyperactive, his hyperactivity is much tolerablenow. He also learns fast when taught. We also noticed that he is very good in figuring out puzzles. W.  can do 48 to 96 pieces of puzzle in just 15 minutes, but while he is working on the puzzle, he keeps tapping the board and talking jargon or garbled words in a loud voice.

I was told by my friend to look for a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) Doctor who practices natural medicines. We change our son’s food to GFCF (Gluten Free, Casein Free) diet. The doctor collect my son’s blood, hair and urine and send it to United States to test his allergies and to see how much bacteria, yeast and mercury, etc has to be remove from his body.

This was the time that we realized that we are giving him the wrong diet since he was born. We didn’t realize that he was allergic to milk and that the diarrhea and skin rashes were caused by drinking cow’s milk.

Up to date vaccines are not recommended especially when the baby is sick, right now we only give vaccines which are really important and safe are required to be given to the child. The doctor gave my son natural medicines to detoxify all the heavy metals and bacteria that should be removed from his body because these things can hinder to his progress.

During the process of detoxifying my son shows some regression which was expected to happen as this is a reaction to some of the heavy metals is being pull out from his body.

In addition to his daily activity, we added an ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) therapist who visits him 3x a week for 2 hours each session. Also we fill in taekwondo and swimming (should be 3 months after the AIT program) to subsides his hyperactivity and to gain his attentions. He is now studying in a regular school with the supervision of a shadow teacher he is happy and is aware of his surrounding and the people around him.

My Thoughts on Early Intervention

The longer it takes for your child to get the early intervention he needs, the harder it is for you to reach him.

If lack of therapists, a long waitlist or finances is an issue.

Make sure you do your research. Be your child’s therapist if you have to be but make sure you do the work before he locks himself into his own world forever.

Autism and the Fear of Dentists

A problem most parents have with asd kids is dental hygiene. Because of the kids’ sensory issues, getting them to open their mouth and brush their teeth is like going to war on a nightly basis.

Please don’t delay going to the dentist. Make it a habit to get a cleaning done every six months even if you dread the idea of going there with your child.

Role play going to the dentist so the child has an idea of what to expect. Scout around for a good dentist who is patient with kids.

For kids, cavities are a problem because of sweets and milk intake. Blackened teeth are terrible and cause pain. Putting off the inevitable only makes things worse.

The last thing you want is for your child to be sedated for a tooth extraction.

So please make time for your dentist and do keep your kids’ teeth healthy.