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The History of AIT

Auditory Integration Training protocol as practiced at Autism/ADD Resources, Inc. was developed by Dr. Guy Berard. Dr. Berard is a Ear, Nose & Throat specialist, whose home town was Annecy, France. Michael R. McCarthy and Marcy McCarthy were both trained by Dr. Berard.

Dr. Berard initially developed Auditory Integration Training to treat conductive hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss originates in the middle ear as opposed to nerve reactions to sounds and vibrations. He liked the idea of changing hearing thresholds and perceptions by using a non-pharmaceutical method. He developed the Berard-method, based upon the contemporary work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis, also a French physician.

Berard-method is depicted as being more intense and shorter in duration than the Tomatis-method. The Berard experience is more intense because the "music" is randomized and made "unpredictable" by the special filtering machine developed by Dr. Berard. The Berard method is shorter in duration than the Tomatis-method. As you will learn later in this series of WebPages, it is thought that the Berard-method works on a different area of the brain than the Tomatis-method.

Before bringing the Berard-method to the United States, Dr. Berard had been actively practicing and perfecting this method for approximately 20 years. Many of his patient referrals were made by psychiatrists and psychologists from neighboring Geneva, Switzerland.

It wasn't until Dr. Berard came to the United States, under the sponsorship of Peter and Annabel Stehli (Georgiana Institute), in 1991 and 1992, that AIT became embraced by the Autism support groups throughout the United States.

Lucy's Story: An autobiography of autism as seen through the eyes of a young Australian woman who has graduated with honors in Literary Studies from Deakon University in Melbourne. The intriguing story of Lucy's adventures in her search for self and better sensory integration. Chapters 16 & 17 describe her inside view of Auditory Integration Training. 288 pages.

Lucy's Story is available through our office. Call or e-mail today.

You may wish to read Dancing in the Rain and Sound of a Miracle by Annabel Stehli.