How We Test for AIT

What kind of testing for Auditory Integration Training do candidates undergo?
What is the intake interview like?

The Hearing Profile Screening…

We use a digital technique call Otoacoustic Emissions Testing (OAE)

However – in order to test, we need the following:

Tell me more about the Otoacoustic Emissions Tester...

For a very thorough explanation about the OAE test, click here (PDF document).

Most, but not all, of our testing and intake will be performed using Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) test protocol, including latency analysis. OAE involves projecting a series of tonal click bursts into the ear canal, and measuring the resonating sonic emissions that result from tonal stimulation of the cochlear nerves. Each tonal burst spans the normal acoustic test range.

Data will be analyzed for deficits in hearing response as a function of latency in real time. If there is considerable variation (asymmetry) in latency across ears, and inconsistencies within each ear, a clinical history of early childhood ear infections or speech processing or expressive difficulties, we will consider your child for training.

While it is not necessary to have all four or five conditions to qualify for AIT, we try to take all of the information into consideration. Often our comparisons of intake to exit latency charts have shown indicators of considerable positive change in either, or both ears, post training.

When considering whether to have Auditory Integration Training, the testing is helpful.

We stress an examination of general history specific to behavior, language reception and expression. Other issues we consider are past history of ear infections over the first three to five years of age, current word decoding difficulties and oppositional or withdrawal behaviors connected with hearing sensitivities or deficiencies.

We also look at factors such as social relatedness, balance and coordination skills and overall sensory integration dysfunction. It is often thought there is a link between the function of hearing and the limbic system.

Some of potential clients’ fear-driven behaviors (anger, physical defiance and aggression and withdrawal) may be a result of faulty processing of sounds as a central (brain) function, not necessarily as a result of the actual mechanics of hearing. She may be totally unable to screen out certain offensive sounds, leading to emotional overload.

Symmetry is an important element of hearing...

The testing may reveal whether a symmetrical response exists from one ear to the other. Symmetry (i.e. both ears hearing essentially the same thing) is required for rapid sound identification, determining distance from sounds and locating the direction of a sound source that is outside the visual field.

While all of these functions are important, a child must be able to rapidly identify sounds. Slow identification of sound has a very debilitating effect on receptive language.

If the child takes too long to break down each element of what has been said to him or her, much of the meaning will be lost. This is especially true of complex or multiple step information, particularly when spoken in a hurried fashion. Under such circumstances, either the beginning or ending information is retained, while most of the bits in the middle are lost.