This testimonial is from Angie, Mother of Scot, then aged 13.
My thirteen-year-old son, Scot, was diagnosed with autism at two years old and we have searched for and tried many therapies over the years, the most successful being the gf/cf diet, enzymes and Auditory Integration Therapy. This is his AIT story.
For years I kept looking at the AIT information and wishing there was an easier way to do it. The thought of having to travel into London, the hassle and the cost, always put me off. And Scot was so sensitive around his head – he wouldn’t tolerate hats or hair brushing, and washing his hair was a weekly battle! How would he tolerate wearing headphones? He also just didn’t understand language (because he couldn’t make sense of sound properly). He had very limited speech and language understanding, which of course meant that he could get very frustrated. I knew he needed his auditory processing to be addressed, but kept putting off actually doing the therapy because it just seemed so difficult. And so the years passed.
Then, when Scot was twelve, Tracy was recommended to me. I was overjoyed to find such an experienced AIT practitioner who only lived 10 minutes away from the M25 (with no parking problems or Congestion Charge to deal with!). She delivers the AIT in her own welcoming, comfortable home, and is one of those rare, wonderful people who really care about what they do and the children they treat. After talking to her, many of my concerns, especially about Scot’s sensory sensitivity and age melted away, and I promptly booked Scot in for his course of treatment.
As the first day neared, though, I still managed to get nervous. How would Scot cope? Would he even sit still? What if he threw the headphones out of the window or at Tracy’s head?! As he was by now twelve years old, he wasn’t a little boy, and could do some serious damage if he wanted to. I needn’t have worried. The ever-patient Tracy did end up sporting a rather large bite-sized bruise on her arm that she received on the first day, but she handled him with such kindness, respect and a certain firmness, that by Day 3 he was sitting happily with headphones on, playing with some of the many autistic-friendly gadgets that Tracy has.
The AIT benefits were noticed immediately. Scot was more interested in listening, was calmer and had more concentration. He would sit quietly listening to sounds, such as birds, that he had always ignored in the past and, to me, the main benefit was that he was no longer over-sensitive to noises that made him scream or cry. Before the AIT, sometimes just walking down a road could be stressful, as he hated the noise of traffic driving by, or any kind of loud or sudden noise. A week after the AIT, a motorbike roared past and, instead of crying out with his fingers in his ears, he just jumped a bit then said ‘what a noisy motorbike!’
The AIT also seemed to calm his sensory system as a whole. He didn’t need me to stroke his arms as much and tolerated stimuli such as a shower more easily. I was actually quite surprised and very impressed by his reactions.
Over those two weeks, I also felt I had made a firm friend. While Scot was doing good listening, we could quietly chat and Tracy proved to be an invaluable source of information, especially as she has an autistic son herself (who turned out to be a Stephen King fan like me!). I picked up so many tips and ideas from her that I could put into practice. AIT with Tracy is not just about the AIT, but also about the child as a whole. The positive support she provides is invaluable.
A year later, I learned that some children benefit from further courses of AIT so again booked Scot in, which wasn’t a difficult decision to make as I was so looking forward to seeing Tracy again!
Those two weeks with Tracy went like a dream. Scot was fabulous, and it was such an enjoyable experience that it was a real wrench leaving on the last day.
And the change in Scot has been phenomenal. It is rather amazing that the way we hear has such an effect on what we learn, and how we are. Scot is now continually exploring language. I can have a conversation with him (something I never thought would be possible). He will come into a café with me now, rather than sitting outside for fear of the sound of echoes and chinking noises. He’s actually ‘with us’ and is interested in what we say and what we do and joins in. His positive achievements are overwhelming and it’s absolutely wonderful.
I am so grateful to Tracy, and that Scot and I had the opportunity to benefit from her help, expertise and support. Thanks to Tracy, and Auditory Integration Therapy, the future seems brighter.
Angie Shields
12 Alder Close, Loggerheads, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 4HB.
Tel:- 0044 (0) 7771 541 453
tracy@tracyaldermanait.co.uk
www.tracyaldermanait.co.uk