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Auditory Integration Therapy

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Definition

Auditory integration training (AIT) is an intervention technique which is currently considered experimental. It was created to attempt to improve the way individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) recognize and respond to sound and to reduce other behaviors associated with ASD. AIT has also been referred to as auditory enhancement training (AET) and audio-psycho-phonology (APP).

Historical Background

Auditory integration training (AIT) was first written about in 1982 in a book by the otolaryngologist Guy Berard, which was translated in 1993 from French to the English title Hearing Equals Behavior. In his writing, Berard suggests that various disorders (“autism,” hyperactivity, depression, learning difficulties) are associated with atypical sensitivity to sound.

The AIT technique became widely popular after the 1991 publication of Annabel Stehli’s The Sound of a Miracle: A Child’s Triumph over Autism. In this book, Stehli described the full recovery of her daughter,...

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References and Readings

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Correspondence to Sarita Austin .

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Austin, S. (2017). Auditory Integration Therapy. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_961-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_961-3

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