What is an Autism Spectrum Disorder?

The way people think about autism has changed in recent years. It is best described as a group of disorders with a similar pattern of behaviour in three key areas - communication, social interaction and imaginative thought.

One of the greatest challenges facing parents working towards their child’s recovery is choosing among the many treatment options now available.  Which is ‘right’ for their child and confer the most benefit?
There is no easy answer, especially since children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are each unique, often requiring and individual treatment program.  However common to a majority of individuals with ASD is some form of auditory processing disorder.  Indeed, auditory processing problems are recognised today as the #1 sensory impairment in children diagnosed with an ASD.

Over the course of the last 15 years, there has been an increasing awareness of auditory-based interventions in the autism community.  The real catalyst, however, was the publication, in 1997, 0f Annabelle Stehli’s book The Sound of a Miracle: A Child Triumphs Over Autism, a mother’s account of her daughter Georgi’s success with Auditory Integration Training. This groundbreaking book offered parents a powerful new possibility: that a child with autism spectrum disorder could be helped – to the point of recovery even – by simply listening to special music through headphones.  Since that time, attention to auditory processing difficulties in SAD children has resulted in a new understanding of the degree to which auditory impairments affect a child’s ability to succeed.

Interested in reading more?  Read the full article here.

For more information about auditory processing support contact us.