Pre 2000

TOPIC YEAR AUTHORS SUBJECTS DESIGN COMMENTS/ RESULTS
Ocular Movements Among Individuals with Autism Pre- and Post-Auditory Integration Training 1993 Margaret P. Creedon in collaboration with Stephen M. Edelson and Janice E. Scharre 22 ASD subjects No control group open-clinical study, visual tracking movements and optokinetic nystagmus (a visual reflex) were assessed. Parents completed the FAPC and the ABC-1. Significant improvements were seen in horizontal tracking immediately following AIT and in both horizontal and vertical tracking 3 months post-AIT No changes were seen in optokinetic nystagmus. The FAPC indicated significant improvement at 3 months post-AIT, and the ABC-1 indicated significant improvement both immediately following and 3 months post-AIT.
Study of the Effects of Auditory Integration Training in Autism 1993 Dawn Cortez-McKee and J. Panksepp 33 ASD No control group open-trial clinical study. Participants were assessed using multiple measures prior to, at 1-week, 1-month, and 3 months following AIT. The measures included: ABC-1, BSE, CARS, CPRS, FAPC, and SIBQ. Significant improvement was seen on all of the measures, except the FAPC, at the one- and three-month follow-up assessment periods. Critique:- FAPC is a survey tool, not a suitable instrument to measure change after AIT.
Study 1 of the Effects of AIT in Autism 1993 Tina K. Veale 5 ASD 5 controls, matched according to checklists right In a double-blind placebo pilot study. Parents completed the ABC-1, the CPRC, and the FAPC. These instruments were completed prior to, one month following, and three months following AIT. Positive trends indicating improvement in the experimental group were seen at three months following AIT for all three evaluation forms.
Study 2 of the Effects of AIT in Autism 1993 Tina K. Veale 46 ASD No controls An open clinical study Parents completed the ABC-1, CPRS, FAPC as well as the Autistic Behaviour Composite Checklist and Profile. Significant improvements were observed at one month and six months following AIT. Some of the behavioural changes included: reductions in hyperactivity, social withdrawal, auditory problems, restlessness, and anxiety.
Non-Pharmaco-logical Techniques in the Treatment of Brain Dysfunction 1994 J.M. Gerth, S. A. Barton, H. F. Engler, A. C. Heller, D. Freides, and J. Blalock 10 children with auditory-based learning deficits Eight of the ten had also been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder. Subjects were given a series of diagnostic tests, and parents were requested to complete several questionnaires. Two subscales from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery test were used to evaluate changes in auditory processing. The Sound Blending scale and the Incomplete Words scale, indicated an improvement of one standard deviation or more in 4 of the 10 subjects, and moderate improvement in two other subjects.
Auditory Processing Skills and Auditory Integration Training in Children with ADD 1994 Donna Geffner, Jay R. Lucker, Ann Gordon and Dolores A. DiStasio 16 children with ADD/H. This study investigated changes in audition and language. A large number of tests were employed to evaluate changes as a result of AIT, e.g. audiometric threshold testing, tolerance for tones and speech, speech recognition in quiet and noise conditions, and the (GFW) Test Post-assessments were conducted within 3 months following AIT. Significant improvement was observed in the subjects’ tolerance to tones and speech, speech recognition in the noise condition, and in listening skills in the GFW Auditory Selective Attention Test and subscales from the Detroit Test of Learning Aptitude, (attention span for unrelated words, and attention span for related words.)
Positron Emission Tomography Measure of Modified Auditory Integration Therapy: A Case Study 1994 Jacqueline M. Cimorelli and Melanie K. Highfill A single-subject an 8-year old male with mental retardation and autism Investigated changes in brain functioning post=AIT using Positron Emissions Test (PET) Scan technology. PET scans were conducted prior to a second set of AIT (baseline), 1 day after and 6 months after AIT. The results at both the one-day and 6-month follow-up indicated a normalization of brain wave activity, including a decrease in hyper-metabolism in the frontal lobe and an increase in activity in the occipital lobe.
Changes in Unilateral and Bilateral Sound Sensitivity as a Result of Auditory Integration Training 1994 Deborah Woodward 60 with ASD No controls Uncomfortable loudness level (UCL) measurements were performed prior to and immediately following AIT. Following AIT, the monaural tolerance level to each ear increased 13 = 15 dBHTL, (statistically significant). Also the binaural tolerance level indicated a more normal response.
Parental Perceptions of Change Following Auditory Integration Training for Autism 1994 Dana Monville and Nickola Nelson 40 surveyed parents Reports of Parent Survey 25 (63%) reported an increase in attention span; 25 (63%) reported a decrease in sound sensitivity; 12 (30%) reported an increase in language. 4 parents (10%) reported an increase in tantrums and aggression.
Auditory Integration Training 1994 Dr. Jane R. Madell and D. E. Rose 4 children, ASD/ PDD/ Learning Disabilities Audiological and behavioural assessments were used. Audiograms of all 4 children showed improvement following AIT (i.e., a decrease in variability). Behavioural improvement was observed in 3 of the 4 children: increased calmness decreased sound sensitivity, improvements in speech/language improved word recognition in noise.
The Effects of Auditory Integration Therapy on Central Auditory Processing 1994 B Huskey, K Barnett, and J M. Cimorelli 6 exp 6 controls An experimental study of 2 auditory processing tasks: the SSW test and the Phonemic Synthesis Test (PST). Pre- AIT and post-tests were given at 4 to 6 weeks, and at 8 to 12 weeks. SSW test,: no improvements at 4 to 6 weeks post- AIT, but improvements on the total score and on the left competing condition at 8 to 12 weeks in the exp subjects following AIT. No changes in the results from the PST.
Clinical Outcome Evaluation: Auditory Integration Training 1994 J. H. Rudy, S. S. Morgan, and M. Shepard 13 exp subjects No controls A clinical study, subjects diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or central auditory processing dysfunction (CAPD) tested pre-, immediately following, and 3 months post-AIT.: hearing acuity, central auditory processing (SSW, SCAN), auditory evoked potentials (P200 and P300), language(CELF-R), and intelligence (TONI). Significant improvements in the SSW, SCAN, and CELF-R, and no change in the TONI. 3 months post-AIT, there were additional improvements in the SSW and CELF-R, but no further change in the SCAN. There was also a significant improvement in the TONI. An analysis of the P200 ERP indicated a significant change in amplitude but no change in the P300 latency.
A Pilot Study of AIT in Autism 1995 Rimland B., Edelson S. 18 children and adolescents with ASD Follow-up after 3 months. Diminished aberrant behaviour but no change in Sound Sensitivity.
Long-Term Effects of Auditory Integration Training Comparing Treated and Non-Treated Children 1996 Donna Geffner, Jay R. Lucker, and Ann Gordon 10 had AIT (exp) 10 controls A study: one-year follow-up evaluation of children with Attention Deficit Disorder. A tolerance testing procedure for ‘uncomfortable’ listening levels was used. Improvement was observed for the AIT group, but no change in the control group. Additionally, tests evaluating speech recognition in noise and auditory-language processing showed improvement for those in the AIT group but not for those in the control group.
ANIMAL STUDIES 1995 M. Waldhoer, J. Panksepp, D. Pruitt, M. Vaningan, D. McKee, J. Rossi III, and J. Lindsey Jaak Panksepp, J. Ross III, & T.K. Narayanan Newborn chicks and AIT The data suggests that AIT may modify serotonergic tone in the brain. Panksepp suggests such music arouses and activates attentional circuits in the brain These findings indicate that listening to music produced neurochemical changes.
The Effects of Auditory Integration Training for Children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) 1996 Karen A. Yencer 36 exp and controls 36 children diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder. Children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and multiple-handicaps were excluded from the study. Testing prior and 1 month after AIT. Standard audiometric testing, the SSW test, the Phonemic Synthesis test, the Standard Progressive Matrices test, FAPC, auditory brainstem response (ABR), event-related potential (P300), and a speech-in-noise test. The P300 analyses indicated some improvement in the AIT condition (mean latency from 366.2 msec. to 348.5 msec.) versus a slight worsening in the placebo condition (mean latency from 400.8 msec. to 402.2 msec.). Critique – post-AIT testing at 4 weeks instead of the required 3 to 6 months!
The Long-Term Effects of Auditory Training on Children with Autism 1996 Sue Bettison 80 , in 2 groups, exp / control, 3-17 years of age, with autism or Asperger syndrome and mild to severe distress in the presence of some sounds. Measures used were the Hearing Sensitivity questionnaire (HSQ) – an informal survey devised by Bernard Rimland but not validated nor scorable.. Also used the Developmental Behavior Checklist. No difference between AIT and normal music results. Improvement in both conditions, Improvements in sensitivity as well as IQ. Critique: severe shortcomings, The HSQ was designed only as a survey of sound sensitivity in the autism population and not an instrument to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Is unstandardized , lacking even face validity
Epileptic Activity in Autism and Acquired Aphasia: A Study Using Magneto-Encephalography 1997 Jeffrey D. Lewine, Sherri L. Provencal, John T. Davis, and William W. Orrison, 2 subjects Magnetoencephalography and EEG recordings were used to measure electrical activity in the brain in 1 child with dyslexia and o1 high-functioning autistic adult. Baseline recordings demonstrated larger than normal responses in the areas associated with hyperacusis. Following AIT, a more normalized balance or symmetry in electrical activity was observed
The Efficacy of Auditory Integration Training: A Double Blind Study 1997 William Zollweg, Vere Vance, and David Palm 30 participants assigned at random to experimental AIT group or a placebo-control group. Mild to profound Mental handicap , some with ASD. A double-blind research design, Evaluations using audiometric tests, a Loudness Discomfort Level test, and the ABC-1 at 3, 6, and 9 months following AIT. No differences were found between the AIT and control groups. Critique (AIT is not recommended for MD) Loudness incorrectly set as high as 122 dB SPL 27% were given wrong narrow-band filters.
Auditory Integration Training in Children with Autism: Brief Report of an Open Pilot Study 1997 C. Gillberg, M. Johansson, S. Steffenberg, and O. Berlin 9 pupils with ASD No controls 9-month follow-up period, using ABC and the ABC Sensory Subscale. 8 of the 9 children showed improvement on the Autism Behaviour Checklist (ABC) total score, and 7 of 9 children showed improvement on the ABC sensory subscale.
Auditory Integration Training: A Double-Blind Study of Behavioral, Electro-Physciological, and Audiometic Effects in Autistic Subjects 1999 S. M. Edelson, D. Arin, Margaret Bauman, S. E. Lukas, Jane H. Rudy, M. Sholar, and Bernard Rimland 19 ASD assigned at random to exp/control, Double blind All evaluations were ‘blind’ to group assignment. Behavioral, electro-physiological, and audiometric measures were assessed prior to and following AIT( all had abnormal ERP’s) Of the 19 subjects, three experimental group and two placebo group subjects were able to cooperate with the auditory P300 (ERP) task A significant improvement was observed in behavioral problems 3-month follow-up in exp.. Electrophysiological: Three months following AIT, all three exp subjects tested showed a dramatic improvement in their auditory P300 ERP. Post-AIT. No improvement was seen in the placebo group.
Auditory Integration Training and Autism: Two Case Studies 1999 Mark Morgan Brown 2 subjects ASD Report of Observations made at three and six months following AIT. Improvements in attention, arousal and sensory modulation, balance and movement perception, praxis and sequencing, speech and language, social – emotional maturity, and eye control.
The Effects of Auditory Integration Training on Children Diagnosed with Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study 2000 Wayne J. Kirby 5 experimental, 5 controls A placebo-control design, Subjects were assessed using the Auditory Continuous Performance Test (ACPT) prior to and 3 months following AIT. Comparison of the two groups at 3months post-AIT indicated a statistically significant reduction in the total number of errors for those in the AIT group. Improvement on the impulsivity and inattention scores were not significantly significant.

Post 2000

TOPIC YEAR AUTHOR SUBJECTS DESIGN COMMENTS/ RESULTS
A Pilot Study: Into the Effects of a Single Course of Bérard Auditory Integration Training on the Progress of a Population of Children Diagnosed With Autistic Spectrum Disorder 2002 Rosalie Seymour 16 ASD exp 8 ASD controls Profile matched exp and controls using form E2, ATEC, ABC, & Parents Questionnaire. Post=AIT assessments were ATEC, PQ, and ABC-1. The AIT group’s pre-post differences were more positive than the control group. Only the control group showed any negative change (i.e. worsening). The AIT group total score improvement was significant, The improvement in hyperactivity scores was highly significant in the AIT group. The difference between the control and AIT total was highly significant.
Research: Report on the Changes in Scores for a Group of 13 Children with Autism After Berard Auditory Integration Training 2005 Rosalie E Seymour, Maoilíosa Ó Rathaille unpublished 12 pupils with ASD Used ATEC, ABC and PQ., pre= and post AIT Significant changes to the ATEC subscales for Sociability, and for Sensory/Cognitive, and the total scores. Improvements for the AIT group in all the areas of the ATEC. There were significant changes in the ABC areas of irritability, lethargy, hyperactivity, and the Total scores. (That is, we can confidently say they were not as a result of chance but are likely to have been due to AIT.)
The Hearing Ear and the Listening Brain – an Evaluation of Auditory Integration Training in Children/Students with Concentration Problems and Learning Difficulties 2006 Britta Alin Åkerman, Lars Borazanci Persson 56 subjects, 21 students with ASD 28 AIT 28 controls Listening tests, parents and teacher questionnaires rating attention, and household behaviours. Show a difference between the intervention and control groups ranging from slight difference to considerable difference. Additional observed improvements included:- Improved eye contact, improved communi- cation, longer sentences, improved interaction, attention and calmness. Reduced sound sensitivity.
Research 2006 Alaa El-Din Abou-Setta, MD; Iman Sadek, MD; Amani Shalaby, MD; Nagwa Hazzaa, MD, Ain Shams University 15 children with ASD. Included 8 with hyperacusis. To explore the value of AIT as a complementary measure in rehabilitation of autistic children. Autism Performance Observation Sheet (APOS) was developed for parents to report on behaviour and communication.. Reduction in hyperactivity, in social withdrawal, in auditory problems, in restlessness and in anxiety following AIT. Found an increase in attention span, a decrease in sound sensitivity, and an increase in language. Commented: ‘AIT can be viewed as a reasonably effective complementary tool in the rehabilitation of autistic children. It seems that it paves the road for more benefit from the classical ways of rehabilitation’.
Berard AIT Supports a Memory Training Program The Mediterranean Project 2013 Dr Selvi Borazanci Persson 68 subjects, ages 6-65 yrs AIT before memory training only. 33 controls – memory training A study was to determine if memorizing can be enhanced by AIT. Task = memorizing image cards (auditory & visualpeg words (auditory),face recognition with names (auditory & visual) In each task, and for all age groups, the improvement in the AIT condition was highly significant, and continued to improve over a 9-month period post-AIT.
Effectiveness of Auditory Integration Therapy in Autism Spectrum Disorders—Prospective Study 2013 Prof. Laila Y. Al-Ayadhi, Abdul Majeed Al-Drees and Ahmed M. Al-Arfaj, Saudi Arabia 72 with ASD (CARS: 21 moderate, 51 severe) To determine the effectiveness of auditory integration training (AIT) in people with ASD. Pre-intervention and post-intervention (3 and 6 months) scores were calculated using CARS, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC). All subjects demonstrated improvement 3 and 6 months following the AIT. ASD subject showed 22% and 26% percentage improvement in SRS scoring. Statistically significant changes in social awareness, social cognition, and social communication. Similar results were achieved with the ATEC ‘The results of this study support the therapeutic effects of auditory integration training on social awareness, social cognition, and social communication, as well as speech and communication.’
Berard Auditory Integration Training: Behavior Changes Related to Sensory Modulation. 2014 Sally S. Brockett, Nancy K. Lawton-Shirley and Judith Giencke Kimball Cases of 54 children with disabilities (34 with autism), ages 3–10 years, who received Berard AIT, were reviewed. A study to determine if behaviours specifically related to sensory modulation showed positive changes following 10 days of Berard auditory integration training (AIT). Behavioural problems reduced on all five factors of the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (P  0.01), maintained at three and six months. The Short Sensory Profile scores improved.
The Effects of Auditory Integration Training (AIT) on Mismatch Negativity in Children with Autism 2015 E. M. Sokhadze , S. M. Edelson , L. L. Sears , M. F. Casanova, A. Tasman and S. Brockett 11 ASD 11 control The aims of the study was application of Berard’s Auditory Integration Training (AIT) techniques in children in autism and assessment of AIT course outcomes using MMN, frontal P2a and P3a evoked potentials, and behavioral questionnaires (ABC,CPI). Berard AIT resulted in significant decrease of Irritability, Hyperactivity and Lethargy scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), and improved Emotion, Behavior and Receptive Language Scores on the Comprehensive Performance Index (CPI) scales. The study demonstrates that Berard AIT positively affects auditory stimulus processing, reflected both in early (MMN) and late (P2,P3a) evoked potentials.
Before-and-After Central Auditory Processing Test Results For AIT – a Clinical Retrospective Study 2015 Judith Paton 210 subjects:- with learning disability (LD), dyslexia, speech/language disorders, and/or central auditory processing disorders (CAPD or APD). Changes in central auditory processing test scores between pre-and post-AIT evaluation. Used 11 CAP tests. The four tests showing the most improvement (70-90%) were: Speech Discrimination in Ipsilateral Noise at 0dB S/N (signal-to-noise ratio) (90%)Filtered (low-pass) Speech at (81%)Time Compressed Sentences (at 60% compression) (73%) Pitch Pattern Sequencing (70%) Second-most improved by AIT (50-69%) were: Sound Blending (68%) Duration Pattern Sequencing (56%) Dichotic Competing Sentences (56%) Binaural Fusion (55%) SSW (Staggered Spondaic Word) test (54%). Competing Words (47%). The average improvement for LD and ASD groups together across tests was 67%. (A small number of ASD patients showed 61% improvement, with the even smaller number of adults at 78%.)The total amount of improvement after AIT for all subjects on all repeated tests was: a) 80 to 100% improved — 49% b) 50 to 79% improved — 50% c) 12 to 49% improved — 1%‘Results of this study show that AIT can be reasonably quick and effective way of improving functioning of the central auditory nervous system’.
Impact of Auditory Integrative Training on Transforming Growth Factor-β1 and Its Effect on Behavioural and Social Emotions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 2018 Prof. Laila Al-Ayadhi, Abdulrahman Mohammed Alhowikan, Dost Muhammad Halepoto Saudi Arabia. 15 children with ASD This study investigated the impact of Auditory Integration Training (AIT) on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and its effect on behavioral and social emotions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The increased plasma levels of TGF-β1 after AIT support the therapeutic effect of AIT on TGF-β1 followed by improvement in social awareness, social cognition, and social communication in ASD children.
Impact of Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) on the Plasma Levels of Human Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) in Autism Spectrum Disorder 2019 Prof. Laila Al-Ayadhi, Afaf El-Ansary,Geir Bjorklund, Salvatore Chirumbolo, Gehan Ahmed Mostafa 15 ASD children, aged between 5 and 12 years This study is the first to investigate the impact of auditory integration therapy (AIT) of sensory processing abnormalities in autism on plasma GDNF levels. There was an improvement in the measures of autism severity as an effect of AIT which induced the up-regulation of GDNF in plasma.
Influence of Auditory Integrative Training on Casein Kinase 2 and Its Impact on Behavioral and Social Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 2023 Prof. Laila Al-Ayadhi, Ramesa Shafi Bha , Farah Ali Alghamdi, Abdulmalik S Alhadlaq , Afaf El-Ansary 25 ASD children, aged between 5 and 12 years In this study, we investigated the impact of auditory integration therapy (AIT) for the treatment of sensory processing abnormalities in autism on plasma CK2 levels. The CARS and SRS indices of autism severity improved as a result of AIT, which could be related to the decreased level of plasma CK2. However, the mean value of the SSP scores was not significantly increased after AIT.