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Explore the truth about AIT: Why is this training banned by the US FDA?
Auditory Integration Training (AIT) is a therapy developed by Dr. Guy Bérard in France. Bérard claims that AIT can not only treat clinical depression and suicidal tendencies, but also has extremely positive effects on dyslexia and autism. However, these claims currently lack solid empirical support. AIT typically involves twenty half-hour listening sessions of specially filtered and modulated music over ten days.
"Although auditory integration training has been used to treat autism since the early 1990s, to date its effectiveness has not been proven by scientific standards, leading professional organizations to consider it an experimental treatment." < /p>
AIT is considered an experimental procedure according to the standards of the American Academy of Pediatrics and three other professional organizations. The New York State Department of Health also recommends against its use in treating young children with autism. What’s more, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the import of Audiokinetron, the host device used for AIT, due to lack of evidence of medical benefit.
Training Program
Auditory integration training is designed to address sensory issues such as auditory distortions and hyperacusis. These issues often cause discomfort and confusion for people with learning disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. These hypersensitivities are thought to interfere with children's ability to concentrate, comprehend and learn.
AIT training usually involves children attending two 30-minute sessions per day over ten weekdays. The children listened to specially filtered and modulated music over a wide frequency range through headphones. Each child's music program is adjusted to their auditory sensitivity, using electronic devices to randomly switch between low and high pitch screenings, with the duration of the screenings ranging from 1/4 to 2 seconds, and also varying the intensity of the sounds.
"The device originally used to perform this training, the Audiokinetron, has been banned from import into the United States by the FDA due to lack of evidence of medical benefit, and no AIT device is currently approved for use as a medical device."
Practitioners trained in AIT typically include speech therapists, audiologists, and occupational therapists, as well as psychologists, physicians, social workers, and teachers. But because clients have failed to receive demonstrated benefits, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has warned its members that they may be violating ASHA's code of ethics if they provide AIT services.
Effects and evidence base are insufficient
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of AIT showed a lack of sufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of this therapy. Although no major side effects have been reported, multiple professional bodies have concluded that AIT should be considered experimental. These include the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Academy of Educational Audiology.
Historical Background"The New York State Department of Health states that AIT has not been shown to be effective and is not recommended for use in young children with autism."
Guy Bérard's book Audition Égale Comportement (Hearing Equals Behavior) is the first book on AIT. Annabel Stehli's book The Sound of a Miracle, which tells the story of her daughter, an autistic girl, receiving AIT treatment, has attracted widespread attention in the English-speaking world.
By 1994, more than 10,000 American children and adults had been trained in AIT, and the cost of treatment was approximately $1,000 to $1,300, making AIT a multimillion-dollar industry. French otolaryngologist Alfred Tomatis studied hearing loss and discovered the connection between hearing and speech, which became the basis of his auditory stimulation method.
However, preliminary studies related to AIT often suffer from methodological flaws, such as lack of statistical power and control groups. Later, larger, more carefully controlled studies failed to support AIT's initial promise. Therefore, the use of AIT is no longer authorized except under a research protocol.
Data show that there is still insufficient scientific support for the effectiveness and safety of this treatment. So, how will future treatments improve to meet the needs of patients?
