Two scenarios often present themselves in the practice of Berard auditory integration training (AIT). One involves parents who ask if AlT might help their child who is struggling with reading. The child may read but not comprehend or may not be able to decode the words at all. In some cases, the child reads so slowly that all the required reading cannot be completed. The second scenario involves the parent who pursues the Berard program in hopes of reducing their child’s sound sensitivity, improving language and/or socialization, with no consideration of the impact that it may have on the child’s struggle to read. This parent may report with surprise, that their child’s reading also improved after Berard AIT. Both parents will want to understand how the Berard method, which impacts on listening skills, can affect the reading process. We need to examine certain aspects of the reading process in order to see this relationship.
According to Norman Doidge, author of The Brain that Changes Itself, neuroplasticity means that the nerve cells in our brains and nervous systems are changeable, or can modify themselves. Neuroplasticity enables us to continue learning at any age, or to create new connections to take over weakened functions. We can rewire or reorganize our brains.
The actual structure and function of the brain change through the course of our lives. There is no medical treatment involved. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs within the brain. The requirement for triggering this phenomenon of neuroplasticity is exposure to an activity with intensity, frequency, and duration.
