If your child has a condition known as amblyaudia — a disorder that prohibits the ability of the brain to process competing information from ear-to-ear — he or she might need a type of dichotic therapy known as ARIA therapy.
Amblyaudia is often diagnosed following a central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) evauation, which can reveal binaural integration weakness. This is when your child develops a dominant ear, which often suppresses incoming auditory information from the opposite ear. We often refer to this “weaker” ear as a “lazy ear.” ARIA therapy’s goal is to correct this imbalance.
ARIA therapy takes place over 4 weeks, in 4 one-hour sessions, and is performed by a licensed audiologist in a soundproof booth. After therapy, there is usually a fifth, follow-up evaluation session.
The Auditory Processing Center, located in Mississippi, agrees that treatment of amblyaudia is crucial for learning and developing children: “Following ARIA treatment children have better access to auditory signals, which will help them hear better, so they will have better access to the curriculum at school. If a child has amblyaudia, this should be treated first in order to make listening easier and maximize benefit from other types of therapy (i.e. dyslexia, speech/language therapy, or tutoring) that the child may also be receiving.”
ARIA therapy is an exciting process the audiologists at REM are proud to be able to offer our patients. Amblyaudia often goes undiagnosed, which is unfortunate, because this therapy can very well help your child become a more efficient listener, both in and outside the classroom.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our front office, email Dr. Cory McNabb (our pediatric audiologist) directly, or check out our ARIA therapy page on our website. For more info about the actual therapy, be sure to check out this month’s newly updated Technology Spotlight.