The present invention provides a method and apparatus for implementing a training regimen which alleviates exaggerated sensory, perceptual, cognitive and/or emotional response problems. For example, in the aural domain, some autistic individuals are hypersensitive to one of the senses, e.g., sound. As discussed above, sounds at the specific frequency can cause discomfort to these autistic individuals even when presented at an intensity level which normally is not perceived as being too loud by most individuals. Similarly, tinnitus afflicted individuals also suffer from disconcerting perceived ringing sensations in their ears. The present invention hypothesizes that a catastrophic cascade of responses within a 'supergroup' of auditory neurons is triggered by a hypersensitive response to a particular frequency or range of frequencies. The self sustaining cascade is very much like an epileptic seizure in which the sudden involontary response of a relatively small group of neurons trigger responses in a supergroup of neurons located in the motor control region of the brain. In accordance with the present invention, the abnormally sensitive response problem associated with supergroups can be substantially alleviated via a remedial training regimen which emphasizes the redevelopment of the afflicted individual's ability to make fine sensory distinctions and/or the improvement of the individual's differential sensory acuteness. Providing the regimen to the individual consistently over a period of time increases the likelihood of normal or near normal sensory ability returning.
A COMPUTERIZED METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REMEDIATING EXAGGERATED SENSORY RESPONSE IN AN INDIVIDUAL WITH AN IMPAIRED SENSORY MODALITY