THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504250052
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
ANNABEL STEHLI, author of ``The Sound of a Miracle,'' a book published in 1991 that tells the story of her daughter's being cured of autism by music therapy, will be in Smithfield on Saturday to talk with parents about innovative methods they can try to help their own disabled children.
Stehli has recently edited a second book, ``Dancing in the Rain,'' a collection of stories written by other parents of children with disabilities like autism, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, central auditory processing disorder and dyslexia.
She has appeared on several talk shows, including ``20/20,'' ``Life Choices'' and ``Sally Jessy Raphael,'' telling the story of her daughter, Georgiana, who was diagnosed as autistic but was cured of the disorder in a small French village by a doctor using an unusual machine that simply played music.
Georgiana went on to graduate from high school and college. She now has her doctorate and gives workshops on developing autonomy in autistic adults.
Stehli and her husband, Peter, brought the unique music machine to the United States. Together, they have spread the word about auditory integration therapy - intensive, innovative music therapy that is said to result in improved auditory processing and a corresponding improvement in behavior.
And since then, Stehli has learned that many other alternative strategies, such as visual retraining and nutrition, can play a part in children's learning ability and social skills.
Stehli has made speeches in Canada, England and throughout the United States. Although auditory integration therapy, known as AIT, is a primary focus of her personal appearances, she says she is interested in promoting ``anything and everything that works.''
She will be in Smithfield at Benn's United Methodist Church from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, headlining the Hampton Roads Conference on Exceptional Strategies. The conference will feature a panel of experts on learning problems in children and a panel of parents sharing information about how they have helped their children overcome a variety of learning and developmental problems.
The conference is sponsored by the Parents Information Network and also will features Dr. Howard D. Kahn, who will talk about how vision affects perception, and Dr. Vincent Joseph, a noted nutritionist and allergist.
The Parents Information Network is made up of parents who have sought help other than traditional drug therapy for their special-needs children. The conference was organized to pass along the knowledge they have gained, said a spokesperson for the group.
The fee for the conference is $5 per person for parents and $10 for professionals. For more information or for reservations, call Vicki Baczewski at (804) 596-0892.
The registration deadline is today. ILLUSTRATION: Annabel Stehli will discuss innovative ways to treat disabled
children.
by CNB