New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Three years ago released a breakthrough program for improving auditory attention and listening, TSI: Focused Attention. Today they are announcing their newest program in the TSI - Targeted Sound Intervention series- Focused Attention 2 (FA2). The FA2 program builds on the foundation built by Focused Attention - that of auditory figure ground processing. FA2 teaches the listener to listen in background noise and understand what is being said to them. "This is a crucial skill in the classroom, where the teacher is talking while there are almost always distractions around the room," according to speech-language pathologist Lori Riggs, lead investigator and co-creator of Focused Attention and FA2. In addition to distracted students, Riggs pointed out that a completely different population - adults over 50 - can also benefit from the program. "As we age, our hearing tends to become less acute. One of the biggest complaints of aging adults is not being able to understand speech when there is background noise," Riggs said.
Through a progression of sessions where various language-based content (such as stories and directions) is combined with background sound, the listener learns to filter out distractions and listen to the words.
Focused Attention 2:
Follows TSI: Focused Attention as Step 2.
Is language-based (stories, poems, directions).
Helps you listen and understand speech in noise.
Improves auditory figure-ground processing.
Is interesting and fun.
Only takes a few minutes a day.
Provides four age levels to choose from: Preschool, Ages 6-9, Ages 10-14, and Ages 15-Adult.
Is available as a digital download or as a complete CD set.
Goals for the listener are to:
Improve focus.
Decrease distractibility.
Improve understanding of speech in noise.
NACD and its team of professionals have been uncovering new understanding of the underlying problems associated with child developmental issues and learning associated problems for 40 years and are dedicated to developing tools that work to address these problems. According to NACD's founder, Bob Doman: "As a nation we have tremendous issues with the lack of ability to focus and pay attention. If you cannot focus and cannot attend, you cannot process vital information. Educational instruction generally can't move at the pace of a cartoon or a video game. These issues not only are adversely affecting children's learning, but their behavior and social skills, as well as their development of short-term memory, working memory, and ultimately their overall cognitive abilities. Developing techniques that trigger brain plasticity and affect the child's ability to focus and attend without being medicated to do so is of paramount importance."
In addition to creating the Targeted Sound Intervention programs, NACD has also teamed with Blue Whale to create the Cognition Coach series of apps designed to enhance short-term and working memory, as well as the NACD Home Speech Therapist line of Speech Therapy for Apraxia apps.
To learn more about the full line of TSI products and who can benefit, please visit our website at: tsi.nacd.org
