Sound and Auditory Programs

NACD’S TSI - Targeted Sound Intervention™: Overview

When we look at the big picture of child development, there is a vast array of pieces that make up the whole puzzle—genetics, health, diet, sensory input, processing ability, to name just a few. Not least of these is how a child is able to receive and use, or “process,” auditory input. This is a very significant piece of that puzzle which impacts a number of areas of development, including language, speech, cognition, focus, attention, and proprioception. Hindrances to hearing and processing negatively impact development. This impact may be anywhere from mild to severe, from a child who has trouble listening in the presence of background sound to a child who at 3 years old is unable to process simple directions and can not tolerate the sound of his sister’s voice, having the TV on, or the noise in a public space.

But auditory perceptual problems are not just limited to children. Some adults have auditory processing difficulties that they have carried with them since childhood or that have developed over time due to circumstances, such as a progressive hearing loss from repeated noise exposure. Although auditory perceptual problems in adults manifest differently than in children, they still can have debilitating results, such as difficulty listening and attending, understanding speech, concentrating, and thinking.

At NACD we offer auditory programs, or TSI - Targeted Sound Intervention™” (TSI), for listeners of all ages. We believe the health and efficiency of the auditory system is vital not only to the complete development of the brain, but also to the ongoing maintenance of neurological organization and cognitive function. We also believe it is imperative to address the root of the auditory problems, not simply to use a “band-aid” approach to addressing the symptoms.

NACD’s TSI addresses listening-related concerns. Our approaches have been developed based on over three decades of experience with the evolution of therapeutic auditory programs. When all that existed was Dr. Tomatis’ program in France in the 1970’s, Bob Doman had clients travel to France to participate in the Tomatis Method. This was followed by Patricia Joudry’s Sound Therapy for the Walkman, then Auditory Integration Training, and Samonas Sound Therapy. We helped to develop the original version of The Listening Program, based on our experience with hundreds of clients using these previous sound-based programs. Over the years we have collected overwhelming anecdotal data regarding the effectiveness of auditory programs in general and TLP specifically and are involved in formal research in this area as well.

Auditory Processing

“Auditory processing” and “auditory processing disorder” are terms that are thrown around frequently these days. But what does auditory processing actually mean? Auditory processing can loosely be defined as how the brain interprets and uses the auditory signal that comes from the ear. An auditory processing disorder (APD; also referred to as CAPD—central auditory processing disorder) implies difficulty interpreting and using auditory input due to an inefficiency with the neurological system; not a problem with the ear itself.

There are a number of different aspects to the umbrella term “auditory processing.” It is important to understand the differences in these aspects when remediating difficulties with auditory processing. (Incidentally, one does not have to have an official diagnosis of APD or CAPD in order to have a need to address and strengthen any one of these areas.) Some (but not all) areas of auditory processing include:

• Auditory sequential processing—This term refers to the number of units of information an individual can take in auditorily, use, and retrieve. Auditory sequential processing is closely related to working memory and overall cognition. It is commonly measured by means of auditory digit span, although with some individuals, especially younger children, we measure it in other ways.
• Auditory tonal processing—This is the foundation of language processing—how the brain interprets actual tones. Hypersensitivity to sound is one symptom of difficulty in this area. Problems with auditory tonal processing may also manifest as:
  • inappropriate inflection and prosody in language production
  • difficulty interpreting the tone of voice and vocal cues of others
  • difficulty discriminating between phonemes (i.e. speech sounds)
• Figure-ground processing—This is defined as the ability to attend to a “figure,” or object of focus, in the presence of a backdrop, or “ground.” Relative to auditory processing, this means the ability to stay focused on the primary auditory input when background sounds/noise are present. An example of this is carrying on a conversation with and attending to your conversational partner while sitting in a restaurant.
• Language processing—Language processing is exactly what the term implies. It is reliant upon the other aspects of auditory processing mentioned above.
• Temporal processing—“Temporal” implies time. This aspect is related to the rate of processing, or how long it takes to process specific information.

NACD’s Auditory Programs (TSI - Targeted Sound Intervention™)

NACD has been using, evolving, and developing its approaches to auditory processing difficulties over a span of about three decades. We have numerous techniques to address and remediate specific processing concerns.

NACD’s auditory programs focus on:

• enhancing listening skills
• improving auditory processing
• facilitating speech and language development
• increasing auditory awareness
• decreasing painful auditory hypersensitivity
• increasing concentration and focus

FM Systems

NACD uses FM systems for children who have difficulty with auditory processing. The FM system is not a program; it is a means of administering therapeutic activities. Historically used in classrooms, we have found FM systems to be useful and effective for working one-on-one at home as well. FM systems allow a child to hear the speaker’s input directly to their ears, thereby blocking out distracting sounds and providing a more intense signal. The speaker, such as mom or teacher, speaks into a microphone. The signal from the mic is transmitted directly to the child’s ears via headphones. Five different options for FM system packages are available at the NACD online bookstore.