TSI: Focused Attention - Therapeutic Music Program

Description

The TSI: Focused Attention music program is a TSI-Targeted Sound Intervention™ training program aimed at a very specific aspect of auditory processing—auditory figure-ground processing. That is the ability to attend to and process an auditory input when there are competing background sounds. The six CDs of the program are intended to lay a foundation for figure-ground processing, i.e, train auditory attention to a particular stimulus in the presence of competing sounds.  The program kit contains 6 CDs, written instructions for use, and a 40-minute instructional DVD.

From young children with developmental disabilities to high-functioning adults with attention problems, TSI: Focused Attention can change how you are able to tune-in and focus. Participants in our original field test showed improvement in the ability to interpret speech in noise after using the program. NACD clients show functional improvements in their ability to tune in to auditory stimuli and stay focused when random distractions are present.

We have carefully and intentionally used original musical compositions as our auditory targets, rather than language-based stimuli. This allows us to keep the focus on developing the attention aspect of figure-ground processing, setting a foundation for then going on to address language processing in noise. Our initial field test for TSI: Focused Attention showed that children’s ability to hear/process speech in noise improved with the use of the program. We chose to use original compositions rather than existing music because it requires more effort and attention on the part of the listener. One cannot pull from experience and anticipate what comes next in the music; therefore intensity and attention are increased. Also, by using original compositions we could tailor the musical content specifically to the purpose and intention of the program.

This program specifically addresses auditory attention in the presence of competing sounds. It does not directly address tonal processing or sequential processing. However, as auditory attention and figure-ground listening improve, certainly they will have a positive impact on these other areas of processing.

Why use TSI: Focused Attention? Because we never listen in isolation, our ability to attend and listen when background sound is present is applicable every day of our lives. It affects children in classrooms, adults at work, families at home, friends socializing in a restaurant. When we refer to hearing in the presence of “noise,” this can include anything from loud, intrusive sounds to soft background sounds. Noise may be the distant sound of a jet at 30,000 feet or a fire alarm in the school hallway. Noise is not always defined by volume or frequency. Sometimes it is simply the presence of a sound that gets your attention and distracts you from what you had intended to listen to.  We are discovering that this is virtually a universal problem. In particular, it is quite a significant problem for individuals who have any hypersensitivity to sound.

So, why use TSI: Focused Attention? Use it because it can have a huge impact on your life.

More about TSI: Focused Attention

Candidacy
TSI: Focused Attention for Therapists & Educators
Listener Resources