A brand new solution to help ADHD youngsters improve their concentration in the classroom has been launched.
Aimed at any pupil who is struggling to concentrate in learning environments, the device is especially useful for those with ADHD and other sensory and auditory processing difficulties.
Voice Selector Study, which was launched by Nuance Hearing, creates a better learning environment for young people, helping them to listen to the teacher and follow instructions, while tuning out other distractions.
A clinical study* which tested the efficacy of the Voice Selector Study in classroom settings for 31 adolescents with ADHD showed highly significant improvements in the ability to focus on and listen to the teacher and in the ability to ignore distractions in the classroom.
Eight built-in microphones automatically track the teacher’s (or the dominant speaker’s) voice as they move around the classroom, reducing the level of background noise and enabling the user to focus with less cognitive effort.
The cutting-edge beam-forming technology gives a world leading signal-to-noise ratio of 15db, (the relative reduction of overall noise in relation to the target sound), which compares to an industry-standard in real-time applications of 4-5dB.
How it works
The Voice Selector Study is an easy to use, small tabletop device that works with any wired headphones. In addition to automatically tracking the dominant speaker, the user can also manually select up to two dominant speakers to track.
Aiding concentration in children
Aimed at any pupil who is struggling to concentrate in learning environments, the device can also be particularly useful for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), auditory processing difficulties (APD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who tend to struggle more with concentration in classroom settings.
A common condition
ADHD is estimated to affect about 2-5% (around 1 in 30) students at school. APD is estimated 0.5-1% of school aged children.
A clinical study which tested the efficacy of the Voice Selector Study in classroom settings for 31 adolescents with ADHD showed highly significant improvements in the ability to focus on and listen to the teacher and in the ability to ignore distractions in the classroom.
Tami Harel, Director of Clinical Research at Nuance Hearing, said: “Classrooms nowadays can be very noisy and full of distractions.
“It is difficult for everyone to tune in on the teacher in a noisy environment, but for some children this task is even harder. Some children struggle to concentrate and focus on the teacher, and this effort affects their ability to learn and participate in the classroom.
“We’re proud to launch the Voice Selector Study to help children ignore the unwanted noise and distractions and focus on the teacher. We believe this can facilitate learning and empower students.”
More on ADHD and focus
According to the ADHD Foundation, the ‘core symptoms’ of ADHD are usually present before the student is 12 years of age and can persist throughout their school life.
ADHD students typically have a short attention span and so can find it hard to concentrate and learn, especially in group situations. This can impact on their education and many of these students underachieve at school.
Among children aged 6–16, there is a clear association between ADHD symptoms and academic attainment.
Furthermore, recent research has found that medication alone does not help children with ADHD to learn.
Explore the Voice Selector Study here.
