Voice and speech training are mainly techniques to improve oral motor skills but some use the voice as the source of a workout on the auditory feedback loop to train the brain.
Oral Motor Control and Speech production
One of the best-known approaches is LSVT LOUD, originally developed for people with Parkinson’s disease. It uses a series of exercises targeting vocal loudness, pitch, breathing and speech production.
Other approaches, such as the PROMPT Technique and the Beckman Oral Motor Method, use tactile cues and assisted movements to stimulate and coordinate the muscles involved in speech production.
Auditory feedback loop training
When we speak, we continuously hear our own voice and use this information to monitor and adjust aspects of our speech such as volume, pitch, articulation, rhythm and timing. This process is known as auditory feedback and plays an important role in speech and communication.
One way of modifying this feedback is through Delayed Auditory Feedback (DAF). DAF introduces a controlled delay between the moment a person speaks and the moment they hear their own voice through a headset. This altered timing creates a different auditory reference and has been used particularly in the context of stuttering and other fluency difficulties.
DAF itself is an auditory feedback mechanism rather than a complete training program. It can, however, be integrated into structured speech practice to work on pacing, rhythm and fluency.
Forbrain DAF was specifically developed to bring this technology into the Forbrain ecosystem. It combines adjustable Delayed Auditory Feedback with rhythmic guidance, bone conduction and Forbrain’s Dynamic Filter, providing different auditory cues within one device to work on speech timing, pace and fluency.
The classic Forbrain works differently. It does not introduce a delay between speaking and hearing your own voice. Instead, it uses bone conduction and a Dynamic Filter to modify the perception of the voice in real time and stimulate the auditory feedback loop during speech, reading and vocal practice.
Forbrain’s approach to auditory training is rooted in principles associated with The Tomatis Method, particularly the use of altered auditory feedback, bone conduction and filtered sound.
Historically, some of the simplest tools used to enhance auditory feedback include the Toobaloo and WhisperPhone. These plastic tube-shaped devices connect the mouth to the ear, naturally amplifying the speaker’s own voice and making auditory feedback easier to perceive.
