What is the F.I.A.P.E?

The FIAPE is an international group of associations created in 2013 in order to bring together the various international groups of professionals who uphold the teachings of Dr Alfred Tomatis (French specialist in otolaryngology; 1921-2001), a pioneer of auditory stimulation and of the theory of auditory processing, using specialised analogue electronic equipment in keeping with A. Tomatis's original precept, to help treat auditory processing deficits and problems related to listening.

Dr Tomatis coined the term Audio-Psycho-Phonology, which can be regarded as a form of specialised auditory training, to describe his philosophy and his treatment protocol, which encompasses auditory stimulation by means of electronic equipment that modifies sound (music and voice) in real time, altering the frequency, the timing and the volume that are the elements of sound.

Dr Tomatis's pioneering work focused on the ability to stimulate, modify and enhance the auditory network and the neural pathways at the level of the brain, through specific auditory exercises, and consequently to challenge the auditory system, supporting "active listening".

Audio-psycho-phonology describes the action of improving auditory processing abilities, the voice, as well as the psychological capacities that are affected by these processes. The scientific foundation of Audio-Psycho-Phonology/Auditory Training is based on neuromodulation techniques and neuroplastic principles (brain plasticity), that is, the capacity of the auditory system and of the brain-related auditory networks to be modified through specific and targeted auditory stimulation, drawing on the brain's ability to reorganise itself, which is the cornerstone of auditory stimulation (or training) and of neuroplasticity.

This technique helps to reduce the listening deficits and auditory processing difficulties found in developmental disorders such as the autistic spectrum, speech and language delay, specific learning disorders (dyslexia), attention deficit and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental delay and other disorders and difficulties whose symptoms are linked to the auditory system, to listening and to the development of speech and language.

This technique has also been used with people suffering from poor listening, poor auditory attention, delay in speech processing, auditory memory difficulties, poor listening in the presence of competing background noise and related problems that can impact language assimilation abilities in quiet and noisy environments, the ability to attend to and sustain auditory attention over time influencing learning potential, and to help people who may have auditory sensitivities such as those seen in certain developmental disorders (for example the autistic spectrum), as well as to help people learn a second language, and singers to improve their vocal production.

This intervention is used with children, adolescents and adults.

Aims of the F.I.A.P.E

1. The members of the F.I.A.P.E aim to share information through continuing education via international conferences, workshops and webinars, because each association has unique experiences based on the professional members it counts among its ranks, including the scientific experiences and the unique professional awareness of each country.
2. The F.I.A.P.E also aims to raise consumer awareness of auditory processing difficulties and weak listening abilities, and of the way in which these difficulties can impact receptive and expressive language skills, auditory attention and auditory memory abilities, which has a further impact on learning skills; as well as to educate about the coexistence of auditory processing deficits and weak listening abilities in developmental disorders such as the autistic spectrum, attention deficit, speech and language delay, learning disorders (dyslexia), according to research carried out through peer review.
3. Finally, the members of the F.I.A.P.E aim to establish a presence in the neuroscientific field, through data collection and research both at the level of individual clinics and at the international level, by means of multi-clinic studies investigating the effectiveness of audio-psycho-phonology/auditory training.

Who is Christophe Besson?

Christophe Besson developed, in collaboration with Dr Tomatis, the earlier versions of the current equipment called "the electronic ear (EE)" in the 1990s. Today, the equipment, the "Besson Auditory Trainer (BAT)" used by the members of the F.I.A.P.E, is a refinement of the first equipment based on the latest technologies and the most recent circuit components currently available.

The technical design of the equipment includes the use of amplifiers, electronic sound filters, attenuators, etc. with no compromise on sound and voice, in order to achieve minimal degradation and distortion of the sound with real-time modifications, with the aim of minimising auditory habituation (reducing the familiarisation that can lead to reduced auditory attention). This dynamic stimulation via the equipment aims to modify the sound by amplifying selected frequencies and attenuating or cutting unnecessary frequencies independently for bone and air conduction (two pathways involved in hearing and listening).

The circuits enabling this function to be carried out in a dynamic environment are complex, and the technical capacity to accomplish this function dynamically is not found in other equipment or programmes on the current market, which makes the Besson® auditory training system the most advanced and most sophisticated analogue technology currently available; whereas most competing products use digital computer-microprocessor solutions, they do not reproduce the fidelity of the pure analogue sound as delivered by the Besson® system. The circuits enabling this dynamic function to be achieved are complex, and other commercial auditory training devices or programmes do not have the technical capacity to achieve it.