Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)

Auditory Verbal Therapy is the practice many professionals use to instruct families

how to boost listening skills in a deaf or hard of hearing person in addition to speech therapy once the patient has been properly amplified. With technology improving, offering high tech digital hearing aids and cochlear implants which enable many deaf and hard of hearing people to hear sounds they never knew existed, many are opting to try AVT first, to see if they have a chance at functioning in a world full of sound without the use of a manual mode of communication or speech reading. AVT is particularly popular with hearing parents who have deaf or hearing impaired children since most babies born with hearing loss have hearing parents.

Principles of AVTAG Bell is one of the leaders promoting Listening and Spoken Language offering certifications for educators and therapists who complete their programs designed to teach these professionals the skills needed to achieve the best Listening and Spoken Language their patients can acquire. There are ten basic principles used as a guide when explaining the ideas behind AVT which were developed originally by Doreen Pollack in 1970 and adapted and updated by AG Bell for current times. These ten principles include the following.

"Recommend immediate assessment and use of appropriate, state-of-the-art hearing technology to obtain maximum benefits of auditory stimulation.Guide and coach parents to become the primary facilitators of their child's listening and spoken language development through active consistent participation in individualized Auditory-Verbal therapy. (parents include grandparents, caregivers, anyone who interacts with the child)Promote education in regular schools with peers who have typical hearing and with appropriate services from early childhood onwards."How Does it WorkOnce a patient begins Auditory Verbal Therapy, he is expected to also keep audiology on the forefront and closely monitor those needs assuring he has the best possible hearing to optimize their results in Listening and Spoken Language. Hearing will also be monitored by the therapists by doing a series of verbal listening checks. One such check is called The Ling Six Sound Check. A series of six sounds, all on various but common speech frequencies are given aloud where the patient can't visibly see the mouth of the speaker, assuring he is listening only and not speech reading. In the beginning the patient will note if he heard the sounds and eventually work his way up to repeating these sounds at varying distances.

Another goal, particularly in children and infants, is to begin instilling as much language as possible at an early age. This can be done through song, play and everyday common activities. Parents and caregivers are instructed to narrate all activities and include the children as much as possible so they are exposed to new sounds and participate in common routines in a language rich environment.

Speech babble is another way to enrich a child's experience in learning to hear and speak. Speech babble is common for infants without hearing loss and this is certainly introduced as a game with children in AVT. The speaker makes a sound and encourages the child to imitate while also imitating the child when he or she makes a sound, this becomes a sound game. As hearing matures the instructor, at various distances, will say many nonsense sounds blocking the view of her mouth with toys, her hand or simple distractions to see if the child can repeat these sounds. This game will increase in difficulty as the child masters the skill. There are many ways to increase difficulty from increasing distance between speaker and patient to adding background noise. Here are examples of babble sounds.

Rewards for mastery can be stickers, a smile, cheers and claps, any positive reinforcement to encourage the child to repeat this behavior. Many of today's deaf or hard of hearing children are sitting in public schools with minimal services due to early detection of hearing loss, proper amplification and the practice of AVT. Many families feel this is not suited for their child or family and learn a manual mode or explore other options. Each family should research options and pick what is best for their family since any mode of communication will require commitment and family participation.

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)

By: Center for Hearing Aids

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