On this page we cover:
- Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)
- What is Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) and the 9 Principles?
- Who performs Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)?
Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)
ENT for Children recommends Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) for children who suffer from hearing loss. Children who suffer from hearing loss are at risk for having problems with speech and language development.
What is Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)?
Auditory Verbal Therapy (commonly referred to as AVT) is a type of speech therapy specifically designed for the needs of children with hearing impairment. The auditory-verbal approach is a philosophy where your child is taught spoken language through hearing. The success of the auditory-verbal approach is dependent upon early diagnosis of hearing loss as well as early intervention with hearing aids or cochlear implantation.
There are 9 principles of auditory-verbal practice which are integrated into the lives of auditory-verbal families.
The principles are as follows:
1. Early detection, identification, and management of hearing loss
- Early diagnosis and intervention for hearing loss is crucial because the critical language and speech learning years take place during infancy and the preschool years
2. Appropriate amplification
- The child is fitted with hearing aids or a cochlear implant and is enrolled in individualized auditory-verbal therapy
- The child is stimulated with sound all the time
3. A parent partnership with the auditory-verbal therapist
- Auditory-verbal therapy is a family-centered approach, where the parents are active partners in the teaching process
- Additionally, the auditory-verbal therapist provides guidance to the parents, teaching them how to utilize and integrate the principles of AVT into their lives
4. Total integration of listening into the child’s personality
- Since the goal of auditory-verbal therapy is that the child grows up in a typical listening and learning environments that enables them to become independent, participating, and contributing citizens in mainstream society, the auditory-verbal approach integrates listening into the child’s total personality
5. One-on-one therapy
6. Acoustic or hearing feedback
- In order for the child to focus on the auditory sense, the auditory-verbal therapist and parents often make use of a hand cue
- The parent or therapist will briefly cover his or her mouth while speaking; this signals that the child needs to listen
7. The following of an auditory hierarchy
- In AVT normal patterns of development are followed, the children can develop fluent spoken language skills and have a good grasp of the rules that guide spoken communication and language
- An additional benefit of this focus on hearing is that children who follow the auditory-verbal approach have normal inflection patterns and a pleasing voice in contrast to the ‘deaf’ voice quality usually associated with severe hearing impairments
8. Teaching which is continually diagnostic
- The auditory-verbal approach is diagnostic; that is, each therapy session evaluates the progress of the parents and the child
9. The implementation of mainstreaming as appropriate
- Since the auditory-verbal approach stresses that the child grow up to be a part of mainstream society, the child is typically mainstreamed in his or her local school
The goal of Auditory Verbal Therapy is to give children with hearing loss the skills and abilities to communicate with their peers. This, however, is not the only goal – your child, as an adult, must become a contributing member of society. That is, they must find employment and actively participate in their community. Good spoken language skills are essential to your child’s future success.
Who performs Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)?
Since AVT is a specific form of therapy, specially trained pediatric speech therapists or audiologist are who provide AVT to children and families. Your ENT for Children surgeon will recommend therapists in the DFW area that are able to provide AVT.