Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT)

Safia Nazeer Khan

 Speech & Language Pathologist                  
Clinical Psychologist
RBT/ABA Certified 

Auditory-Verbal Therapy  (AVT) is a specialized type of speech and language therapy that helps children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and speak using their residual hearing. The therapy is based on the principle that with the right support and guidance, children who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn to develop spoken language skills that are on par with their typically-hearing peers.

AVT is a method of teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and speak. The approach is based on the idea that a child can learn to listen and speak through the use of hearing technology, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, and consistent, structured teaching.

AVT is supported by a growing body of research that has demonstrated its effectiveness to develop listening, language, and speech skills, and success in mainstream education settings.

It's worth noting that AVT is not the only approach for deaf children, and many deaf children have different needs and preferences. Alternative approaches include Sign language-based approaches such as American Sign Language (ASL) and other Signing Exact English (SEE) and Cued speech.

It's important to note that AVT is not appropriate for all children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and it may not be the best option for every child. However, for children who are good candidates for AVT, it can provide a lifetime of benefits by providing them with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others.

 

Historical Overview Of 

Auditory -Verbal Therapy And Its Development.

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is a relatively recent development in the field of speech and language therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The origins of AVT can be traced back to the work of Dr. Andrew Foster, an American audiologist who began working with deaf children in the 1960s.

Dr. Foster, who was himself deaf, developed a method of teaching deaf children to speak by focusing on their residual hearing. His work was based on the principles of oralism, which emphasizes the use of speech and lip reading over sign language.

Dr. Foster noticed that many deaf children were not developing spoken language skills despite having access to hearing aids and other assistive devices, and he began to develop a new approach to therapy that focused on teaching children to use their residual hearing to the fullest extent possible.

In the 1970s, Dr. Foster established the Auditory-Verbal International (AVI) program in Alabama, which became a model for the development of AVT. The AVI program provided therapy to children who were deaf or hard of hearing and focused on teaching them to use their residual hearing to develop listening, language, and speech skills. The program also provided training and support to parents and caregivers, who were encouraged to play a key role in the child's therapy.

During the 1980s and 1990s, AVT began to gain wider acceptance as a viable approach to therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Several other organizations were established to promote and support AVT, including the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), which provided training and resources for parents, educators, and therapists.

 Over the years, AVT has evolved and expanded to include a variety of techniques and strategies for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss.

Today, AVT is recognized as a specialized form of therapy that is provided by certified auditory-verbal therapists and an effective method for helping children from birth to 5 years old with hearing loss to develop spoken language skills. It requires active participation from parents or primary caregivers in the child's therapy sessions and at home.

 

Applications of AVT

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is based on certain principles that guide the therapy process and help to ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing are able to develop the listening, language, and speech skills that are necessary for successful communication. These principles include:

1.            Residual Hearing

 The principle of residual hearing is the foundation of AVT. It states that even children with severe hearing loss can still benefit from the sounds that reach their ear and their brain and that by using their residual hearing, children can learn to listen, understand and speak.

2.            Early Intervention

 AVT emphasizes the importance of early intervention. The earlier a child begins therapy, the more likely they are to develop spoken language skills that are on par with their typically-hearing peers.

3.            Active Listening 

AVT teaches children to actively listen and pay attention to speech sounds using their residual hearing. This involves teaching children to focus their attention on speech sounds, to discriminate between different sounds, and to attend to speaking in different environments.

4.            Parental Involvement 

AVT places a strong emphasis on the involvement of parents or caregivers in the therapy process. Parents or caregivers are taught how to support their child's listening and language development at home, which helps to ensure that the child receives consistent support and guidance.

5.            Auditory-Verbal Guidance

 AVT uses auditory-verbal guidance to guide the child through the process of developing spoken language skills. This involves providing verbal cues, prompts, and instructions on how to listen and respond.

6.            Naturalistic Approach

AVT takes a naturalistic approach to therapy, which means that therapy is provided in real-life situations and contexts. This helps children to learn to use their listening and language skills in everyday situations.

7.            Continuous Assessment

AVT involves continuous assessment of the child's progress, which allows the therapist to adjust the therapy plan as needed to meet the child's changing needs.

8.            Holistic Approach

AVT takes a holistic approach to therapy, which means that therapy is tailored to the child's individual needs and abilities, and addresses all aspects of the child's development, including listening, language, speech, social interaction, and academic performance.

By following these principles, AVT provides children who are deaf or hard of hearing with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others.

 

 Goals, Stages And Benefits 

Of Auditory-Verbal Therapy

The specific therapy goals for AVT may vary depending on the child's individual needs and abilities.

The goal of Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is to teach children to use their residual hearing to the fullest extent possible, and to develop the listening, language, and speech skills that are necessary for successful communication. AVT is typically provided by a certified auditory-verbal therapist, who will work closely with the child, their family, and other professionals to create a customized therapy plan that meets the child's unique needs.

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)  provides specific benefits to children who are deaf or hard of hearing typically involves several stages of therapy, each with its own set of goals and objectives, These stages may include:

1.           Evaluation

AVT typically begins with an evaluation of the child's hearing and language skills, which is used to determine the best course of therapy. The therapist will then work with the child to teach them how to listen and understand speech and to develop the language skills that are necessary for successful communication. 

 The evaluation stage is important because it provides a thorough assessment of the child's hearing and language skills. This may involve activities such as a hearing test, a language assessment, and an evaluation of the child's speech and articulation, Listening to recordings of speech, practicing listening and speaking skills in different environments, and learning to use hearing aids and other assistive devices.The information gathered during the evaluation is used to determine the best course of therapy for the child.

2.            Listening And Speech Development

 The focus of this stage is to teach the child to pay attention to and understand speech sounds using their residual hearing. This may involve activities such as listening to recordings of speech, practicing listening and speaking skills in different environments, and learning to use hearing aids and other assistive devices.

This helps the child to develop the ability to listen and understand speech, which is crucial for successful communication.

3.           Language Development

 The focus of this stage is to teach the child the building blocks of language, such as vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. This may involve activities such as reading books, singing songs, and engaging in conversation with the child.

This helps the child to develop the ability to understand and use language, which is essential for successful communication.

4.           Speech And Articulation 

The focus of this stage is to teach the child how to produce speech sounds correctly and effectively. This may involve activities such as practicing speech sounds and words and learning to use appropriate prosody (rhythm, stress, and intonation) in speech.

 This helps the child to develop the ability to speak and communicate effectively, which is crucial for successful communication.

 

5.            Parent-Child Interaction 

One of the key aspects of AVT is the emphasis on parent-child interaction. The therapist will work closely with the child's parents or caregivers to teach them how to support the child's listening and language development at home. This may involve activities such as reading books, singing songs, and engaging in conversation with the child.

This helps to ensure that the child receives consistent support and guidance, which is essential for their development.

6.           Auditory-Verbal Guidance 

The focus of this stage is to guide the child through the process of developing spoken language skills by providing verbal cues, prompts, and instructions on how to listen and respond.

This helps the child to develop the ability to understand and use spoken language, which is crucial for successful communication

7.           Speech Therapy 

The focus of this stage is to teach the child how to produce speech sounds correctly and effectively. This may involve activities such as practicing speech sounds and words and learning to use appropriate prosody in speech.

This helps the child to develop the ability to speak and communicate effectively, which is crucial for successful communication.

 

8.           Auditory Memory

The focus of this stage is to teach the child how to remember what they hear. This may involve activities such as repeating back what they hear and playing memory games.

This helps the child to develop the ability to remember spoken language, which is essential for successful communication.

9.           Auditory Discrimination 

The focus of this stage is to teach the child how to distinguish between different speech sounds and words. This may involve activities such as listening to recordings of speech and identifying specific sounds or words. This helps the child to develop the ability to understand spoken language, which is essential for successful communication.

It's important to note that not all children will go through all stages, and the duration of each stage may vary depending on the child's individual needs and abilities. Additionally, the therapy goals are tailored to the child's individual needs and abilities and may change as the child progresses through the stages.

Overall, AVT is a comprehensive approach to therapy that helps children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop the listening, language, and speech skills that are necessary for successful communication. Each stage of AVT provides specific benefits that help to ensure that the child develops the necessary skills to communicate effectively.

AVT is typically provided by a certified auditory-verbal therapist, who will work closely with the child, their family, and other professionals to create a customized therapy plan that meets the child's unique needs

Auditory Verbal Therapy Results

Auditory verbal therapy (AVT) is a treatment for people with hearing loss that uses auditory stimuli to help people learn and remember new information. People who receive AVT typically listen to information through headphones or speakers while someone reads the information to them. AVT has been shown to be effective in helping people learn new information and retain it better.

 

One study found that people who received AVT learned more information and retained it better than those who did not receive AVT. Another study found that people who received AVT were more likely to remember information than those who did not receive AVT. AVT is also effective in helping people with other types of disabilities,.

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) has been shown to be a highly effective form of therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Studies have shown that children who receive AVT are able to develop spoken language skills that are on par with their typically-hearing peers, and are able to succeed in mainstream education settings. Some specific results that have been observed from AVT include:

1. Improved Listening And

 Speech Development 

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to attend to, understand and respond to speech sounds using their residual hearing. This may include improved use of hearing aids and other assistive devices, as well as better discrimination of different speech sounds.

2.          Improved Language Development 

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to understand and use vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure.

3.         Improved Speech And Articulation 

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to produce speech sounds correctly and effectively.

4.         Improved Parent-Child Interaction 

Parents or caregivers who receive training and guidance on how to support their child's listening and language development at home, show improvements in the quality of interactions with their child.

5.            Improved Auditory Memory 

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to remember what they hear.

6.           Improved Auditory Discrimination

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to distinguish between different speech sounds and words.

7.            Improved Social Communication 

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to use listening and speaking skills to communicate effectively in social settings.

8.            Improved Educational And Academic Development

Children who receive AVT show improvements in their ability to use listening and speaking skills to succeed in educational and academic settings.

It's important to note that the results of AVT may vary depending on the child's individual needs and abilities. However, with the right support and guidance, AVT can provide a lifetime of benefits by providing children who are deaf or hard of hearing with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others.

Additionally, AVT has been shown to improve the quality of life for children who are deaf or hard of hearing, and their families.

           Summary 

Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is a specialized form of speech and language therapy that helps children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and speak using their residual hearing. The therapy is based on the principle that with the right support and guidance, children who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn to develop spoken language skills that are on par with their typically-hearing peers. AVT typically involves several stages of therapy, each with its own set of goals and objectives that are tailored to the child's individual needs and abilities. The therapy is guided by certain principles, such as residual hearing, early intervention, active listening, parental involvement, auditory-verbal guidance, naturalistic approach, continuous assessment, and holistic approach. AVT can be applied in a variety of settings, such as home, clinic, preschool or school, community, and remotely via tele practice. AVT has been shown to be a highly effective form of therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and provides them with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) is a specialized type of speech and language therapy that helps children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and speak using their residual hearing. The therapy is based on the principle that with the right support and guidance, children who are deaf or hard of hearing can learn to develop spoken language skills that are on par with their typically-hearing peers. AVT typically involves several stages of therapy, each with its own set of goals and objectives that are tailored to the child's individual needs and abilities. AVT has been shown to be a highly effective form of therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and provides them with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others. AVT is supported by a growing body of research that has demonstrated its effectiveness in helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop listening, language, and speech skills, and succeed in mainstream education settings. AVT is a valuable approach for children with hearing loss, it's important for parents, caregivers, and professionals to consider it as an option for those who are candidates for it.

AVT can be applied in a variety of settings to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing develop the listening, language, and speech skills that are necessary for successful communication. It's important that the therapy is tailored to the child's individual needs and abilities, and addresses all aspects of the child's development, including listening, language, speech, social interaction, and academic performance.

AVT is a highly effective form of therapy for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and provides them with the ability to listen, speak, and communicate effectively with others.

 CLICK HERE  to download HD Video