What is Auditory Verbal Therapy ?

A child fitted with a hearing aid or cochlear implant can learn to listen, understand sound and use speech just like a child who isn’t hearing impaired. Auditory-verbal, a relatively new and revolutionary therapy, can help your child with school, making friends, working mainstream jobs and living independently.

Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) — sometimes called auditory-based therapy — is a type of early intervention therapy for young children who are deaf and hard of hearing, or those who use hearing technology such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. Even if your child’s hearing loss is severe to profound, their therapist may be able to teach them how to listen and communicate through spoken language. Parents and other caregivers actively take part in the therapy lessons and continue the activities at home.

The goal of auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is for your child who is deaf or hard of hearing to learn, listen and have the same ability to speak like children who can hear. Children who go through auditory-verbal therapy generally succeed in mainstream education. They excel in math and reading, make friends, gain self-esteem and live with independence.

Who can take part in auditory-verbal therapy?

Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is most successful when children start early — as young as two to three months old. If your young child is deaf or hard of hearing, and they’re using either hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, they may benefit from auditory-verbal therapy. Make sure that your newborn goes through the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS). If needed, babies can be fitted with hearing aids. If hearing aids aren’t sufficient, your child can be evaluated for cochlear implants as early as nine months of age.