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Auditory Verbal UK supports deaf babies and children to learn to listen and speak through Auditory Verbal therapy. It is the only UK charity offering a specialist family centred Auditory Verbal programme which equips parents with all the tools they need to help their deaf child to process the sound they get from hearing technology, like cochlear implants, and develop their language in the first few years of their lives.

How an Auditory Verbal therapy programme works:

• It is a parent-coaching programme. Typically, during fortnightly sessions, for an average of 2 and a half years, your family is supported to develop your child’s language skills so that you can use the techniques at home.
• The best outcomes are achieved when your child’s hearing technology (hearing aids or cochlear implants) are working optimally through liaison and working closely with your audiology team.
• It is a play-based approach. Through play, we work to enable your child to listen and talk, and to improve your child’s confidence and their peer interaction. A strong basis in listening provides a solid foundation for the skills needed for learning to read and write. These are all important for time spent in the playground, the classroom and throughout their lives.
• It is individualised. The programme is designed for your child and their needs. Children are seen individually with family members. Goals are set within a developmental framework and progress is closely monitored in partnership with your family and other professionals who work with you.
• Families are encouraged to share your learnings with other professionals supporting your child, such as your child’s teacher of the deaf, their audiologist and their speech and language therapist. This enables a collaborative approach to supporting your child.

Through the Auditory Verbal approach, your child develops a listening attitude so that paying attention to the sound around them becomes automatic. Hearing and listening become an integral part of communication, play, education and eventually work. The approach is distinctive in the way it makes the most of your child’s use of hearing as the main sense for developing spoken language.

“Discovering Auditory Verbal UK was like finding a huge inflatable balloon full of hope, help and real progress. Every time we went to AVUK, we were inspired and had complete confidence that we were in the safest, expert pair of hands.”

Avy, father of Kurran

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If you'd like to find out more about our programme, sign up to one of our free online webinars, where you can meet one of our Auditory Verbal therapists, complete our enquiry form or call 01869 325000. 

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What are the results?

Our research has found that 97% of deaf children without additional needs reach at least age-appropriate and over 80 percent of children, including those with additional needs who have been on the programme at AVUK for more than two years leave with age-appropriate language. They can play, plan and negotiate with their friends and many children enjoy music just like their hearing friends. For some children, additional difficulties may mean that age appropriate spoken language is not a realistic goal. In these cases, we can still equip you with the skills you need to enable your child to have the best possible listening and talking skills.

Please click here to find out more about the evidence base of Auditory Verbal therapy. You can also read case studies from parents who talk about their experience on the programme here.

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Locations

AVUK welcomes families from all over the UK. Our sessions are available in person, online via telepractice or a mix of the two. Our centres are situated in Bermondsey, London and near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

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How much does the programme cost?

AVUK is a charity and through the support of generous individuals and organisations we are able to offer subsidised access to our regular programme with the subsidy based on household income. Our latest fees and bursary support can be found here.

Thanks to generous donations made in memory of Claire Campbell, former Chair of Trustees and passionate advocate of Auditory Verbal UK, we are able to provide two initial appointments at no cost, each month, for those families who need it most.  

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Additional support

We also offer additional support throughout the programme in a variety of forms. For more information head to our Parent Support page. 

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Meet an Auditory Verbal Therapist events

Want to find out more? Join out next free online ‘Meet an Auditory Verbal therapist’ event for parents of deaf children under the age of 5 years who wish to find out more about how you can develop listening and spoken language through Auditory Verbal Therapy.

You will have a chance to meet one of our senior Auditory Verbal Therapists who can answer your questions about AVT and find out more about our family-centred early intervention programme at Auditory Verbal UK.

Book your place

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FAQs

Have a question about our programme? Head to our FAQs page for more information.