Auditory Verbal UK’s Hear Us Now campaign is calling for support and investment in early and effective support for deaf children across the UK, so that every family who wants  their deaf child to learn to listen and talk is  able to access Auditory Verbal therapy through publicly funded services.

Local Authorities have a vital role to play in ensuring this is possible.

Sign the charter today to help create a sound future for deaf children:

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We, the undersigned;   

  

Believe that all children have the right to develop language and communication skills so that they can achieve their potential in life;  

  

Recognise the value and benefits of specialist early interventions in improving outcomes for deaf children and supporting them to be ready to start school alongside their hearing peers, whether their parents want them to use spoken language, sign language or both.   

  

Affirm our belief that Auditory Verbal therapy is one of the options that deaf children and their families should have access to, and note that 80% of children who attend an Auditory Verbal programme for at least two years achieve the same level of spoken language as their hearing peers, rising to 97% of children without additional needs.  

  

Highlight that at present there is a lack of parity of access to Auditory Verbal therapy, meaning that 92% of deaf children across the UK who could benefit are currently unable to access to this specialist early intervention programme.  

 

Commit to ensuring adequate numbers of certified Auditory Verbal Therapists to provide this highly specialist support to deaf children whose families want them to learn to listen and talk, maximising the investment already being made in hearing technology (such as hearing aids and cochlear implants) and the newborn hearing screening programme, to deliver improved outcomes.  

  

Resolve to address local inequalities of access to Auditory Verbal therapy for deaf children, so that every family who wants their child to learn to listen and talk is able to access an Auditory Verbal programme through publicly funded services in their local area. 

  

Pledge to work closely with local partners and services to address these inequalities where they are present in our local authority area and deliver a sound future for deaf children.   

 SIGN THE CHARTER HERE