Henry was born in 2012 and came to AVUK for two years, up until August 2016. Henry has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in addition to his hearing loss, and here his father Ryan shares their experience.

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We discovered AVUK after being left disheartened at the degree of support available from our local council. From reading through the masses of positive commentary about the benefits of auditory verbal therapy and AVUK, we didn’t hesitate to make contact. Enrolling in the AVUK programme for two years was one of the best decisions we could have made for Henry. Although it took several sessions for Henry to settle, the structured approach and the wide variety of the exercises in each session has enabled him to develop and progress.

Henry has been able to achieve many successes from the programme that have improved his interaction skill - demonstrated by clear improvements in eye contact, turn taking and listening - and his use of language and clarity of speech. Seeing these improvements has been satisfying and using the take home activities provided after each session to reinforce what we’ve been taught has been incredibly rewarding. Henry has ASD in addition to his hearing impairment and can struggle with concentration and interest. Therefore, even the smallest success can sometimes require a lot of time and reinforcement. The continual patience and perseverance that was shown towards Henry has been fantastic.

Since leaving the programme, Henry has started mainstream school and his interaction and language skills have continued to improve and we have regularly used the tools taught to use by AVUK to aid his development. Henry has struggled within the mainstream environment, so we have taken the opportunity to move Henry into a school with specialist provision. We’re confident that by Henry having access to a more tailored approach and more suitable resources, he will thrive.

We couldn’t fault the enthusiasm and positivity of Susie, Emma, Vicky and everybody else who has supported us - their talents are clear to see. We share the overwhelmingly positive experience of the many families that have received support from AVUK and we will always be grateful for what they have given Henry. We are delighted to be associated with this wonderful charity.

Written by Henry's father, Ryan.