Ever wondered what Auditory Verbal (AV) therapy is all about? Whether you're a parent of a deaf child, a professional working with children who have hearing loss or simply curious about how listening and spoken language can be developed, Noel, a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and Auditory Verbal Therapist, is here to answer your questions.

Noel delivers therapy to families of deaf babies and preschool children and also trains other professionals in the AV therapy approach. With over 20 years of experience in the field of deafness — starting out as a Sign Language Interpreter in Malta — Noel certified as an Auditory Verbal Therapist in 2016.

❓ What is Auditory Verbal therapy?

Auditory Verbal therapy is all about supporting deaf children to learn to listen and talk. It is a family-centred, early intervention approach that helps young deaf children develop spoken language through listening. It supports pre-school children from birth to five years old learn to make sense of the sounds they hear through hearing technology—like cochlear implants and hearing aids—and build the listening skills they need so they can learn to understand spoken language and talk, often on par with their hearing peers.

❓ Is an Auditory Verbal therapy programme right for my family?

AV therapy is one approach to developing language and communication. Our family programme at AVUK could be a great fit for you and your family if you’d like your child to learn to communicate through listening and spoken language. It's designed for deaf children from birth to five years old who have mild to profound hearing loss and are using—or will be using—hearing technology like hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids or cochlear implants.

❓ What does a typical AV therapy session look like?

Sessions are fun, interactive, and family-focused. As a clinician, the fact I take a trip to the toy cupboard before every session indicates just how fun AV sessions are! We use everyday routines, like going to the shop, preparing a snack or walking to the park, alongside play and conversation to build listening and language skills. Parents and caregivers are actively involved, as they are coached and supported to learn strategies to support their deaf child’s development at home and between sessions. My favourite sessions are when we don’t even get to use the toys, instead the whole session revolves around something that the child may have found interesting like a toy that is broken. This usually results in a rich discussion around how to fix the toy. Children are often a lot more interested in resolving real-life ‘challenges’.

❓ How long does a child need AV therapy?

Some children may need support for a few years, while others continue until they’re ready to transition into school. The goal is to help children become confident communicators, ready to thrive at school and beyond. Typically, we see families for around two years, but due to the diagnostic way AV therapy works, it is continually tailored to the family based on formal and informal assessments that allow for progress to be monitored and evaluated in a way that is meaningful for the family.

❓ Can AV therapy help children develop spoken language on a par with their hearing peers?

Yes – with early diagnosis, use of hearing technology, and effective support, many children who receive AV therapy develop age-appropriate spoken language. And the research both here in the UK and internationally shows this – around 80% of deaf children who receive AV therapy for two years or more achieve spoken language skills on par with their hearing peers. And this includes children with additional needs.  One boy I worked with started AV therapy at 18 months and by the time he was 4, he had graduated with spoken language of a 6 year old – which was ahead of his hearing peers. His parents told me they never imagined he’d be so confident and expressive. For children with additional and often complex needs, the majority double their rate of language development. Our work is focused on the child and their potential.

❓ How much does Auditory Verbal therapy cost?

AVUK is a not-for-profit organisation, and we do our best to make our services accessible to all families. We ask families to contribute based on their household income, and thanks to generous donations, we’re able to cover the rest. In fact, nearly 80% of families receive financial support through our bursary scheme. There may also be extra funding available through charitable trusts, local authorities, or EHCPs.

Our goal as a charity is to enable all families to be able to access AV therapy via publicly funded services close to where they live – so cost and income are not a barrier to anyone. We are making progress towards this with our Hear Us Now campaign and continue to call on the government to make this happen.

For more information, contact [email protected] or call 01869 325 000.

If you’re considering AV therapy or want to learn more, please complete our enquiry form or call 01869 325 000.