Maria has become the latest person to qualify as a Certified Auditory Verbal therapist – and only the second in Italy.

Maria is the lead Speech and Language therapist at the Centro Impianti Cocleari del Policlinico Universitario Umberto I in Rome, Italy. She described her journey:

In 2018, I began my training with Auditory Verbal UK to become a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. As part of the program Advanced Training Course in Auditory Verbal Therapy: Auditory Verbal Principles in Everyday Practice.

Last week I took the AGBell examination, and I finally realised my dream to become a LSLS cert AVT!

Three years have passed together with the AVUK team, that followed me step by step, with attention, patience, dedication, and passion, changing my practice through their effective coaching and supporting me even in most difficult moments. It has been an exciting journey, which has made me a better practitioner. Now I feel I will be able to give much more to all my families and their children. Thank you to Noel, thank you to Louise, thank you to Rachel, and thank you to all the fantastic AVUK staff! You are and will always remain important beacons in my professional life!

Noel Kenely, Senior Auditory Verbal therapist said:

Congratulations to Maria on her recent qualification as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Auditory Verbal Therapist. It was an honour and a pleasure mentoring Maria over the past three years. Maria has a wealth of experience as a Speech and Language therapist working in one of the leading auditory implant programmes in Italy. Becoming the second Certified AVT in all of Italy means that more Italian families of young deaf children will have the opportunity to benefit from a listening and spoken language approach. I encourage more professionals in the UK but also across Europe to take on the opportunity to train so that more families have the opportunity of accessing AVT close to where they live.

More details about our training programme are available here.