Reece was not diagnosed as deaf until he was two years old. Now aged five he has graduated from the Auditory Verbal therapy family programme at Auditory Verbal UK with age-appropriate spoken language, ready and raring to start Year One at school in September 2025.

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“If I had to sum it up Auditory Verbal therapy feel like a big warm hug, it kept us focused on the positive and helped to continually raise our own expectations.” - Mum Helen shares their journey:

“Reece passed his newborn hearing screening but months later we began to have doubts about his hearing and were especially concerned that his speech would be delayed.

“At 18-months old he still hadn’t spoken a word but there was such a backlog from Covid so we took the decision to have a private assessment, and then, aged two, Reece was finally diagnosed with profound hearing loss in both ears.

“The news was devastating as we had no experience of deafness, How did we not realise? What would the future hold? Will he ever speak?

“We were thrown into a new reality which consumed us entirely. Thankfully there were no more delays with care from this point. Keen for him to listen and speak, he was seen quickly for cochlear implant assessment and was implanted just four months later.

“We discovered AVUK when reading the CICS  (Cochlear Implanted Childrens Support group) newsletter and joined a call to meet with an Auditory Verbal therapist. We knew immediately we wanted Reece on the Auditory Verbal therapy programme. From our first session, two months after his implants were activated , we felt we were in safe hands and that feeling remained throughout his time on the family-centred programme.

“It wasn’t long before Reece started to engage with the sessions.  Very early on, when we heard him saying his first clear word of ‘more’, we were delighted, and it proved to us what Auditory Verbal therapy could help us achieve – supporting Reece to learn how to make sense of the sound he receives through their hearing technology and develop spoken language so he can talk.

“The Auditory Verbal therapy approach is very child and family centered, I was always amazed with how adaptable the sessions were and how our therapist intuitively knew how to get the most out of them. Reece loved the feeling of having control and making decisions of what we do in the sessions. 

“It is very hard to put into words how much AVUK has helped our family, I really wouldn’t like to imagine what stage Reece would be at now without their expert support and guidance. Not only has the progress been phenomenal, exceeding our own expectations, but they have guided us through lots of challenges too.

“Life has felt overwhelming at times, but we have effortlessly kept on track with the tools we’ve learnt along the way and the take home messages we received after each session. Simple things like physically moving closer and whispering were powerful in helping Reece hear us better and pick up speech sounds that could  often missed.

“We live in Essex and decided to have a hybrid model of both tele-practice and in-person sessions. This worked well, for sessions at home there was the obvious convenience and the in-person sessions were an exciting day out, Reece loves to go on the train. Seeing the therapist in person helped to build their relationship with Reece really looked forward to his sessions wherever they are based.

“We received a bursary from AVUK which has made the therapy accessible to us, without it we would have needed to raise funds somehow that would have put extra stress and strain on us as a family at a time when we were already extremely stressed. Unfortunately, Auditory Verbal therapy isn’t available through local public services where we live, as there are no professionals trained in the approach, so AVUK was the only way we were able to access this vital support.

“We firmly believe Auditory Verbal therapy has laid the groundwork to enable Reece to flourish. His confidence in speaking and clarity has excelled.

“We had concerns he might struggle to make friends starting school, but he is absolutely thriving. His latest school report has him at the level he should be achieving for his age. His school, Mildmay, has also been a wonderful support for us and Reece. With a deaf resource there are lots of deaf role models to inspire Reece and they also include deaf studies in the curriculum.

“He has grown so much in confidence and has lots of friends. He enjoys swimming lessons and also plays football.

“His relationship with his older brother is also now on a different level. It wasn’t that long ago that his brother would ask when Reece would start speaking and family members struggled to understand him. Now he chats away, is confident and happy.

“I would tell anyone and everyone who has a child who has been diagnosed as deaf to look at the option of Auditory Verbal therapy – it has changed our lives beyond recognition. We can’t thank them enough and are excited for what the future holds for Reece.”

Helen – Reece’s Mum