When Rupi made the decision to leave her career as a mainstream secondary English teacher, she knew she wanted to work more closely with children who needed specialist support. That change in direction led her to train as a Teacher of the Deaf, a role she has embraced since September 2016. Based in Jersey, in the Channel Islands, she works with deaf children and their families across the island.

Her journey with Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK) began after she came across the organisation in British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People magazine. At the time, she was looking for ways to strengthen her practice with very young children. She explained: “As a secondary teacher, when I qualified as a Teacher of the Deaf, I felt less confident with early years. Due to an increasing caseload of early years deaf children, I applied to do the [Auditory Verbal therapy] course.”

In January 2025, Rupi began AVUK’s Foundation Course and she describes the experience as being transformative.

AVUK’s training courses are designed for Speech and Language Therapists, Teachers of the Deaf and Audiologists who want to expand their learning in developing listening and spoken language when working with deaf children. 

Rupi says: “The AVUK Foundation course training has strengthened my practice as a Qualified Teacher of the Deaf (QToD) beyond my initial expectations of this course.”

For Rupi, the collaborative nature of the training stood out, offering a space where Teachers of the Deaf and Speech and Language Therapists could learn from one another.

She explained: “The opportunity to share practice and our training videos with other QToDs and Speech and Language Therapists (SALTs) provided me with a very supportive learning and training environment, where we were free to ask questions and discuss issues. The sharing of videos created a positive professional space – meeting other QToDs as well as having direct feedback from the experienced tutor. The practical approach of this course provided tools and strategies that I have used and the course has changed the way I work with parents/ carers.”

For Rupi, the best part of the training has been the sense of connection. “Connecting with other QToDs and SALTs (from around the world) to share our practice and compare notes has been brilliant!” she said, while also highlighting how valuable the developmental milestones work has been in her day-to-day practice.

The course has reshaped her understanding of what’s possible for deaf children and their families. She added: “I have been provided with an evidence-based, child and family-focused, structured framework of tools and strategies for working. I wish I had taken this course following my QToD training as I feel I could have got to this point many years ago.”

Now, with the Foundation Course completed, she continues to embed Auditory Verbal strategies into her work. “On completing the Foundation course I have continued to use the Auditory Verbal strategies and ways of working to support parents and carers and their deaf children with more confidence and greater flexibility.”

Her message to anyone considering Auditory Verbal therapy training is simple and heartfelt: “To sign up as soon as possible. The practical application of this course is immediate and impactful. I am very grateful for the bursary offered (matched by my employer) to allow me to do this course. Thank you!”

Find out more about AVUK’s training course.