Alphabet Soup

I often get cracks from my friends on all the letters behind my name in my email signature.  Most times I don't even explain - just respond with some comment about how important and smart I am and how lucky they are to know me!

M.A., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert AVT (alphabet soup, right?)

When I tell people that I work with children and adults who are deaf/hard of hearing most of the time the next question is "oh so you know sign language?". I do, but I have lots of kids who listen and speak. When I say that most people seem baffled.  Some people I meet don't know what a speech-language pathologist is, much less a specialty certification one can hold such as a Certified Auditory Verbal Therapist.  So here's a post about what AV Therapy is. 

(If I have learned anything in my years of working with children with hearing loss it is that I must preface this post with this....I do not believe that one communication mode or educational methodology works for every child with hearing loss.  I think that communication mode should be greatly researched by a family by gaining information from multiple sources before a choice is made.  I believe in the families' right to be given unbiased information and the right to choose the mode of communication they will pursue.  If you take a look at my caseload you will see children who are speaking and listening, children using total communication, children using PECS, and children who use American Sign Language.) 

The Principles of Auditory Verbal Practice are:

-To detect hearing impairment as early as possible though screening programs, ideally in the newborn nursery and throughout childhood
-To pursue prompt and vigorous medical and audiological management including selection, modification, and maintenance of appropriate hearing aids, cochlear implants, and/or other sensory aids
-To guide, counsel, and support parents and caregivers as the primary models for spoken language through listening and to help them understand the impact of deafness and impaired hearing on the whole family
-To help children integrate listening into their development of communication and social skills
-To support children's auditory-verbal development through one-to-one teaching
-To help children to monitor their own voices and the voices of others in order to enhance the intelligibility of their spoken language
-To use developmental patterns of listening, language, speech, and cognition to stimulate natural communication
-To continually address and evaluate children's development in the above areas and, through diagnostic intervention, modify the program when needed. 
-To provide support services to facilitate children's educational and social inclusion in regular education classrooms

To find out more or locate a Cert AVT in your area visit http://www.agbell.org/