Principles of Auditory-Verbal Practice

Adapted from Pollack, 1985

Principle 1

• EARLY detection and identification of infants, toddlers and children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In an A-V approach

– Children may begin therapy as infants

Principle 2• Aggressive

audiological management

In an A-V approach:

– Pursuit of best amplification

– Parents must be willing to make more trips to the audiologist

– AVI Protocol for Audiological and Hearing Aid Evaluation

Principle 3• Appropriate

amplification technology to achieve maximum benefits of learning through listening– Hearing Aids

– Cochlear Implants

– FM Systems

In an A-V approach– Therapist must possess

and apply in-depth knowledge of speech acoustics

Principle 4• Favorable auditory

learning environments for the acquisition of spoken language including individualized therapy

In an A-V approach– All therapy is one-to-

one

– Sessions are usually one time weekly for 1 hr. to 1 hr. 30 minutes.

– Best conditions for verbal learning are provided

Principle 5• Integrating listening

into the child’s entire being so listening becomes a way of life

In an A-V approach– Residual hearing is

emphasized rather than visual cues

– Emphasis on auditory learning vs. auditory training

– Use of hearing for language acquisition is unique to AVT

Principle 6• Ongoing assessment,

evaluation and prognosis of the development of audition, speech, language and cognition which are integral to the Auditory-Verbal experience

In an A-V approach– All therapy is

DIAGNOSTIC

– An average or better than average rate of progress is expected

Principle 7• Integration and

mainstreaming of the children who are deaf or hard of hearing into regular education classes to the fullest extent possible with appropriate support services

In an A-V approach– Mainstream education is a

critical component

– Parents and AVT work in partnership to secure appropriate services and placement

– Similar expectations are established for children who are deaf/hh and those with normal hearing

Principles 8 & 9• Active participation of

parents in order to improve spoken communication between the child and family members

• Affirmation of parents as primary models in helping the child learn to listen to his or her own voice, the voice of others, and the sounds of the environment

In an A-V approach– Parents actively

participate in ALL sessions

– The parent is the primary student during tx sessions

– The parent is the primary teacher in day-to-day life

Principle 10• Integration of speech,

language, audition and cognition in response to the psychological, social and educational needs of the child and family

In an A-V approach– The normal

developmental sequence is followed

– Child’s hearing age serves as the baseline vs. chronological age