Auditory Verbal Therapy department
Auditory Verbal therapy is an early intervention program for children using cochlear implants or hearing aids who are less than 3 years of age. The Auditory Verbal approach stimulates auditory brain development and enables children with hearing aids and cochlear implants to make sense of the spoken language around them in a natural manner.
FAQs about AVT
What is the ideal age to start AVT?
AVT should start immediately after the diagnosis of hearing loss. Cochlear implant should ideally be done before the age of 2 years but is done for as young as 6 months year old babies.
What is the objective of AVT?
AVT uses listening as the primary modality for learning spoken language. The child is trained to listen first and only then focus shifts to speaking. Therapist sits next to the child and hence , no chance is given for lip reading. Once listening improves child begins to speak naturally.
Do parents have a role in AVT?
Parents play a major role as facilitators during the therapy sessions and have to work on generalizing the listening to different sounds and people’s voices. The therapist only gives weekly sessions and parents have to continue the program in the home environment
Can AVT begin before amplification?
No, AVT starts with at least putting on a hearing aid but is most effective after the cochlear implant switch on.
FACULTY –
SRIVIDHYA , MASLP, is the head of the department . She has done her master’s in audiology and speech language pathology. She has also completed the fellowship in auditory verbal therapy.
FLORENCE, MASLP, she is the assistant AVT therapist. She has completed her masters in audiology and speech language pathology and has attended several short term training programs on AVT.
Samvaad has specialized in working with children with cochlear implants accompanied with associated problems like attention deficit, autism and learning disabilities and phonological disorders.