Auditory Verbal Therapy

Auditory verbal therapy, or listening and spoken language, is an approach that teaches children with hearing loss to listen and talk with the assistance of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and/or Bahas. This approach relies heavily on family participation; parents and caregivers participate in sessions and the listening and spoken specialist (also known as “auditory verbal therapist”) coaches the family in how to implement techniques and strategies into their child’s daily routines. The goal of listening and spoken language therapy/auditory verbal therapy is to enable a child with hearing loss to develop age appropriate spoken language skills by the time they enter first grade.

Auditory verbal therapy is provided by a certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. The process to become certified in auditory verbal therapy/listening and spoken language therapy is a rigorous one. It is a minimum of 3 years and requires a degree in speech-language pathology, audiology, or deaf education, at least 900 hours of direct service delivery, at least 80 continuing education hours, and 20 hours of observation by a certified listening and spoken language therapist. All candidates must pass a written exam at the completion of their application period in order to obtain certification.