Auditory Verbal

Auditory-Verbal is a philosophy for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. The primary goal of Auditory-Verbal Therapy is for children who are deaf or hard of hearing to learn to listen and talk, attend their regular school and to become active, contributing, independent members of society. Auditory-Verbal Therapy is supported by these guiding principles:

1. The early detection and diagnosis of hearing impairment, ideally in the newborn nursery.
2. Consistent use of two hearing aids or a cochlear implant for the maximum detection of all sounds and the understanding of speech.
3. Guiding, counseling and supporting parents as the primary models for spoken language through listening and to help them understanding the impact of deafness on the entire family.
4. Helping children integrate listening into their development of communication and social skills.
5. Supporting children's auditory-verbal development through one-to-one teaching.
6. Helping children monitor their own voices and voices of others in order to enhance the intelligibility of their spoken language.
7. Using developmental patterns of listening, language, speech, and cognition to stimulate natural communication.
8. Continuously assessing and evaluating children's development in the above areas and through diagnostic intervention, modifying the program when needed.
9. Providing support services to facilitate children's educational and social inclusion in regular education classes.

The Auditory-Verbal philosophy advocates for the right of all children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop the ability to listen and to communicate using spoken language ( Estabrooks, 1996).