Communication Options

Auditory Verbal Approach

What is the Auditory Verbal Approach?

The Auditory Verbal Approach focuses on a listening and spoken language objective without the visual support provided through lipreading.

The intended outcomes of the Auditory Verbal Approach is for the individual to communicate completely through the use of listening and spoken language (LSL). The Principles of Listening and Spoken Language Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT) are described below.

Principles of LSL and AVT:

1. Promote early diagnosis of hearing loss in newborns, infants, toddlers, and young children, followed by immediate audiologic management and Auditory-Verbal therapy.
2.Recommend immediate assessment and use of appropriate, state-of-the-art hearing technology to obtain maximum benefits of auditory stimulation.

Guide and coach parents to:
3. help their child use hearing to develop listening and spoken language (LSL).
4. become primary facilitators of their child's LSL development by participating in AVT
5. create daily listening activities in environments that support LSL
6. help their child integrate LSL into all aspects of life
7. use natural developmental patterns of audition, speech & language
8. help their child self-monitor language via listening

9. Administer ongoing formal and informal diagnostic assessments to develop individualized Auditory-Verbal treatment plans, to monitor progress and to evaluate the effectiveness of the plans for the child and family.
10.Promote education in regular schools with peers who have typical hearing and with appropriate services from early childhood onwards.

Adapted from the Principles originally developed by Doreen Pollack, 1970
Adopted by the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language®, July 26, 2007.
An Auditory-Verbal Practice requires all 10 principles.
The term "parents" also includes grandparents, relatives, guardians, and any caregivers who interact with the child.