Auditory Verbal Therapy (AVT)
Auditory verbal therapy is an early intervention approach for children with hearing loss that focuses on developing listening and spoken language skills through hearing technology (hearing aids or cochlear implants). The approach teaches the child to use the auditory information provided by their device as the primary channel for language learning, rather than relying on visual cues such as lip reading or sign language.
Sessions involve both the child and a caregiver. The therapist coaches the parent or caregiver to incorporate listening and language learning into everyday activities at home, placing the adult as the primary facilitator of the child's development between sessions. Practitioners who deliver this approach hold specialized credentials: the Listening and Spoken Language Specialist certification with an auditory verbal therapy designation (LSLS Cert. AVT), awarded through AG Bell Academy.
In Canada, AVT is available through some hospital-based cochlear implant programs, pediatric audiology centres, and private practice. Provincial funding for AVT varies. In Ontario, families of children with hearing loss identified through the Infant and Toddler Hearing Program (ITHP) may be referred to publicly funded or subsidized early intervention programs that incorporate AVT principles.
