3: Auditory-Verbal Beginnings
Update: 2025-11-01
Description
Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, exploring fluent spoken language development, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development, in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, through the transformative power of listening and parent-centred Auditory-Verbal Therapy, one sound step at a time
In this third episode, Shefali Shah is joined by a resilient couple of a child with hearing loss in a live, in-person conversation at her London practice, at Sound Steps.
Listen to their quiet, honest admissions.
Rejoice in their transformation, learning to enjoy Auditory-Verbal Therapy, applying techniques in Auditory-Verbal Therapy and parenting to stay in the moment, physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and verbally, as they support their daughter, a bilateral cochlear implant recipient.
An eye-opening experience indeed.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎧 Top Tips from Episode 3
In this third episode, Shefali Shah is joined by a resilient couple of a child with hearing loss in a live, in-person conversation at her London practice, at Sound Steps.
Listen to their quiet, honest admissions.
Rejoice in their transformation, learning to enjoy Auditory-Verbal Therapy, applying techniques in Auditory-Verbal Therapy and parenting to stay in the moment, physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and verbally, as they support their daughter, a bilateral cochlear implant recipient.
An eye-opening experience indeed.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎧 Top Tips from Episode 3
Plan with purpose. Clear planning helps track and follow up on weekly AVT targets with focus and intent.
Use language meaningfully. Embed targets into every day to support comprehension.
Let your child show you. Let’s not pre-judge ability; observe how your child responds to know what’s too hard or just right.
Context matters. What seems difficult is easily understood when used meaningfully in familiar, relatable situations.
Use Sabotage strategically. This AV technique creates a genuine need to talk and quickly engages your child.
Refresh vocabulary. Once a word or concept is understood, replace them with synonyms and new contexts to deepen comprehension.
Change fosters growth. Variation keeps your child’s brain alert and learning.
Communication is a need. The desire to share fuels listening and attention, propelling your child to talk.
Make learning joyful. Listening and learning is fun!
Stay in the moment. AVT reminds you to stay spontaneous: physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and verbally engaging with your child.
AVT becomes a way of life. With time, this intentional way of engaging becomes a habit, fuelling development beyond expectation.
Time Stamps:
00:00:01 Introduction
00:01:09 Ninety percent of children who are deaf or hard of hearing are born to parents with normal hearing.
00:02:03 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development.
00:02:23 Abundant choices.
00:02:49 Sophisticated hearing technology, early identification and commencement of effective services shape excellent outcomes.
00:03:03 Show notes, Top Tips, Time Stamps, Links with contact details and Resources.
00:03:27 Auditory-Verbal Technique: Sabotage.
00:04:07 A bumpy start for some children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
00:04:30 Introducing our guests for this episode.
00:04:49 Changing the ways you engage your child.
00:05:15 Clearer speech.
00:05:59 Immediate and abundant praise.
00:06:25 Strengthening neural connections and auditory memory for future recall.
00:07:18 Planning is key.
00:07:13 Planning ways to make language demonstrable to the child.
00:07:45 Making spoken language meaningful to the child’s situation by using it in a natural contexts.
00:10:00 Letting go of pre-conceived notions that some targets are too hard for your child to understand.
00:10:22 Allow your child to decide whether something is too hard.
00:10:49 Context conveys meaning.
00:11:23 The AV Technique of Sabotage
00:12:31 Change ensures growth.
00:13:04 The lack of predictability keeps your child wanting to listen.
00:13:42 Creating the need to communicate.
00:14:20 Accelerating the pace of learning.
00:14:32 The child sets the pace of learning.
00:15:23 Incorporating therapy targets through the day.
00:15:46 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is about staying in the moment, physically, mentally, emotionally cognitively and verbally.
00:16:08 Energising, not tiring.
00:16:58 Capitalising on every opportunity to listen and learn.
00:17:29 Learning language in real-life terms.
00:17:42 Auditory-Verbal-Therapy as a way of life becomes a habit for both you and your child.
00:17:56 The habit is that you stay in the moment. Your child stays listening and participative.
00:18:17 Time management.
00:18:56 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is fun and an exciting and liberating experience!
00:19:45 Being with your deaf or hard of hearing child is fun!
00:19:54 Learning becomes fun for your child.
00:20:21 Enjoying Parenting.
00:20:47 An eye-opening experience!
00:21:16 Seeing results is the best motivation!
00:22:30 Staying on track.
00:23:08 Confident Parenting!
00:24:48 Reflection
00:25:25 Upcoming episode: Are we pre-judging our toddler?
🔗 Links:
- 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/
- 👩⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk
- 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com
- 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com
- 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk
📘 Resources:
- Estabrooks, W., Morrison, H.M., MacIver-Lux, K., (2020) Auditory‑Verbal Therapy: Science, Research and Practice, Plural Publishing Inc, San Diego, CA
- Estabrooks, W., MacIver-Lux, K., & Rhoades, E. A. (Eds.). (2016) Auditory‑Verbal Therapy for Young Children with Hearing Loss and Their Families, and the Practitioners Who Guide Them, Plural Publishing Inc, San Diego, CA
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