Auditory-verbal Therapy

Auditory-verbal therapy is a method for teaching deaf children to listen and speak using their residual hearing in addition to the constant use of amplification devices such as hearing aids, FM devices, and cochlear implants. Auditory-verbal therapy emphasizes speech and listening.

Auditory verbal therapy is used in the United States under the theory that it enables deaf and hearing impaired children to participate more fully in mainstream school and hearing society. Published research suggests its efficacy in enabling deaf children to learn to listen and talk, however such research has not yet included control groups or randomized controls, so it is not possible to conclude whether auditory-verbal therapy was the cause of the progress seen in these children (Goldberg & Felexer 2001, Rhoades & Chisholm 2001, Hogan et al. 2008).

In the UK, access to auditory verbal therapy is currently available at two cochlear implant centres (Paediatric Cochlear Implant Programme, University of Manchester and Aston University, Birmingham Children's Cochlear Implant Programme) and through a national Oxfordshire-based charity called AVUK.

Auditory verbal therapy is now available at three locations outside of the NHS, AVUK in Central London and Oxford, Christopher Place in London and at the Auditory Verbal Lounge in Nottingham.