Joanna L. Stith, PhD, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT
What your A-V therapist and you should be doing:
A Parent's Guide (Ages 0-6)
Normal Speech and Language Development
Encourage speech and language!
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Talk naturally with your child, speaking without exaggerated facial (particularly mouth and tongue) movements and without the use of sign language.
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Emphasize the sounds of speech used with your child in the way that mothers do with hearing infants who are learning to talk (motherese).
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Understand normal child language and speech development.
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Take turns in therapy to give your child time to process what was said and time to respond.
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Encourage your child to use babbling and jargon as normal hearing infants do.
Learning Behaviors
Point out behaviors that indicate that your child is using sound for learning
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Note to you the evidence that your child perceived some aspect of a speech or other sound signal whenever your child makes an auditory response.
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Help your child know that you expect a response to sound.
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Allow your child time to respond to sound. (PAUSE TIME)
Program management and Planning
Helps you to understand the Auditory-Verbal goals and procedures
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Emphasize that primary therapeutic goal is training your child to be aware of, attend to, and use sound.
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Keep accurate notes and /or videotaped records of your child's progress.
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Use information about normal hearing children's language and speech development when discussing your child's progress.
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Coordinate services with other professionals who may be involved with your child.