A Parent's Guide | Listeningforlife

What your A-V therapist and you should be doing:
A Parent's Guide (Ages 0-6)

Encourage speech and language!

Talk naturally with your child, speaking without exaggerated facial (particularly mouth and tongue) movements and without the use of sign language.
Emphasize the sounds of speech used with your child in the way that mothers do with hearing infants who are learning to talk (motherese).
Understand normal child language and speech development.
Take turns in therapy to give your child time to process what was said and time to respond.
Encourage your child to use babbling and jargon as normal hearing infants do.

Point out behaviors that indicate that your child is using sound for learning

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.
Help your child know that you expect a response to sound.
Allow your child time to respond to sound. (PAUSE TIME)

Helps you to understand the Auditory-Verbal goals and procedures

Emphasize that primary therapeutic goal is training your child to be aware of, attend to, and use sound.
Keep accurate notes and /or videotaped records of your child's progress.
Use information about normal hearing children's language and speech development when discussing your child's progress.
Coordinate services with other professionals who may be involved with your child.