Parents who get coaching to work with children who wear hearing-devices can practise language interaction and teaching new vocabulary at any time, anywhere, once the basics (of auditory-verbal therapy, or AVT) are learned.
While AVT began in English-speaking countries, its use in China may seem unusual, where the language is primarily tonal. However, this piece shows the AVT ethos and the children who benefit, to be thriving in China.
Involving parents in the AVT process means that when they know how their child acquires language, these insights can be shared with educators.
For average people, the acquisition of language is an imitation of what they hear from the environment. Children with hearing loss… hear differently with artificial devices – sounds in the environment are mixed and ambiguous, and they cannot pick up language as easily. ~ Chen Junlan, education specialist with the China Rehabilitation and Research Center for Deaf Children in Beijing.
China’s size as a country means telepractice may be used to reach families in remoter areas, particularly with AVT personnel being in short supply.
More Reading
- India’s AURED School For Listening And Talking
- India’s Low-Cost Hearing And Education Services
- South Africa’s Solid Model For Inclusive Education
- SMS Texting Supports Inclusive Education In Africa
- Listening And Talking, With Auditory-Verbal Work
- Family Auditory-Verbal Therapy, By Telepractice
