Listening and Language: January 2013 Calendar

LISTEN AND SPOKEN LANGUAGE
2013 CALENDAR

Ring In The New Year!

Ring in 2013 with a resolution you can keep.

"I will plan ahead, be creative, spend time talking with my child,

 following his interests,  while expanding his listening abilities,

 learning, vocabulary, spoken language and conversational skills."

Here is some motivation and a fun game to get you started!

Did you know?

For further information contact Dave Sindrey LSLS CertAVT 

Children with normal hearing passively absorb information or "overhear" from the environment and constantly pick up details of information. This is referred to as incidental learning. As much as 90% percent of what a child with typical hearing learns is from overhearing conversations. 

Your child with a hearing loss does not as easily "eavesdrop" and may miss significant information that is not directed at him. As you know, even hearing aids and/or cochlear implants do not restore normal hearing. Children who have a hearing loss need to be taught directly many of the skills, concepts and vocabulary that other children learn incidentally. 

The topic and vocabulary associated with the New Year is a prime example as we usually talk about the New Year once a year which does not result in much repetition for listening, auditory comprehension and processing. In addition, the vocabulary is very specific to the celebration.

Ring in the New Year 

Play this FREE NEW YEARS GAME which will provide fun way to expand new listening and spoken language skills while spending time together as a family. The game creator also included a recipe to make with your child for your New Year celebration. Check out all her ideas at www.speechsnacks.com

Players start at “Baby New Year” and end at “Father Time.” 

 The first set of game cards address New Year vocabulary

and can be used to put words in sentences, give the definition or provide a synonym.

 Talk about how your family celebrates, last years memories and

 throw confetti and stay up until midnight.

These cards contain WH questions and fill-in- the-blanks related to New Year Resolutions. 

Tick, Tock - It's the time you spend with your kids!

Parents - You have one of the most important tools in your hands to ensure that your child 
learns to to listen, becomes a competent spoken language communicator and has access 
to a full range of academic, social and occupational choices.

Tick, Tock - check this out.

This is one of the principles of Auditory-Verbal therapy:

Auditory Verbal Therapists,

 "Guide and coach parents to become the primary facilitators of their child’s 

listening and spoken language development through active consistent

participation in individualized Auditory-Verbal Therapy" 

Click here for: Words of Wisdom from: Dave Sindrey LSLS Cert. AVT

Auditory Verbal Therapy: One of Most Popular 2012 ASHAsphere Posts

Here is an article written by my colleague, Todd Houston who is a professor at my alma mater, The University of Akron that you won't want to just skim over. Todd's writing was voted one of the Most Popular 2012 ASHAsphere Posts published by the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association. 

Dr. K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP Cert AVT, wrote about the trend of parents choosing spoken language options, such as Auditory-Verbal Therapy, for their children with hearing loss“.

HERE is a link to view all the most popular posts from ASHAsphere for 2012.

HERE is the link for Todd Houston's article that I have reposted below.

MARCH 29, 2012BY TODD HOUSTON16 COMMENTS

Auditory-Verbal Therapy: Supporting Listening and Spoken Language in Young Children with Hearing Loss & Their Families

Photo by juhansonin

Approximately 95% of parents of children with hearing loss are hearing themselves (Mitchell & Karchmer, 2004), and trends indicate that many parents are choosing spoken language as the primary mode of communication for their children with hearing loss. In fact, some states such as North Carolina, are reporting that parents are choosing spoken language options for their children with hearing loss more than 85% of the time (Alberg, Wilson & Roush, 2006), especially when they know spoken language is a viable outcome for their child. And, these parents are typically selecting approaches that support listening and spoken language, such as Auditory-Verbal Therapy, without initiating visual communication systems.

With early identification and the use of advanced hearing technology, children with even the most severe or profound hearing losses can access audition and follow an intervention approach focused on achieving typical developmental milestones in listening, speech, language, cognition, and conversational competence. Parents’ communication choices are based on their long-term desired outcomes for their child. Once those decisions are made, professionals providing early intervention and habilitative services should support the parents’ choices and provide the necessary support and intervention to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that the child achieves those outcomes.

 Definition of Auditory-Verbal Therapy

The Alexander Graham Bell (AG Bell) Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, which is based in Washington, DC, governs the certification of Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS), the practitioners qualified to provide Auditory-Verbal Therapy. The Academy defines the practice of Auditory-Verbal Therapy as:

“Auditory-Verbal Therapy facilitates optimal acquisition of spoken language through listening by newborns, infants, toddlers, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Auditory-Verbal Therapy promotes early diagnosis, one-on-one therapy, and state-of-the-art audiologic management and technology. Parents and caregivers actively participate in therapy. Through guidance, coaching, and demonstration, parents become the primary facilitators of their child’s spoken language development. Ultimately, parents and caregivers gain confidence that their child can have access to a full range of academic, social, and occupational choices. Auditory-Verbal Therapy must be conducted in adherence to the Principles LSLS of Auditory-Verbal Therapy” (AG Bell Academy, 2012).

The Principles of Auditory-Verbal Therapy: Defining Practice

The Academy has endorsed a set of principles that delineate the practice of Auditory-Verbal Therapy:

1. Promote early diagnosis of hearing loss in newborns, infants, toddlers, and young children, followed by immediate audiologic management and Auditory-Verbal Therapy;
2. Recommend immediate assessment and use of appropriate, state-of-the-art hearing technology to obtain maximum benefits of auditory stimulation;
3. Guide and coach parents to help their child use hearing as the primary sensory modality in developing spoken language;
4. Guide and coach parents to become the primary facilitators of their child’s listening and spoken language development through active consistent participation in individualized Auditory-Verbal Therapy;
5. Guide and coach parents to create environments that support listening for the acquisition of spoken language throughout the child’s daily activities;
6. Guide and coach parents to help their child integrate listening and spoken language into all aspects of the child’s life;
7. Guide and coach parents to use natural developmental patterns of audition, speech, language, cognition, and communication;
8. Guide and coach parents to help their child self-monitor spoken language through listening;
9. Administer ongoing formal and informal diagnostic assessments to develop individualized Auditory-Verbal treatment plans, to monitor progress, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the plans for the child and family; and
10. Promote education in regular school with peers who have typical hearing and with appropriate services from early childhood onwards.
The Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS):
Two Paths to Certification
The AG Bell Academy has designated two paths to certification for Auditory-Verbal practitioners: LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (LSLS Cert. AVT) and the LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). The LSLS certification is awarded to qualified professionals who have met rigorous academic, professional, post-graduate education and mentoring requirements, and have passed a certification exam. Typically, LSLS certified practitioners are licensed audiologists, speech-language pathologists, or educators of the deaf who have the required background, training and experience in listening and spoken language theory and practice with children with hearing loss and their families. For additional information about certification as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS), speech-language pathologists and audiologists should contact the AG Bell Academy at academy@agbell.org, visit the website ate www.agbellacademy.org, or call (202) 204-4700.
References
Alberg, J., Wilson, K., & Roush, J. (2006). Statewide collaboration in the delivery of EHDI services. The Volta Review, 106, 3, 259-274.
AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language (2012). 2012 certification handbook. Available at www.agbellacademy.org
Mitchell, R.E. & Karchmer, M.A. (2004). Chasing the mythical ten percent: Parental hearing status of deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States. Sign Language Studies, 4, 2, 138-163.
Dr. K. Todd Houston, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, is an Associate Professor in the School of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at The University of Akron. His primary areas of research include spoken language acquisition in children with hearing loss, strategies for enhancing parent engagement in the intervention process, Auditory-Verbal Therapy, and telepractice. He directs the Telepractice and eLearning Laboratory (TeLL), an initiative to evaluate clinical practices in the area of distance service delivery in Speech-Language Pathology.

So You Want to Know More About Listening & Spoken Language?

Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing Can Listen and Talk.

Learn more by clicking HERE

Listen to Every Word - Understanding Negation

Have you ever considered the power of the single word "NOT" or how a "contraction" changes the meaning of a statement or conversation?

True Story: Years ago, I saw a boy for auditory rehab who was late implanted. He was eager for his first sleepover and had invited two brothers as I recall from his public school. We discussed his upcoming slumber party in great detail during our session. He had the evening planned from the games they would play, their snacks and he picked out his favorite movie. 

The next week, I began eagerly asking about the party and his Mom gave me "The Look". 

I could tell the party must not had gone as planned. Worse than I imagined, the best his parents could piece together was when he has invited the brothers to the sleepover, they had responded by saying, "We can't come."  Being a new listener, he missed the negation and interpreted their reply as "We can come." and the party was on!

After that sad situation, I  target "listening for contractions" and include the word "not" in connected speech activities or auditory directions. Most children catch on quickly but I learned my lesson!

Contractions and negatives modify the meaning of spoken language, tend to be unstressed, are embedded in connected language and difficult to hear for our children who are hard of hearing. The next listening level after focusing on "not" is having your child follow the directions by listening to the contractions such as "Where is the nutcracker that isn't skinny."  or "Which reindeer doesn't have a red nose?". I'm sure you can think of examples at home. "Give Grandpa a gingerbread cookie that isn't broken." 

Click here HERE for a free Christmas Themed printable: Understanding Negatives.

By the way, this is a great target for children with auditory processing needs as well.

Many thanks for this printable to Whitney at http://whitneyslp.blogspot.com

Establishing A Sound Foundation for Children

Establishing A Sound Foundation for Children

 Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 

Take a few minutes and view this IMPORTANT video!

‪Over the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in ensuring that families have  access to hearing screening when a baby is born. Approximately 95% of babies now receive a hearing screen shortly after birth. Now, greater emphasis must be placed on training early childhood education and health care providers.

Dr. Karl R. White is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on early identification and treatment of hearing loss in infants and young children. Please read his impressive biography on the video link.

Pass this on to other parents and professionals!

101 FAQs about Auditory-Verbal Practice

I just ordered my copy!

 Do you want to know more about promoting

 Listening and Spoken Language

 for children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families?

Order yours by clicking here !

This book is edited my my friend Warren Estabrooks, a legend in the field of AV practice.

The chapters are written by friends and colleagues of mine. It's release is bittersweet as I would have too liked to have potentially liked to have  helped authored a chapter but, back when the book was being written our family was reeling from a dramatic and unexpected death at the same time as my sister-in-law was battling cancer. Family always comes first!

Here is the information from the publisher and I quote....

"Exciting advances in early detection of hearing loss, state-of-the art hearing technologies and the evolution of family-centered practices are helping children who are deaf or hard of hearing to have greater access than ever before to all the sounds of life.

Today, through auditory-verbal practice, professionals and families work in collaboration to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities to develop listening, spoken language and cognitive skills.

In 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice, an exciting new addition to the literature, renowned experts in the field of auditory-verbal practice provide up-to-date information for everyone in the child's life – speech-language pathologists, audiologist, teacher, early intervention professionals doctors, school administrators and parents. 101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice takes the reader on a journey through current theory, practice, and evidence-based outcomes and offers knowledge, guidance, encouragement and hope for future generations of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, their families and the professionals who are honored to be part of their lives.

Readers will be able to:

• Find knowledge, hope, support and encouragement
• Learn about the history, philosophy, principles and outcomes of auditory-verbal practice
• Gain an understanding of contemporary issues and current trends in field
• Build strong parent-professional partnerships that foster the development of listening, spoken language and literacy

This book features:

• Responses to commonly asked questions about auditory-verbal practice
• Resources and suggested reading for every topic addressed
• An index of key topics for easy reference
• A bibliographic list of renowned authors
• Print and e-book format for all major e-readers

101 FAQs About Auditory-Verbal Practice brings you the latest information on current topics in the field:

• New service delivery models, such as telepractice
• A focus on the connection between listening and spoken language, literacy and written language for children with hearing loss
• Listening and spoken language strategies for children in bilingual/multilingual households
• Working with families who face socioeconomic challenges and who may be living in poverty
• Executive functioning, Theory of Mind and children who are deaf or hard of hearing
• Service to diverse families, including a focus on fathers, children of parents who use sign language, and older students who have grown up using a visual language system
• Assistance in understanding audiology and auditory disorders, such as auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder and central auditory processing disorder
• Academic preparation for those entering the field of listening and spoken language
• Considerations for children with sequential/bilateral cochlear implants and those with multiple disabilities"