Research Articles Supporting Auditory Verbal Therapy

Outcome Surveys of Auditory-Verbal Graduates - online version of the Outcome Survey of Auditory-Verbal Graduates by Goldberg and Flexer

Goldberg DM, Flexer C (2001). Auditory-verbal graduates: outcome survey of clinical efficacy.
J Am Acad Audiol. 2001 Sep;12(8):406-14. Department of Communication, The College of Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA.

This project is an update of an earlier study on American and Canadian graduates of auditory-verbal programs. Survey research was conducted to obtain information on a variety of topics. Overall, the current results again indicated that the majority of respondents were integrated into "regular" or "typical" learning and living environments. In view of the earlier identification of hearing loss and the early fitting of sensory aids and availability of cochlear implant technology, coupled with intervention that emphasizes auditory learning, it is suggested that today's infants have the potential to become independent, participating, and contributing citizens in mainstream society.

Easterbrooks SR, O'Rourke CM, Todd NW (2000). Child and family factors associated with deaf children's success in auditory-verbal therapy.
Am J Otol. 2000 May;21(3):341-4. Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, Georgia State University, Atlanta 30303-3083, USA.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the general demographics of children who had Auditory-Verbal therapy and to identify child and family factors associated with differences between those children for whom Auditory-Verbal therapy led to success and those for whom it did not.
SETTING: Private tertiary care facility.
POPULATION: Children who had hearing losses ranging from mild to profound.
INTERVENTION: Auditory-Verbal therapy, a therapeutic intervention designed to teach parents to educate their young deaf and hearing-impaired children to use residual hearing and to speak, was used.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinic files, parent questionnaires, and parent report of current success were used to determine efficacy of treatment.
RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent of the clients who remained in this program for over 1 year were fully integrated into regular education, with no services from a teacher of the deaf. The population was affluent, with more females than expected. Those who left dissatisfied tended to be males with greater degrees of hearing loss who left the program soon after 1 year.
CONCLUSIONS: Auditory-Verbal therapy provides successful intervention to students with a particular set of demographic characteristics.

Rhoades, EA; Chisholm, TH. (2001). Global language progress with an auditory-verbal approach for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Volta Review, Volume 102(1), Pgs. 5-25.

Abstract: Study examining the global language growth rate of 40 children with hearing loss (hearing aid and cochlear implant users) who received intensive auditory-verbal intervention for a period of 1-4 years. Three global language assessment instruments were administered to the children at least annually after auditory-verbal services were initiated. Results show that there was significant growth in both receptive and expressive language abilities, and that the gap between chronological age and language age was closed.

Robertson, L., & Flexer, C. (1993). Reading development: A parent survey of children with hearing impairment who developed speech and language through the auditory-verbal method.
The Volta Review, 95 (3), 253-261.

Sharma, Anu; Dorman, Michael F.; Spahr, Anthony J (2002). A sensitive period for the development of the central auditory system in children with cochlear implants: implications for age of implantation.
Ear & Hearing. 23(6):532-539, December 2002.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present experiment was to assess the consequences of cochlear implantation at different ages on the development of the human central auditory system.
DESIGN: Our measure of the maturity of central auditory pathways was the latency of the P1 cortical auditory evoked potential. Because P1 latencies vary as a function of chronological age, they can be used to infer the maturational status of auditory pathways in congenitally deafened children who regain hearing after being fit with a cochlear implant. We examined the development of P1 response latencies in 104 congenitally deaf children who had been fit with cochlear implants at ages ranging from 1.3 yr to 17.5 yr and three congenitally deaf adults. The independent variable was the duration of deafness before cochlear implantation. The dependent variable was the latency of the P1 cortical auditory evoked potential.
RESULTS: A comparison of P1 latencies in implanted children with those of age-matched normal-hearing peers revealed that implanted children with the longest period of auditory deprivation before implantation-7 or more yr-had abnormal cortical response latencies to speech. Implanted children with the shortest period of auditory deprivation-approximately 3.5 yr or less-evidenced age-appropriate latency responses within 6 mo after the onset of electrical stimulation.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that in the absence of normal stimulation there is a sensitive period of about 3.5 yr during which the human central auditory system remains maximally plastic. Plasticity remains in some, but not all children until approximately age 7. After age 7, plasticity is greatly reduced. These data may be relevant to the issue of when best to place a cochlear implant in a congenitally deaf child.

Wray, D., Flexer, C. and Vaccaro, V. (1997). Classroom performance of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who learned spoken language through the auditory-verbal approach: an evaluation of treatment efficacy.
The Volta Review, 99(2):107-119.

Existing Evidence that supports the rational for Av practice (External Link)

A short summary of Auditory Verbal Therapy which may be useful in discussions about AVT!

Auditory Verbal Therapy and Downs Syndrome Research

Update on the School Districts And Auditory-Verbal Therapy

"The Newborn Screening Programme - Challenging Professionals, The parents' perspective" - feature article in ENT News, December 1005, by Richard Cadman, AV Dad. (MSWord Document) Adobe Acrobat version here

Professionals will find further articles of interest and our book recommendations in the professional references section. Parents will find further articles of interest in the tips, advice and resourses for parents section.