09/30/2025
✨ Today we continue our series on Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT), and a special focus on the training of the talented therapists! ✨
Refresher: What is Auditory-Verbal Therapy?
AVT promotes the development of listening and spoken language (LSL) through enhancement of the auditory skills. It is a specialized method of therapy designed primarily for infants, toddlers, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and have been fitted with hearing aids or cochlear implants.
How do Auditory-Verbal Therapists and Speech-Language Pathologists differ?
Speech-language pathologists have studied and have developed the skills to evaluate and treat a variety of pediatric and adult communication disorders, including speech sound disorders, receptive/expressive language delays, swallowing and feeding difficulties, as well as fluency and voice disorders.
Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapists, also known as Listening and Spoken Language Specialists, are typically speech/language pathologists, audiologists, and/or teachers of the deaf who have pursued advanced training in hearing impairment and have obtained certification through the AG Bell Association.
What is training like?
The certification process to become a LSLS Cert. AVT is rigorous and includes 80 hours of professional continuing education in the field of hearing impairment in conjunction with 820 clinical practicum hours required. This includes supervision by an AVT Mentor. In order to obtain certification, the therapist must have studied and worked under the supervision of a LSLS, Cert AVT treating infants and children for 3-5 years prior to taking the examination to become certified. Oftentimes, therapists have cross trained in two of three fields to include speech/language pathology, audiology and /or deaf education. 💙💛
