Usually, an article that is twenty+ years old doesn’t hold much weight, but Alan G. Kamhi’s 2004 paper “A Meme’s Eye View of Speech-Language Pathology” is an exception. It addresses broader trends in how we think and talk about speech, language, hearing, communication, and learning, and deconstructs many of the faulty thought processes that lead…
For years, when families asked me about gene therapy for hearing loss, I’d tell them, “I’ve heard at every conference for the past decade that ‘It’s coming’ … and we’re still waiting. I don’t think I’ll see it in my lifetime.” Well, it’s time for me to eat my words, because we are seeing some…
What does it take for a child with hearing loss (or any child) to learn more than one language? I break it down into three simple components: Language Learning = Perceptual Access, Quantity, and Quality. What does this mean? Perceptual Access. The language needs to be “catchable” by the child, which means we need to…
This is one of those things that is so simple, it’s almost silly to post about it… but it’s also too fun not to share! Grab your inflatable beach ball (you know, the one that’s in your one-bag AVT kit). Blow it up about three-quarters full. Squash the top down to make a “nest” for…
Auditory Verbal Therapists know a lot about the kinds of talk that build children’s communication skills, and parents of children with hearing loss turn to us for guidance and coaching. They’re not paying us to hold our tongues! The danger comes when we shift from being descriptive about strategies that support listening and spoken language…
I have had so many therapy sessions where parents begin the conversation by apologizing. “I’m so sorry, we just didn’t get a chance to practice this week.” “I feel awful, he’s not wearing his hearing aids as often as I know he should.” “I’m sorry, there just wasn’t a chance to read together last night.”…
When your child suddenly spouts out a new word, sound, or sentence type, it’s a cause for celebration! How exciting — they’ve learned something new! And then… it disappears. You try to tell your spouse or friend or therapist about this new accomplishment and get your child to show off their new skill and… nothing….
You never know how many shades of “white” there are until you want to paint a room. You head to the hardware store looking for white paint — normal, plain, white paint — and are confronted with dozens of options. Eggshell. Polar Bear. Frost. Antique White. Vibrant White. To the untrained eye, they look virtually…
What does it mean to have an auditory expectation for children with hearing loss in therapy and in life? First of all, it means that I, the adult, have done my part in giving you the tools (auditory access and a good listening environment) to be successful. Once that has been established, an auditory expectation…
I had a horrible experience teaching my graduate-level aural rehabilitation class earlier this semester. One of my brilliant students, herself a young woman with hearing loss, came to me during office hours to discuss audiogram interpretation. We talked through the concepts, worked through an example together, and things clicked! Happy story, right? But then she…
