Parent coaching is undoubtedly the most crucial component of auditory verbal therapy. It is key for successful listening and spoken language outcomes. How do you (as the teacher or therapist) help facilitate carryover of speech, language, and audition goals and strategies during the 167 hours a week outside of therapy?
Utilize a parent note sheet.
Utilizing an AVT session parent note sheet can help relieve the parent's burden of trying to remember everything that was talked about in the session. It gives the parent a tangible reminder of what goals and activities they can do at home.
Coaching the parent or caregiver to identify ways to work on the goals before they even leave the session gives them confidence In their ideas as well as accountability.
Especially in the weeks and months leading up to and following the diagnoses, parents of children with hearing loss are soaking up so much new information from many different professionals that are working with the child.
Teach listening and spoken language strategies.
One thing that a parent can take notes on are the strategies that you teach them to use during their child's auditory-verbal therapy session. Each week, you could teach one listening and spoken language strategy, such as the sabotage.
All people have different learning styles, and parents may learn new information best when provided with multiple modalities.
Parents should be active participants in the session so they can practice using the strategies, but there are other ways to reinforce listening and spoken language strategies, such as...
Sending a video clip of part of the session
Sharing a link to a helpful website
A handout to read over (and share with other family members or caregivers)
Support the increased device wear time.
Many newly implanted or aided children are resistant to wearing their device. Initially, you may need to spend time simply counseling the parent on how to increase use of the technology.
The Med-El blog and the National Deaf Children's Society give some great ideas to share with parents. This printable sticker chart might also be helpful to provide. You could even ask the child to bring their sticker chart to sessions and provide a reward for sufficient wear of the device.
Brainstorm home activity ideas.
Helping parents identify a specific activity to target a goal at home is a great way to take out the guesswork. Ask them what toys or routines the child is currently into and help identify a goal to practice with that activity. If you feel comfortable, you could also lend a therapy toy so the child can “teach” another family member the same activity at home.
For older kids, you can send home copies of worksheet activities. For example, a Ling 6 sounds coloring page helps the parent remember what the 6 sounds are and serves as a reminder to practice them. If you are an email subscriber (and don't want to make or find one), download one form the freebie library.
Provide a link to a digital activity.
There are also lots of great websites and digital activities that you can share with families with families. Boom Cards are very easy to share digital activities with parents to do with their child at home or on the go using their computer, tablet, or phone.
Boom Card decks cover a wide range of goals for a wide range of ages. This deck helps practice play audiometry to prepare children for an upcoming hearing test.
This activity can be used to practice detection and imitation of early sound/object associations that are often targeted with young children with hearing loss.
Going digital with practice of the Ling 6 sounds can also be helpful for on-the-go families. This FREE Ling 6 activity helps parents, therapists, and teachers work on detection of the sounds from any device. Its interactive activities keep kids actively engaged, too!
Set up an experience book.
An experience book is a great way to facilitate language around real, meaningful events for the child and family. This Google Slides experience book can be digitally shared with family and other professionals for quick and seamless updating. It can then be used at school or in speech therapy to build the child's language around those happenings.
There are endless ways that teachers and therapists can support parents in generalizing goals at home. Of course not all parents will require the same amount of support, and some methods may work better than others for different parents. But empowering the parent to be an active participant during and outside of the sessions is a top priority in auditory-verbal therapy.
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