National Organization - AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language

Promoting a Sound-Based Learning Environment

Before there was an Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, there was an organization called Auditory-Verbal International (AVI). AVI actively promoted a communication option called auditory-verbal therapy. Just as the name implies, auditory-verbal therapy involves training a deaf child to use only hearing in developing spoken language skills. In 2005, AVI folded into the new AG Bell Academy.

Purpose of AG Bell Academy

The AG Bell Academy is responsible for certifying auditory-verbal therapists. On its site, the Academy maintains a listing of certified auditory-verbal therapists by country. The Academy also offers a more advanced certification, the International Certification Program for Listening and Spoken Language Specialists (LSLS). The LSLS consists of two certifications in one -- the certified auditory-verbal therapist and the certified auditory verbal educator. There are plans to further the profession by offering professional education opportunities.

Auditory-Verbal Therapy

The Academy offers parents a list of research that supports auditory-verbal therapy as well as a bibliography of references. Also offered is a set of guidelines for evaluating a child's auditory-verbal therapy. A set of 10 principles for auditory-verbal therapy is posted on the site. The third of these principles has become controversial for some people in the deaf community because of its prohibition of sign language:

3. Guide and coach parents to help their child use hearing as the primary sensory modality in developing spoken language without the use of sign language or emphasis on lipreading.

Sources:

Alexander Graham Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language. Accessed 08/13/07.