Parent coaching and participation is a hallmark of auditory-verbal therapy. In fact, 6 of the 10 Principles of Listening and Spoken Language begin with the phrase, "Guide and coach parents". Gone are the days of parents sitting in a waiting room or watching behind a one-way mirror.
While auditory-verbal therapy is a valuable service for children with hearing loss, it's the other 167 hours in the week where the real progress happens... and matters. Empowering parents to become the primary facilitators of their child's speech and language development is critical.
Structuring Auditory-Verbal Therapy for Parent Coaching
Contrary to traditional speech therapy, the primary focus of auditory-verbal therapy sessions is actually coaching the parent rather than teaching the child. Note that while I will be using the word 'parent(s)', you can of course substitute any other involved family member, stepparent, friend, caregiver, or guardian. Any of these people can play a significant role in a child's life and development. If it works, even siblings can (and should) participate in sessions!
Review the prior week.
An auditory-verbal therapy session begins by reviewing the previous week (or two) with the parent. You may discuss changes in the child's listening and spoken language development, struggles or victories, equipment issues, or responses to a strategy or activity that was done at home.
The information a parent shares is very valuable for learning about a child's progress and determining next steps. The auditory-verbal therapist can also help problem solve or provide guidance on any issues, as well as praise a parent for their efforts at home over the last week.
Introduce the activity.
Before an activity is presented, inform the parent about what will be happening. Tell what the activity is, what the goal of the activity will be, and how the goal will be addressed through the activity.
Share a listening and spoken language strategy.
Discuss one or more strategies that can be used during the activity to facilitate speech, language, or listening. Strategies are used to help the child be successful in the activity.
Review the strategy (if the parent has previously learned it), or provide a more detailed explanation if the child has not used it before. A handout can be a great way to provide the parent with something tangible that they can reference later or share with other family members and professionals.
Model the activity before turning it over to the parent.
For each activity used in the session, begin by demonstrating it with the child. Then, turn the activity over to the parent to complete with the child. How quickly or slowly this happens varies. Some parents may catch on right away and be ready to take over. Other times, a parent might need a little more support before transitioning to being the primary facilitator of the activity.
Coach the parent throughout the activity.
The most effective parent coaching takes place in real time. As they are leading an activity, take opportunities to provide positive feedback such as, "I love how you gave her choices when she was able to answer your question."
In addition to pointing out what's working in activity, politely offer suggestions to help a parent modify when something isn't working. You might say something like, "She seems to be having trouble with the plural 's' in 'cats.' You could try to acoustically highlight that sound to see if that helps her hear it better."
The goal for every activity is for the child to be successful (but also challenged) and for the parent to feel confident in their role. Coaching might include helping the parent recognize when an activity should be modified to make it easier or more difficult based on how the child is responding.
Recap the activity.
After each activity, recap how it went. Discuss with the parent how the child demonstrated progress on a specific goal or their overall language, speech, or listening abilities. Talk about what made the child more successful and what the next step in their development might be.
Promote home carryover.
Lastly, help the parent identify ways to target the skill at home. Oftentimes, the parent may not realize that the goals and strategies you're discussing and working on in therapy can also be implemented within their day-to-day play and routines. Brainstorm ways they can continue to work on the skill throughout the week.
Providing a Parent Note Sheet
One tool to help with parent coaching in auditory verbal therapy is a page for the parent to take notes on throughout each session. This will help parents recall what was discussed and share the information with other caregivers.
The relationship between a Listening and Spoken Language therapist the parents of the children they serve is collaborative. Coaching parents to feel confident in providing learning moments throughout the day is the most valuable way to spend each auditory-verbal therapy session. Parents have a lot of valuable information to provide, and unlike a therapist, they are able to target auditory, speech, and language goals every day.
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