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Children who are deaf CAN Talk and Listen.
The Auditory Options
Project can show you how.
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OVERVIEW: LESSON PLAN FOR AUDITORY-BASED THERAPY
There are a number of key points to keep in mind during
auditory-based therapy sessions. Just playing with the child is not enough.
We need to “play with a purpose”. Specific goals and objectives need to be
set for these sessions so that the child can develop meaningful spoken
language and expand his or her knowledge of the world.
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but they also are adult education exercises. The
professional working with the family should provide guidance to the
parent(s) or caregiver(s), so that the goals and objectives for that
session can be continued at home. Extensive home programs and activities
should be given to the parent(s) or primary caregiver(s) following each
therapy session. These structured and unstructured home programs and
activities are ones that can be implemented at home at the table and in
daily activities. In other words, the focus is on the parent/caregiver who
should be an active participant in every therapy session. Please refer to
the “Links and Resources” section of this website for references to
parent-friendly home activities:
www.auditoryoptions.org
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| Vocabulary and concepts that are taught during the
sessions should be individualized to each child and family. Words used
during therapy will become more meaningful to the child, and will then
become a part of the child’s repertoire of language. Vocabulary should not
be taught at the single word level but rather within the context of
language, using themes and language experiences.
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| Vowels, consonants, and suprasegmental perceptual
aspects of spoken language should be focused upon simultaneously.
Suprasegmentals carry the melody and rhythm of speech and include stress,
intensity, and intonation.
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| Sing, sing, sing! Singing is a way for the child to
learn melody and intonation. Furthermore, if you use fingerplays (such as
“Itsy-Bitsy Spider”, “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”), you can tell if
the child comprehends the song being sung, because he or she will
eventually use fingerplays whenever the song is heard, even before the
gestures are added. Singing also is a wonderful way to develop appropriate
breath control, rhythm and natural speech.
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| Literacy goals should be part of every session.
Examples include the experience book, as well as print books. Parents
should be encouraged to read aloud, daily, to their children.
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| Parents and/or caregivers frequently should be
referred to normal auditory, speech, and language developmental milestones
to evaluate progress.
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| In addition, the therapist should have high
expectations for the types of language tasks that the child can do.
Importantly, the therapist should not stay at one level too long, or at
one that is a level too low. Sessions should be diagnostic in nature to
ensure that progress and expectations are appropriate.
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| Language should go beyond nouns. Adjectives, verbs,
directions, textures, emotions, adverbs, conceptual language and a variety
of figurative language should be used. In addition, short, but complete,
sentences should be spoken while employing techniques such as “acoustic
highlighting” to emphasize concepts within a language context.
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| Since the goal of auditory-based teaching is to
teach spoken language through audition, hearing should be used first
before visual reinforcers are provided. |
Sample
Lesson Plans:
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Bobby:
Beginning Cochlear Implant Listener
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Gina: More advanced
Cochlear Implant Listener
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