International Auditory-Verbal Practice Course

Course Introduction

This course was designed to address issues confronting professionals living outside of the United States who wish to access ICIT cochlear implant training: Time zone differences of 5 to 14 hours may create hardship for international participants.  These are eliminated by making all lectures and web classes available online at any time during the module week.

This course will challenge both aspiring and advanced speech-language pathologists, teachers of the deaf, and early interventionists to improve listening and spoken language (LSL) outcomes for children and adults following cochlear implantation. Topics include auditory skill development, specific intervention strategies, and techniques following Auditory-Verbal (AV) practice to maximize the auditory potential of pediatric and adult cochlear implant recipients. Considerations to facilitate listening skills for special populations such as the young implanted child, the older implanted child, the multiply challenged child, and the child who is bilingual or has a spoken language in the home different than the community. Participants will develop knowledge and practical insights to coach and guide families and engage professionals in educational settings to support CI recipients.

This course is a collaborative endeavor of ICIT and Hearing First and includes 11 weekly modules of online, prerecorded sessions, and moderated discussion board. The last two of the eleven modules will provide learners an opportunity to participate in guided observation and discussion of LSL AV intervention sessions to facilitate the transfer of theory and knowledge into practice. An added benefit for those pursuing LSLS Certification ™ from the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language ® (Academy) is that these two observation modules can be used as 2 of the 10 required observations towards the Academy LSLS Certification™ requirements as they will have the opportunity to complete the Academy Form C3 Structured Observation Form. After the course, completion participants are encouraged to continue their learning in LSL practice in the Hearing First Community Professional Learning Community.

Training Topics

ONLINE CURRICULUM MODULES

1. The Brain: Explain what we now know about auditory neural physiology and develop a counseling narrative for describing cochlear implants as brain access devices.
2. Development of an Auditory Function: Identify and describe the development of an auditory function in CI recipients and the diagnostic nature of aural (re)habilitation.
3. Speech Acoustics: Explain the concepts of psychoacoustics (loudness, pitch, duration, and localization) as they relate to auditory access in the development and production of speech.
4. Cochlear Implant Programming and the Role of the (Re)Habilitation Providers: Describe CI programming relative to the role and responsibilities of an early interventionist, speech-language pathologist, and educator of the deaf.
5. Auditory Teaching Strategies and Techniques in LSL AV Practice: Explain how to implement auditory teaching strategies and techniques to guide and coach families of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
6. Guiding and Coaching Families in AV Practice to Improve LSL Outcomes
7. Implementing Auditory Teaching Strategies with Special Populations: Explain how to implement auditory teaching strategies in special populations including older implanted children; multiply challenged children; bilingual children.
8. Facilitating Cochlear Implant Rehabilitation with Adult CI Recipients: Describe auditory teaching strategies, techniques and exercises to facilitate auditory skill development in adult CI recipients and older adults with cognitive decline.
9. The Multidisciplinary Team: Explain the importance of a multidisciplinary team in cochlear implantation to maximize the auditory potential of CI recipient.
10. LSL AV Guided Observation: Observe, analyze, and discuss a video-recorded intervention session with a Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS™). Access specific session plans, case history, and audiological information including speech perception scores and diagnostic evaluations to reinforce knowledge and extend the LSL learning.
11. LSL AV Guided Observation: Observe, analyze, and discuss a video-recorded intervention session with a Certified Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS™). Access specific session plans, case history, and audiological information including speech perception scores and diagnostic evaluations to reinforce knowledge and extend the LSL learning.

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Course Format

Online Didactic Training

11 weekly modules hosted on Open LMS

• Pre-recorded video lecture introduces module content (60-90 min each) to view at your convenience
• Suggested reading materials supplement learning concepts
• Discussion Board posts facilitate networking and interaction with participants and instructors
• Knowledge assessments review major concepts

Recorded Live Web Classes

• Hosted on Blackboard to review and emphasize major points including detailed case discussions, and Q & A sessions
• Facilitated by leading Auditory Verbal Therapists in cochlear implantation