Efficacy of Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) over Total Communication (TC) for language outcomes in children with cochlear implants: a systematic review

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Date
2017
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Publisher
University of Alabama Libraries
Abstract

Children with cochlear implants require intervention for both receptive and expressive language. Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT), which primarily focuses on the development of language through the auditory channel, and Total Communication (TC), which allows for the combination of sign, lipreading, and auditory stimuli for language development, are two intervention methods often used for children with CIs. This systematic review presents language outcomes in children using AVT and TC intervention approaches. We hypothesized that the use of AVT would result in better expressive language outcomes compared to the use of TC. We also hypothesized that both intervention approaches would result in equivalent receptive language outcomes. We found that children who received AVT had a higher percentage of favorable outcomes for both receptive and expressive language outcomes compared to children who used TC. Other additional factors were found to be significant for language outcomes such as age at implantation, communication mode, parent/family involvement, age at diagnosis, device differences, additional disabilities, socioeconomic status, and gender. Overall, we found a lack of research literature directly comparing AVT and TC. A large-scale systematic study of the interventions is still needed in order for professionals and families to make firm conclusions on the efficacy of these treatments for children with cochlear implants.

Description
Electronic Thesis or Dissertation
Keywords
Speech therapy, Special education
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