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Home LSL Building Your Team Meet the Early Intervention Professionals

Meet the Early Intervention Professionals

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Early intervention allows your baby to benefit from the care and expertise of a variety of childhood hearing professionals.

Think of these professionals as your baby’s team – each member plays a different role and all are essential. And remember that while the rules of this game may be new to you, you’re the team captain.

On This Page

  • Team Building Tips
  • Your Two Most Critical Team Members

Team Building Tips

As a parent, you’re in charge of the decisions and LSL goals that are right for your family. Your team members are there to support you. Make sure everyone is communicating openly and working together so your team can support you to reach your child’s LSL goals.

Here are some ways you can build and maintain a strong team:

  • Recognize the unique roles of all team members
  • Share how you like to learn new information
  • Create a communication plan so that all team members will know the most important and up-to-date information about your child
  • Arrive at meetings prepared to share and participate — write down questions and concerns ahead of time and take notes during the meetings

Your Two Most Critical Team Members

Depending on your child’s unique hearing loss and their needs, your support team may have many members on it. There are two team members who play a critical role in helping your child reach their LSL goals. 

Pediatric Audiologist

Your pediatric audiologist, or a hearing doctor for children, will have expertise in pediatric hearing tests. They’ll be in charge of evaluating your child’s hearing and fitting the right hearing device. They’ll also monitor your child’s hearing at every visit. 

You’ll work with your audiologist for many years. This is an important relationship that requires regular appointments and clear communication.

At an appointment, our pediatric audiologist determined that we need to move to higher powered devices. While it is discouraging to think that my daughter's hearing is potentially changing, I am encouraged by the fact that our audiologist is so proactive and willing to take the time necessary to program the devices effectively. I am grateful that we have found a pediatric audiology provider willing to work with us and do what it takes to make sure Rose can hear well.

Lydia H.

Professional Skilled in LSL

You’ll also work closely with a professional trained to coach your family in the best practices for teaching your baby to listen and talk. 

This early intervention professional might be a:

  • Speech-language pathologist
  • Educator of the deaf
  • Early childhood teacher
  • Audiologist

Whatever their official title, make sure they have experience with LSL intervention. Some professionals will have a special certification as a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS™) through the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language™. Their title will be either a Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist (Cert AVT) or a Certified Auditory-Verbal Educator (Cert. AVEd).

In LSL intervention, we don’t make parents ‘participate in therapy.’ We partner with them to observe and strengthen LSL interactions that are already occurring in their daily lives. We collaborate with them to make the most of every moment that happens in their homes and communities as they care for, play with, and live with their children.”

Beth, LSLS Cert AVT

More In This Section

Meet the Early Intervention Professionals
What to Look for in an LSL Professional
The Parent - Professional Partnership
Finding LSL Services in Your Area
Covering the Costs of LSL

Connect with parents who have been down this path before.

Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. Thousands of parents have been in your shoes. Find other parents who can share from experience, offer encouragement, and help your family reach your LSL goals.

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