AEI-Summer Institute in AVT

Alabama Ear Institute (AEI) held its 6th annual Summer Institute in Auditory-Verbal Therapy last month in Birmingham, AL under the AEI Auditory-Verbal Mentoring Program. This program has included over 1200 professionals receiving training since it began in 2003. The two-week Summer Institute not only provides these professionals with workshops to increase their knowledge but also allows them to practice and improve their therapy skills with the families who volunteer to participate as therapy recipients. The professional participants actually divide into teams and conduct A-V therapy under coaching and guidance of a LSLS Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapist. These professional participants are primarily those who provide services to children with hearing loss and their families such as Speech-Language Pathologists, Special Education Teachers, Teachers of the Deaf, and Audiologists. So far the participants have arrived at AEI's program from thirty states (Canada and Argentina as well) and have included members of university hospital cochlear implant teams, State Schools for the Deaf, nationally acknowledged Oral Schools for the Deaf and many more! Here is some of the participant feedback:

"For the first time, I feel like I was being evaluated to help me improve my skills and not just a job performance."

"For the first time, I attended a workshop where I actually learned skills I can use. I am seeing results in the children I work with already and it has only been four weeks!"

Harry Wooten, executive Vice President of AEI says,

"The Alabama Ear Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of our families and precious children without whom we would not be able to provide this training. Because of their willingness to help, professionals all across the country are now impacting the quality of life for children with hearing loss and their families in their communities."