A research report in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Audiology by coursework and research report in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / Auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) is an intervention approach used as part of an aural
(re)habilitation programme conducted by an audiologist with deaf or hard-of-hearing (HOH)
children. AVT is a refinement of the oral-aural approach and emphasizes listening instead of
visual input. Previous research has focused on AVT in developed countries; however, there is
limited available research in developing countries such as South Africa. This study explores
and describes the relevance of AVT provided by audiologists in Gauteng, South Africa. The
specific objectives of the study were to explore the differences between AVT and general
paediatric aural rehabilitation therapies conducted by audiologists; the impact of language on
the implementation of AVT and the challenges associated with AVT training. A qualitative
research design was used. A purposive sampling strategy was used to identify and recruit
participants. Ten audiologists currently conducting aural rehabilitation were selected to
participate in the study. The sample size was divided into five audiologists who had obtained
the LSL certification (equivalent to AVT certification) and five audiologists without the LSL
certification. A pilot study was conducted prior to data collection to determine the applicability
of the research study. Thereafter semi-structured interviews were conducted, using an interview
schedule. Thematic analysis was employed and themes were described qualitatively. Results
revealed the emergence of three resounding themes which included challenges, differences in
therapy approaches, and implementation and contributing factors to the success of AVT. The
results concluded the need for the implementation of newborn hearing screening programmes
to assist with early identification and detection of hearing loss. The study identifies a strong
need for the increase in the number of certified LSL therapists in South Africa and additional
AVT comprehensive programmes to be implemented at various institutions in Gauteng.
Awareness regarding the success of AVT implementation needs to be raised. Finally, the
HPCSA needs to revisit and explicitly define the role of audiologists interacting with deaf or
HOH children with the LSL qualification being a mandatory postgraduate pre-requisite for
working in the field of aural rehabilitation.
Key words: Auditory-verbal therapy; aural rehabilitation; deaf; hard-of-hearing. / GR2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/22428 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Taylor, Ashleigh |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (124-132), application/pdf, application/pdf |
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