Celebrating the Success of AVT

Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) has come a long way in 25 years. No place is it more evident than Massachusetts. The four families highlighted in this article chose AVT before it became a popular choice. Some were told by various medical professional that their children were deaf and would never speak even with intensive therapy. What made them persevere so that their children could listen and talk is the same as parents everywhere who choose Auditory-Verbal Therapy today. They believed their children could learn to listen with the support and guidance of AVT. They trusted their Auditory-Verbal Therapists. Their experience and success has been an example to many other parents as they make the choice for AVT.

Monique Laidlaw

Monique Laidlaw was the first AVCC baby in 1980. Bob and Bunny Laidlaw wanted her to speak and be able to attend the Gloucester schools. They knew she could because her father did. Her dad also has a profound hearing loss. Graduating in the top of her high school class, Monique went on to college.  Monique led the way for many more babies who are deaf and hard of hearing to have the opportunity to listen and talk in Massachusetts.

Chris DeWolfe

Chris DeWolfe started in the Gloucester Public School A-V program as a three year old. The picture of Louise and Charles DeWolfe carrying their toddler “kicking and screaming” down the hall with his hearings in their hands for the first session is a memorable one. Chris developed into a charming youngster who became a spokesperson for AVCC. Many times he just happened to drop by the office for a friendly visit when a new family was there. Always a smile on his face, Chris loves to talk to people. Parents who meet him want their children to listen and talk like he does. Many parents share their thoughts like; “ Meeting Chris gave us the inspiration and the dream we eventually realized for our son.” An avid athlete, he was a star pitcher for the Gloucester High baseball team. He went on to graduate from Salem State College. He now works as a teacher.

Mark Moloney

Mark Moloney is living proof that children do not have to sit at a table for AVT! Always on the go, this toddler gave his parents some exercise as they made listening part of Mark’s life. Janet and Bill Moloney knew A-V was their choice. Bill said; “It was very important to us that our son learn our language. Before age four he could converse with anyone despite a profound hearing loss. When you explain Auditory-Verbal therapy to people, they understand that it is a logical approach and can instantly see its benefits.” Janet understood her role as a primary teacher for Mark and requested two sessions per week; “One for him and one for me”, she clarified. Mark graduated from Chelmsford High School in 2003 as a member of the National Honor Society. He played football, hockey, and lacrosse. Of AVCC Janet writes; “You placed the most important first cornerstone, as you taught him to listen and speak- such an incredibly valuable gift. He has grown from an active toddler to a confident, enthusiastic, and successful young man.” He is now at Fairfield University in Connecticut. The Moloneys showed their appreciation for the Auditory-Verbal Approach by contributing scholarship assistance in memory of Mark’s grandparents; The Bernius Scholarship. This fund assists many families attending AVCC who need financial assistance.

Geoffrey Homer

Geoffrey Homer was the first baby from Maine to learn to listen at AVCC. The Homers joined the ranks of many who commuted long distances for the weekly AVT sessions. Shirley usually brought Geoffrey for AVT, but often there was a phone call from Chet asking how Geoffrey did and what he could do to help his son that week.

Geoffrey graduated from the same high school as his dad, the prestigious Belmont Hill School in Belmont, MA. Belmont Hill has a tradition of encouraging the boys to “pause and consider those special people who earlier in their lives played an important role to shape the person they have become.” Geoffrey chose to nominate his Auditory-Verbal Therapists. Jim and I were thrilled to be invited to the graduation ceremony to see our student receive his diploma and also a special prize. The following is what Mr. Melvoin, the Head of the School, said;

“In 1983 the Paul W. Wright Prize was inaugurated by a vote of the faculty. It is described as follows: ‘That it is to be given only in recognition of a clearly unusual and specific achievement.’ The procedures for the nomination and selection of the recipients were designed to ensure that the spirit of the award remain faithful to its purpose. It is not awarded every year. In fact, it has been awarded only four times in the past. It is being given this morning to someone whose status at Belmont Hill has been unusual from the beginning. This young man has faced challenges most of us cannot imagine. To one who is profoundly deaf, hearing aids do not provide normal hearing. As his doctor wrote, they are not like glasses – or if they are, they are “glasses smeared with mud.” We cannot understand the chronic fatigue that comes when one is deaf. Yet here we have a student who, without fuss or complaint, has embraced fully the challenges of this rigorous school. A hard working student, a loyal friend, a good citizen – and even a Globe All-Scholastic skier and League MVP, this man lives fully, without attention or extraordinary support in our cacophonous world. In recognition of his perseverance, his talents and his good will and spirit, the faculty proudly awards the Paul W. Wright Prize to Geoffrey B. Homer.”

Geoffrey is continuing his education at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Early on in the therapy process, the Homers wanted to do something to help others have the opportunity they realized was so beneficial for them and their son. In 1989 they started the Geoffrey Foundation supporting the pursuit, research and advancement of Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Through this scholarship program Auditory-Verbal Therapy is made more accessible for families across the United States who are living the Auditory-Verbal Philosophy of “listening as a way of life.” The Geoffrey Foundation awards scholarship every year so others who are deaf and hard of hearing can learn to maximize access to sound, listen, and learn spoken language.

Celebrating the success of AVT for these families hopefully will inspire more families to know that Auditory-Verbal Therapy is the right choice for them.