“LSLS professionals focus on education, guidance, advocacy, family support and the rigorous application of techniques, strategies and procedures that promote optimal acquisition of spoken language through listening by newborns, infants, toddlers and children who are deaf or hard of hearing.” AG Bell

How do we promote the ‘rigorous application of techniques & strategies’ if we haven’t really defined them as a field? There is not a set definition, nor one body of work that defines these “strategies”. Sometime different terms are used to describe the same thing!

Those wanting to be certified, or any professionals serving children who are deaf and hard of hearing whose families have chosen a listening and spoken language outcome, should know and use these strategies because all children can benefit

Professionals are coaching and guiding families to develop their child’s listening and spoken languages skills through the implementation of specific strategies and techniques. The terms “strategies” and “techniques” are often used together, but they do not mean the same thing.

A strategy is a specific plan utilized to achieve a goal. It is a plan to move from Point A to Point B. In order to choose the correct listening and spoken language strategy, the therapist must be able to be diagnostic in their work. By continuously analyzing the child’s strengths and needs, anticipating the child’s response, and implementing the correct strategy at the correct time, they can help the parent to develop these skills as well. Knowledge of a variety of the listening and spoken language strategies is the first step in a learning trajectory. A professional must not only know which strategy to use to reach a determined goal, but must have the ability to model for parents and other professionals, and the ability to coach the appropriate use of the strategy. We can discuss later the importance of choosing strategies based on goals, just as we choose goals first, then activities!

A technique is the way a professional goes about using the strategies. A technique is a way of presenting information or a style of teaching that may vary from therapist to therapist and teacher to teacher. There are many techniques that a LSLS may utilize that are not considered strategies. These techniques are the method of presenting the strategy.

I like to describe the “flow” of my strategies. As we delve into each strategy I will start to illustrate how strategies can be easily and naturally chained together to heighten their effectiveness.

Share below which strategies you already know and use and which ones you would like to know more about! I have some great research to share about the use of the upcoming strategies by professionals nationwide.

If you want to get a head start on strategies, click on the ebook link at the top of the page and download your free copy!

**TRM (True Radical Moment) The first strategy will only apply to children who have auditory access to sound through hearing aids or cochlear implants. The following strategies will have additional suggestions for how to use them to facilitate language with children who do not have access to the speech spectrum (but have access to other sounds) or children who use visual communication. I believe that these strategies can assist caregivers and professionals in facilitating language, regardless of communication mode. Please politely leave feedback with your thoughts as this series progresses. I am open to feedback about how my implementation of these strategies in a visual communication (Total Communication or sign language) setting is the same or different from others**