Auditory Verbal Therapy Center setup in Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram for Children with Cochlear Implants
The Auditory Verbal Therapy Center has been established at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College to provide additional hearing, speech, and language training to children who have received cochlear implants. The centre will offer post-habilitation therapy training with the help of modern equipment and systems. The therapy centre was started under the joint auspices of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College ENT Department and Kerala Social Security Mission.
Children with hearing impairments should receive early intervention services from 6 months to 18 months to restore hearing through hearing aids and audio-verbal therapy. Post-habilitation therapy should be mandatory until the child reaches three and a half years of age. Such training is essential to address hearing impairment in children. The center will also provide training on interventions to be done by parents to help the child achieve auditory, speech and language skills.
Presently Auditory Verbal Therapy services are available at Govt Medical College, Kozhikode, National Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (NIPMAR) and National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH).
