The Sound Steps Podcast

Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, exploring fluent spoken language development, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development, in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, through the transformative power of listening and parent-centred Auditory-Verbal Therapy, one sound step at a time.

In this fourth episode, Shefali Shah invites you to reflect on why we sometimes limit the nature and depth of our engagement with our deaf or hard of hearing toddler. Through this conversation she explains the repercussions of the assumptions we make about what our toddler can or cannot understand, on her spoken language development. When we pre‑judge our toddler’s ability, we unintentionally withhold the very language, stimulation, and interaction she needs to learn and thrive.

In conversation with Rashi Sanghi, mother of a bi-lateral cochlear implant recipient, in the early days of Auditory-Verbal Therapy, Shefali Shah guides, coaches, and reshapes her approach to spoken language development in her child with hearing loss, revisiting real moments of daily interaction. Together, they rework these situations to restore variety and richness, using the techniques of Auditory-Verbal Therapy such as Sabotage and Modelling to accelerate the development of both receptive and expressive spoken language.

Toddler development tells us that young children are constantly telling and showing us what they've understood and whether they are ready to move on. Are we observant enough to trust them?

This is The Sound Steps Podcast.

🎧 Top Tips from Episode 4
Bring abundance, variety and richness of experiences into every day. This positions your child to build new connections in language and thinking.

Observe your child and trust her. Resist pre-judging your child. 

Use Sabotage wisely. Intentional interruption invites natural language use and sustains attention.

Keep Modelling. This accelerates the development of receptive and expressive language in your deaf or hard of hearing toddler.

Time Stamps:

00:00:00 Introduction to this episode
00:01:03 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child
00:01:35   90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:41 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:43 Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:03:07 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.
00:03:15 A life free of limitations           
00:03:24 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps
00:03:33Links and contact details
00:03:42 Resources on this topic
00:03:47 Introducing our guest: Rashi Sanghi
00:04:30 The Sound Steps Podcast is rooted in the real-life experiences of Sound Steps’ families
00:04:40 AV Techniques 
00 :04:58: AV Technique: Sabotage
00:05:21: AV Technique: Modelling
00:05:52 Do we have preconceived notions about what our toddler can or will understand?
00:6:11 Explaining to our child through books
00:06:21 Hesitating 
00:06:41 Doubt
00:06:58 How to determine readiness
00:07:07 Preparation
00:07:11 Can one ever know the readiness of another?
00:07:27 Trust your child
00:07:57 Holding off on pre-judging the other
00:08:09 Offer our child a banquet of experiences and spoken language opportunities
00:08:20 Abundance, Variety and Richness
00:08:33 Steady progress
00:09:36 Appreciating the other
00:10:00 Using the language of emotion and appreciation
00:10:20 Sufficiency of experiences
00:10:37 Bringing sufficiency into Follow-up
00:10:52 Generalisation
00:11:01 Sufficiency of experience generates a strong foundation with which to create 
00:11:33 Creating new connections in language development
00:12:47 Modelling
00:13:10 Sabotage
00:13:44 Understanding that using one’s voice fulfils my needs.
00:14:58 Typical development in 21+ month olds
00:15:30 The need for generalisation 
00:16:31 Bringing in the richness of linguistic experiences
00:16:40 Let’s not pre-judge
00:17:09 Lay out a diet of enriched language experiences
00:17:17 Encourage your child to show you what she wants to learn.
00:17:34 Using Sabotage to support the development of expressive language 
00:18:52 Engage but also observe and analyse
00:19:36 The value of Generalisation.
00:20:20 Neural plasticity
00:20:45 Allow your child to demonstrate what she is ready to absorb
00:21:34 Steer engagement based on your child’s readiness and willingness as demonstrated 
00:22:05Context conveys meaning
00:22:40 Let’s not put our children on a diet
00:22:47 Offer a feast
00:23:00 Reflection
00:23:35  Our next episode features a celebrity guest: Warren Estabrooks


🔗 Links:

Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, exploring fluent spoken language development, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development, in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, through the transformative power of listening and parent-centred Auditory-Verbal Therapy, one sound step at a time

In this third episode, Shefali Shah is joined by a resilient couple of a child with hearing loss in a live, in-person conversation at her London practice, at Sound Steps.

Listen to their quiet, honest admissions.

Rejoice in their transformation, learning to enjoy Auditory-Verbal Therapy, applying techniques in Auditory-Verbal Therapy and parenting to stay in the moment, physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and verbally, as they support their daughter, a bilateral cochlear implant recipient.

An eye-opening experience indeed.

This is The Sound Steps Podcast.

🎧 Top Tips from Episode 3

Plan with purpose. Clear planning helps track and follow up on weekly AVT targets with focus and intent.

Use language meaningfully. Embed targets into every day to support comprehension.

Let your child show you. Let’s not pre-judge ability; observe how your child responds to know what’s too hard or just right.

Context matters. What seems difficult is easily understood when used meaningfully in familiar, relatable situations.

Use Sabotage strategically. This AV technique creates a genuine need to talk and quickly engages your child.

Refresh vocabulary. Once a word or concept is understood, replace them with synonyms and new contexts to deepen comprehension.

Change fosters growth. Variation keeps your child’s brain alert and learning.

Communication is a need. The desire to share fuels listening and attention, propelling your child to talk.

Make learning joyful. Listening and learning is fun! 

Stay in the moment. AVT reminds you to stay spontaneous: physically, mentally, emotionally, cognitively, and verbally engaging with your child.

AVT becomes a way of life. With time, this intentional way of engaging becomes a habit, fuelling development beyond expectation.

Time Stamps:

00:00:01 Introduction
00:01:09 Ninety percent of children who are deaf or hard of hearing are born to parents with normal hearing.
00:02:03 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development.
00:02:23 Abundant choices.
00:02:49 Sophisticated hearing technology, early identification and commencement of effective services shape excellent outcomes.
00:03:03 Show notes, Top Tips, Time Stamps, Links with contact details and Resources.
00:03:27Auditory-Verbal Technique: Sabotage.
00:04:07 A bumpy start for some children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 
00:04:30 Introducing our guests for this episode.
00:04:49 Changing the ways you engage your child.
00:05:15  Clearer speech.                                          
00:05:59 Immediate and abundant praise. 
00:06:25 Strengthening neural connections and auditory memory for future recall.    
00:07:18 Planning is key. 
00:07:13 Planning ways to make language demonstrable to the child. 
00:07:45 Making spoken language meaningful to the child’s situation by using it in a natural contexts.
00:10:00 Letting go of pre-conceived notions that some targets are too hard for your child to understand. 
00:10:22 Allow your child to decide whether something is too hard.
00:10:49 Context conveys meaning.                                           
00:11:23 The AV Technique of Sabotage 
00:12:31  Change ensures growth.
00:13:04  The lack of predictability keeps your child wanting to listen.                           
00:13:42 Creating the need to communicate.                         
00:14:20 Accelerating the pace of learning.  
00:14:32 The child sets the pace of learning.
00:15:23 Incorporating therapy targets through the day.
00:15:46 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is about staying in the moment, physically, mentally, emotionally cognitively and verbally. 
00:16:08 Energising, not tiring.
00:16:58 Capitalising on every opportunity to listen and learn.
00:17:29 Learning language in real-life terms.
00:17:42 Auditory-Verbal-Therapy as  a way of life becomes a habit for both you and your child.
00:17:56 The habit is that you stay in the moment. Your child stays listening and participative.   
00:18:17 Time management.                                                                                           
00:18:56 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is fun and an exciting and liberating experience!  
00:19:45 Being with your deaf or hard of hearing child is fun!
00:19:54 Learning becomes fun for your child.       
00:20:21 Enjoying Parenting. 
00:20:47 An eye-opening experience!
00:21:16 Seeing results is the best motivation!
00:22:30 Staying on track.
00:23:08 Confident Parenting!
00:24:48 Reflection
00:25:25 Upcoming episode: Are we pre-judging our toddler?


🔗 Links:

Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast:Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy,  exploring fluent spoken language development, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development, in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, through the transformative power of listening and parent-centred Auditory-Verbal Therapy, one sound step at a time

In this second episode, Shefali Shah is joined by Timothy D’Souza, a father of a child with bilateral cochlear implants from her in-person practice at Sound Steps, who speaks openly about the denial and heart‑wrenching pain of his son’s diagnosis of hearing loss. Alongside profound deafness, his son faced additional challenges: thin auditory nerves and Sensory Integration Difficulty.

This deep conversation highlights the importance of prioritising yourself, parenting without guilt, so that you can fully support your child who is deaf or hard of hearing.

From the early days of denial to celebrating his hearing impaired son’s constant chatter, Timothy shares how informed decisions, consistency and a creative approach to Auditory-Verbal Therapy, shaped their journey. Seamlessly integrating goals in occupational therapy and speech into weekly targets in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, made this a joyful process, fostering a strong, playful father-son bond that endures. 

This conversation is both poignant and filled with laughter, through the years of teenager development, celebrating the emergence of a compassionate adolescent who is appreciated at school for his empathy. 

This is The Sound Steps Podcast.

🎧 Top Tips from Episode 2

⏱️ Time Stamps

00:00:00    Introduction    
00:01:33    90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:43    Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy
00:02:18    AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:43    Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:03:09   Early identification, sophisticated modern hearing technology and appropriate services
00:03:17   A life free of limitations
00:03:25   Show notes, Top Tips Time Stamps
00:03:35   Links and Contact details
00:03:43   Resources
00:03:47   Diagnosis: Thin auditory nerve and Sensory Integration Difficulties 
00:04:15   Introducing our guest on this episode: Timothy D’souza
00:04:40   Moving on
00:05:38   Denial to action: facing the facts
00:06:42   Action
00:07:36  Raising your child to be the best version of himself 
00:08:13   Isolation
00:08:15   The effects of poor speech intelligibility
00:09:45   Overcoming the challenges through consistent practice
00:09:54    Touch sensitivity
00:10:14    Integrating Occupational Therapy and Speech goals into AVT
00:11:39    Changing perspective
00:12:45   The value of games
00:14:21    Consistency
00:15:00    The value of self-care for parents
00:18:31    Bonding
00:18:41    Handling tantrums
00:19:48    Consistency and managing behaviour
00:20:56    An extra-ordinary relationship
00:21:46    Empathy and emotional maturity
00:22:26    An exceptionally special bond
00:23:11    Reflection
00:23:49   Upcoming episode: Auditory-Verbal Beginnings


🔗 Links

💬 Submit a question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/
📧 Contact Shefali directly: [email protected]
👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT (London): https://soundsteps.uk
🌐 Online AVT via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com
🎓 AVT training for professionals: https://learnavt.com

📘 Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Haw5m3Zxvy4  In the Clinic with Dr. A Jean Ayres| The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation

Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, exploring fluent spoken language development, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development, in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, through the transformative power of listening and parent-centred Auditory-Verbal Therapy, one sound step at a time.

Your perfect world has just been upended by a diagnosis you never expected: your newborn has a hearing loss. 

In this opening episode, host Shefali Shah, LSLS Cert. AVT, speaks with mothers of children who are deaf or hard hearing at Sound Steps, who share their early struggles. Brave enough to speak about the wretchedness of those early days, they now celebrate their child’s forthcoming graduation from early intervention, having achieved spoken language development well ahead of age. Each of them chose Auditory-Verbal Therapy, to open up the world of sound and spoken language development for their child, free from the limitations that hearing loss imposes, when not effectively managed.

In openhearted, in-person conversations with Shefali Shah, a globally recognised LSLS Cert. AVT professional, they retrace their journey of pain, confusion, loneliness  and exhaustion as they discover a clear path to a future of abundance, shaped by informed choice and intentional action.

Though each journey was different, their stories echo one truth: with early and appropriate support, parents of children with hearing impairment can guide their child toward a future full of opportunity.

You’ve taken the first step by identifying your child’s hearing loss early. Now listen in  and penetrate the loneliness to emerge an enthusiastic, energised, committed parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing.

 This is The Sound Steps Podcast.

🎧 Top Tips from Episode 1

Choose wisely. Make an informed choice and be guided by the knowledge, experience, and skills of professionals you trust.

Act. The only way to dispel the early loneliness is to move forward.

Know this: the loneliness will pass.

Time Stamps:

00:00:00   Introduction
00:01:09   The Auditory-Verbal journey begins
00:01:30   Identification of hearing loss and confirmed diagnosis
00:01:48   Special thanks to our guests: Priyanka Mahapatra, Pradnya Madhbhavi, and Megha Mawandia
00:02:23    Show notes, Top Tips Time Stamps
00:02:34    Links and contact details
00:02:49   90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:03:30   AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:03:50  Abundant choices open up through AVT 
00:04:17  Early identification, sophisticated hearing technology & appropriate services
00:04:28  A life free of limitations
00:04:38  Diagnosis through newborn hearing screening
00:04:58 Creating a route map; making informed decisions
00:05:17 Choosing how to raise your child and who to work with
00:05:50 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy
00:06:50Addressing loneliness and helplessness in the early days
00:10:40  Commencing Auditory-Verbal Therapy 
00:11:14   Navigating the emotional differences between partners
00:14:48 Family dynamics, reflection, and growth
00:16:40 Support, gratitude, and transformation
00:18:23 Family support
00:20:17 Support at school
00:21:52 Your child is unique 
00:23:38  Build your team
00:23:44  You are not alone
00:24:08   Reflection
00:24:49   Upcoming episode: My Dad!

🔗 Links:

PREVIEW

Coming 1 October 2025…

What if you could hear, in real time, how a child who is deaf or hard of hearing learns to listen, talk, and thrive?

I’m Shefali Shah, LSLS Cert. AVT®, and this is The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Together, we’ll explore how families use Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) to support children with hearing loss in developing spoken language, clear speech, and confidence, one sound step at a time.

From a baby's babble to a teenager's quick wit, each conversation reveals the art and science of spoken language development.

💬 Learn from the voices of parents who’ve been where you are. 

🎧 Experience the joy, the struggles, and the triumphs of enjoying the world of sound. 

New episodes drop on the 1st and 16th of every month. 

Follow now, and take your first sound step toward a wonderfully bright future, for your deaf or hard of hearing child and for you. 

The Sound Steps Podcast