The Sound Steps Podcast

The Sound Steps Podcast
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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 first babble to a teenager’s quick wit, each conversation reveals the art and science of spoken language development, helping children with hearing impairment develop fluent spoken language, clear speech, and confidence, one sound step at a time.  💡 Hear practical tips you can use today.  💬 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 

  1. 5d ago

    Raising A Humourous Deaf Teenager

    “Baby Llama! Mama ain’t buying this drama!” How do you weave humour into your everyday conversations at home? In this penultimate Episode 23, an ebullient Rebecca Rajkumar engages with Shefali Shah, a LSLS Cert. AVT professional, to share how she and her husband instilled a sense of humour in their profoundly deaf son. Explaining jokes and then modelling key lines was a technique they found particularly useful. A wide social circle of which their son was always a part, contributed to his growing up confident and advocating for himself.  Nurturing your relationship with your growing deaf teenager through conversation and ongoing discussion in which there are no taboo subjects, is key to raising a confident young adult.  Listen. Learn. Talk.This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 21 Instil a sense of humour in  your growing child by immersing him in fun-filled family life  Explain jokes especially sarcasm. Weave the subtleties of humour into your family conversation and every day exchanges. Developing self-advocacy skills is critical. Build a wide social circle. Discuss topics of interest together within your family life. Time Stamp: 00:00 The Auditory-Verbal journey begins 01:12 Do children have an innate sense of humour? 01:22 Introducing our guest: Rebecca Rajkumar 02:08 Participating in extra-curricular activities at school 03:03 Academic work  03:34 Socialising at school and in the community 04:06 Self-advocacy 04:40 Getting back to work 05:17 Sarcasm 05:50 Humour defuses flashpoints! 07:41 How to instil humour in your child 09:12 Cooking as a channel to build vocabulary and expressive language 10:12 Growing up with parents who tease each other  10:45 Explaining jokes 11:00 Using a language rich model 11:30 Family conversation as an engine to power appreciation of humour 12:24 Videos to build understanding of humour 13:45 Timing of the delivery of punchline is critical   13:50 Breaking jokes down, explaining them, modelling and practicing 14:17 Appreciating the subtleties of humour  16:03 Weaving humour into all aspects of family life:bylines of books too! 16:35 Always being a part of family life and its circle of friends 17:24 Nothing was off limits within the family circle 17:44 Wanting to follow jokes and family conversations 18:00 Family Conversations on topics of mutual interest: e.g. History 18:46 To be a citizen of the modern world, free of prejudice 19:15 Discussing Slavery 19:36 Current affairs 20:21 Re-wording and changing presentation 21:19 Self-regulation 22:38 Putting others at ease 23:15 Instilling compassion 24:33 Sports training :Tennis 26:55 Participating in family social events 28:26 Self Advocacy 29:00 Keeping Perspective 29:33 Upcoming episode: Proud Parents of a deaf or Hard of Hearing Child: This could be your reality! 🔗 Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk

    Raising A Humourous Deaf Teenager

  2. Aug 16

    Getting Ready to Graduate From Early Intervention Services: Your Deaf Child and You

    After all your diligent and consistent follow-up in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, your deaf or hard of hearing child’s development is comparable to those of her peers! Graduation from Early Intervention Services celebrates this milestone! As you and your family prepare for this major event in your child’s life, you linger, struggling to let go of all those who have supported you to come to this point. In Episode 22, Shefali Shah, a LSLS Cert. AVT professional, in conversation with Simi and Chandresh Rugani from her in-person practice in London, UK, reflect on the milestones gone by that facilitated age-appropriate development in their now 4 year old hearing-aided son. They express their gratitude for availing of Genetic Testing. As they celebrate, these parents like so many others, are wistful as they reflect on all the support they have received through early intervention. In a lively conversation with Shefali, the Rughanis share heart-warming experiences from their son’s life to illustrate how his confidence and sense of humour have grown significantly as his vocabulary expanded! Confident, self-possessed and with a delightful sense of humour, this wonderful 4 year old jokes about his quirky ear moulds and is enjoying life in his neighbourhood and at school!  Listen. Learn. Talk.This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 21 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a finite service: you and your deaf child graduate from early intervention services. Pretend Play can be a powerful tool to build language competence and confidence. The challenges of school: listening in noise and listening at a distance. Developing self-advocacy skills is critical. The influence of social skills on self-confidence. Genetic Testing is valuable. Live one day at a time. Time Stamp: 00:00 The Auditory-Verbal journey begins 01:06 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is modelled on typical development in children 01:13 Auditory-Verbal Therapy facilitates age-appropriate development 01:58 Readiness to graduate from early intervention services 02:30 Introducing our guests: Simi and Chandresh Rughani  02:58 Ready to graduate from the early intervention service 03:13 Encouragement and positive feedback at school 04:10 Confident and interactive 04:37 Readiness for talking over the telephone 05:27 The challenge of listening at school: listening in noise and at a noise 06:04 Developing self-advocacy skills 06:48 Listening and following along in class 07:27 Keeping up with games and their rules at school  09:50 Building friendships with the children in the neighbourhood 10:10 Play Dates and birthday parties 11:03 Role Play to develop social skills 11:34 AV Technique: Sabotage 13:13 Having an opinion  14:18 Offering an explanation 14:58 A sense of humour  17:06 Self confidence 17:50 A supportive school environment 17:59 Niggling worries linger 18:18 The value of Genetic Testing 18:27 Fear of the unknown 18:57 The long term: graduating from services 20:29 Self-belief 21:00 Living one day at a time 21:16 Summary: On-going tracking of your child’s development 21:43 Upcoming episode: Raising a Humourous Deaf Teenager! 🔗 Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk

    Getting Ready to Graduate From Early Intervention Services: Your Deaf Child and You

  3. Aug 1

    Transformation: The New Me! Parenting A Deaf Child Or Hard Of Hearing Child

    Your journey parenting a child who is deaf or hard of hearing is one that you chart together. We work collaboratively in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, with both you and your child so that you transform into a confident, competent parent. How does this transformation occur? In this twenty-first episode, Shefali coaches a mother from her online practice at Sound Steps, as she reflects on her transformative journey. Over a period of eight months, Rashi Sanghi, has become fearless. Together they explore how this transformation occurred. In this deep conversation with Shefali Shah, a LSLS Cert. AVT professional, Shefali guides the listener to acknowledge how important it is to trust the process and more importantly to trust yourself. Listen. Learn. Talk. This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 21 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a collaboration between the family and LSL professional. Competent, confident parents drive therapy. Trust the process. Trust yourself. Success begets success. Success frees you of inhibition and limitation. Time Stamp: 00:00 The Auditory-Verbal journey begins 01:06 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is modelled on typical development in children 01:58 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents 02:40 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development 02:58 Ready to graduate from the early intervention service 03:11 Abundant choices open up through AVT 03:49 A life free of limitations 03:53 Show notes & Top Tips 04:10 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a collaboration 04:30 Building competence and confidence in parents and their parenting skills 04: 41 Parents drive therapy 04:49 Coming to terms with the diagnosis of hearing loss in your infant or young child  05:08  Pro-active parenting 05:11 Spontaneous parenting 05:30 Special thanks to our guest: Rashi Sanghi 05:34 Tracking the change in parent over eight months 06:07 Casting off diffidence 06:23 Hesitation  07:03 Free of inhibition 07:33 Transformation  08:10 Free of fear 08:40 Love of books 08:57 Pre-judging 10:13 Innovative and Intuitive 11:07 Guiding your child’s development of spoken language & speech intuitively 12.32 Creating learning opportunities 12.55 Reflecting on past fears 13:13 Living free of limitations 13.31 Context gives meaning  13:43 Creating abundant learning opportunities  13:59 The effects of transformation on your parenting style 14:38 A mutually supportive environment 14:43 Imagination blossoms 15:44 Investing in your child 17:35 Creating “real” experiences 18:46 The parent drives therapy 19:07  Self-belief 20:10  Creativity feeds learning 21:06  Trust the process 21:22  Trust yourself 21:52  Success begets success 22:07  Success frees you of inhibition and self-doubt 23:20 This could be you! 23:44  Upcoming episode: Getting ready to graduate! 🔗 Resources Mentioned in this Episode: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk

    Transformation: The New Me! Parenting A Deaf Child Or Hard Of Hearing Child

  4. Jul 16

    Passive Listening: Learning Through Overhearing

    Human beings can’t turn their hearing off: we hear through every waking (and often sleeping) moment. Each day offers countless listening opportunities, layered one over the other, competing for our brain’s attention. Our brain is constantly filtering out these competing incoming speech or sound signals if they are identified as “background noise”. Listening and paying attention in noisy environments is exhausting, even for those with normal hearing. It is especially daunting for your deaf or hard of hearing child. In this enlightening twentieth episode, Shefali Shah walks us through the wonder of passive listening: the ability to sift information to overhear and absorb the spoken message without being directly addressed. As families share their joy at witnessing their child learning new vocabulary  through eavesdropping on family conversations, we are reminded that these moments are not accidents: they are signs of strong auditory-verbal development. When listening becomes a habit, deaf or hard of hearing children learn through overhearing, just like children with typical hearing. They participate wholeheartedly in life, grounded in their sense of connection to their family and community. Passive Listening is an essential learning skill. This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 20 Humans do not have ear lids. We hear even when we’re not trying to, as do our children. Passive Listening is spontaneous. It happens naturally and constantly. Attending to the relevant speech signal. The brain selects which speech signal to attend to; the other signals become part of an auditory background. Passive Listening gives us a sense of belonging. Passive Listening connects us to  community or our environment, making us feel secure. Overhearing conversation helps learning:  Children who overhear conversations begin learning without direct teaching, a hallmark of typical development. Time Stamps:00:00:00 Introduction00:02:21 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents00:02:31 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child00:02:43 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development00:03:32 Abundant choices open up through AVT00:03:59 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.00:04:07 A life free of limitations00:04:16 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps00:04:25 Links and contact details00:04:30 Resources00:04:37 Auditory-Verbal Techniques00:04:54 Auditory-Verbal Techniques : Sabotage00:05:20 Hearing cannot be switched-off in those with typical hearing00:05:51 Meaning of Passive Listening00:06:58 The importance of Passive Listening00:10:25 Validate your child’s passive listening experience in conversation 00:12:19 Listening becomes a habit00:14:49 Overhearing conversation to learn00:18:24 Supporting auditory-memory00:19:56 Monitoring Passive Listening00:21:19 Becoming an independent learner00:26:03 Reflection 00:26:31 Our next episode: Transformation: the new me! Resources: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk

    Passive Listening: Learning Through Overhearing

  5. Jul 1

    Noisy Spaces & Your Deaf Child

    Quiet spaces provide the deaf or hard of hearing child with the clearest listening opportunities. These are moments where the speech signal is received without competing noise.  This nineteenth episode, draws on Shefali Shah’s in-person practice and follows through on a father’s insight, that: “In order for a child to talk clearly, she must hear clearly.” However, life is noisy. School settings, playgrounds, birthday parties, and restaurants are filled with competing sounds. Background noise masks the clarity of speech, making it harder for a deaf or hard of hearing child to listen, pay attention, imitate, understand and respond appropriately. Listening in noise is not only harder, it is more tiring. This “auditory fatigue” can drain a child’s focus and energy long before the day is over. Shefali recommends asking your child’s audiologist for strategies to make classrooms acoustically supportive and how the hearing technology on your child’s devices can support her at school. She further recommends choosing school placement carefully as smaller, more acoustically friendly classrooms and accessories such as remote microphone systems can support your deaf child. She also shows how Auditory-Verbal Therapy prepares children for real-world noise, training their listening skills so they can thrive in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Noise may compete for attention, but with the right support and practice, your deaf or hard of hearing child can learn to cope so that she enjoys life! This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 19 Listening in quiet provides the best listening opportunities. Quiet spaces make it possible for the child to receive a clear speech signal. Noise is an interference. Noise compromises the reception of a clear speech signal. Auditory fatigue. Listening for prolonged periods is tiring. Listening in noise can get exhausting. School settings, playgrounds, birthday parties and restaurants are noisy spaces.   Choose school placement carefully: Smaller class size with fewer children provide more supportive listening and learning environments. Practice listening in noise: This sets the child up for success at school. Acoustic treatment at school and the use of accessories. Consult your audiologist for recommendations on how the hearing technology on your child’s devices can support her at school. Time Stamps:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:33 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents00:01:42 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child00:02:15 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development00:02:44 Abundant choices open up through AVT00:03:11 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.00:03:17 A life free of limitations00:03:30 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps00:03:38 Links and contact details00:03:43 Resources00:03:52 Listening in quiet00:04:38 Listening in noise00:04:49 Listening in noise gets tiring00:05:14 School settings and playgrounds are noisy00:07:49 Noise detracts from the clarity of the speech signal00:08:09 Choosing school placement00:08:40 Participating in games on the playground00:09:01 Explaining the rules of games00:10:04 Practice listening in noise00:11:14 Acoustic treatment at school00:11:42 Accessories on hearing devices and setting up FM systems at school 00:12:56 Reflection00:13:34 Our next episode: Passive Listening or Overhearing Resources: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk Resources:1. Listening in Noise & Auditory Fatigue Nelson, P. B., & Soli, S. D. (2000). Acoustical Barriesrs to Learning: Children at Risk in Every Classroom. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 31(4), 356–361. 2.FM Systems and Classroom Acoustics American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Classroom Acoustics: Recommended Standards.                                                              https://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Classroom-Acoustics/ https://www.asha.org Flexer, C. (2004). The Importance of Sound for Developing Spoken Language. Seminars in Hearing, 25(2):131-140 Crandell, C. C., & Smaldino, J. J. (2000). Classroom acoustics for children with normal hearing and with hearing impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 31(4), 362–370.

    Noisy Spaces & Your Deaf Child

  6. Jun 30

    Clear Speech in Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child

    In this essential eighteenth episode, Shefali Shah takes us on an auditory journey, sharing authentic sound bites from her own AVT practice. We listen in as infants and toddlers progress through the natural stages of pre-speech: from early vocal play, to babbling,  jargon, imitation and first words as they thrive in environments that support their listening, learning and talking. The episode offers a rich understanding of how listening, language, and speech are closely intertwined. Talking is the outcome of a consistent period of listening time. Language and speech development follow a universal hierarchy in which listening precedes speech. Speech sounds too follow a natural sequence, with early emerging speech sounds invariably preceding and preparing for the emergence of later developing sounds.  A couple in Shefali’s online practice, shares their delight in the emergence of intelligible speech in their cochlear-implanted toddler as they discover that there is a universal order to the production of speech sounds and learn what to expect and how to monitor and support their daughter’s age-appropriate speech development. Clear speech is the result of diligent preparation. This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 18 Clear speech emerges from clear listening: Ensure your child has optimal access to sound with well-functioning hearing devices. Talking precedes listening: Talking is the outcome of a consistent period of listening time. Train your child’s listening: The presence of hearing loss means that your child needs to be trained to listen, even with modern hearing technology. Your baby will talk when she is ready to talk: The simple and daily acts of swallowing and chewing strengthen and prepare your baby’s oral mechanism for speech. Pre-Speech development: Vocalisations, babbling and Jargon precede first words. Follow the natural stages of development of Speech sounds: There is a universal order to the development of speech sounds.                                                                              Time Stamps:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:10 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents00:01:25 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child00:01:50 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development00:02:02 Abundant choices open up through AVT00:02:47 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.00:02:53 A life free of limitations00:03:06 Introduction to this episode00:03:42 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps00:03:54 Links and contact details00:04:00 Resources00:04:45Development in infants with typical hearing 00:05:19 We talk as we hear00:06:34 Talking presupposes listening00:09:39 Your baby will talk when she is ready to talk00:09:56 Speech readiness00:11:40 Pre-speech development00:13:29 Vocalisations00:14:10 Babbling00:15:01 Vocalisation Vs Babbling00:15:27 Delayed or absent babbling00:15:53 Babbling develops with social interaction00:17:18 Jargon00:20:08 First words00:20:24 new word combinations emerge00:21:08 Sentences emerge00:21:30 Conversation is both the base plate and the apex of the Spoken language development 00:22:40 The Hierarchy of speech sound production00:25:10 Monitor your growing child’s speech development00:29:19 Engaging your baby through Conversation 00:29:46 Reflection00:30:57 Our next episode: Noisy Spaces Resources: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk 📚 ResourcesFor Professionals and Parents: Estabrooks, W., MacIver-Lux, K., & Rhoades, E. (Eds.). (2020). Auditory-Verbal Therapy: For Young Children with Hearing Loss and Their Families, and the Practitioners Who Guide Them (2nd ed.). Plural Publishing.

    Clear Speech in Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child

  7. Jun 30

    Self-monitoring with clear analysis

    Self-monitoring is the invisible skill that allows children to reflect, adapt, and regulate, so as to learn independently and grow. In this seventeenth episode, Shefali Shah demonstrates with three-and-a-half and four year old deaf children  how Auditory-Verbal Therapy systematically fosters the ability to self-monitor speech intelligibility and language usage. As listening becomes deeply internalised, a deaf or hard of hearing child begins to observe herself, spontaneously modifying her language and speech, to align with increasing accuracy with the patterns she hears around her. This intentional shift in responsibility is central to Auditory-Verbal Therapy and is in accordance with Principle 8. Self-monitoring is both subtle and powerful as it characterises the independent learner. This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 17 Follow Principle 8 of AVT. Professionals and caregivers support the child in self-monitoring her spoken language through listening.  Foster maturity for self-regulation: Children learn to observe, monitor, and adjust their language and speech, to align with expectations.                 Self-regulation is foundational: Self-regulation sets the stage for independent learning.                                                                                                              Speech clarity through listening: Self-monitoring ensures spontaneous, continuous adjustment of speech and language based on the auditory feedback loop. Pull back intentionally. Parents and professionals gradually withdraw active correction, giving space for the child to monitor and self-correct. Practice matters: Finely tuned listening skills support accurate imitation of speech and language norms. Time Stamps:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:30  90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents00:01:39 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child00:02:14 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development00:02:40 Abundant choices open up through AVT00:03:07 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.00:03:15 A life free of limitations00:03:23 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps00:03:34 Links and contact details00:03:43 Resources00:03:49 Principle 8 of AVT: Self-monitoring00:04:07 Meaning of self-monitoring00:05:17 Self-monitoring critical to independent learning00:05:30 An efficient tool to maintain speech intelligibility00:06:08 Self-Practice00:07:34 Intentional pull back00:08:05 Analysis of short demo00:14:13 Reflection00:15:02 Our next episode: Clear Speech Resources: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk 📚 ResourcesFor Professionals & Parents Estabrooks, D., Morrison, H. M., & MacIver-Lux, K. (2020). Auditory-Verbal Therapy: For Young Children with Hearing Loss and Their Families, and the Practitioners Who Guide Them.  Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168.  National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (Harvard University). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function. https://developingchild.harvard.edu Self-Monitoring Speech Paul, R., & Norbury, C. (2012). Language Disorders from Infancy through Adolescence.

    Self-monitoring with clear analysis

  8. May 16

    Reading: Moving Beyond Words with Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child

    Your six month old infant is ready to be read to! In this delightful sixteenth episode, Shefali Shah is joined by Simi Rughani and Rashi Sanghi to experience the joy of reading aloud to their toddler. Follow Shefali’s practical guidance on how to choose developmentally appropriate books, to harness your child’s wholehearted participation. Books open up new worlds. The research shows that early reading is a strong predictor of lifelong academic success. Enjoy listening to mothers reading to their toddlers, moving beyond mere labelling to unlock the subtle messages of the story. Witness an emerging Theory of Mind(ToM), as the toddler demonstrates his emerging appreciation of perspective. Reading is fun! Share the fun of reading with your child! This is The Sound Steps Podcast.🎧 Top Tips from Episode 16 Babies are ready to be read to by the age of 6 months. Prop your baby up against large cushions as guided by your professional, if she is able to sit independently. Choose books wisely. Select books that are appropriate to your child’s stage of development. Move beyond labelling. Use books as opportunities to expand your child’s vocabulary, expressive language and thinking skills. Understanding perspective. Help your child notice that the reader often knows more than the story characters, laying the foundation for Theory of Mind (ToM). Time Stamps:00:00:00 Introduction00:01:28 Introducing our guests in this episode: Simi Rughani and Rashi Sanghi 00:02:00 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents00:02:10 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child00:02:49 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development00:03:12 Abundant choices open up through AVT00:03:37 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.00:03:44 A life free of limitations00:03:53 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps00:04:03 Links and contact details00:04:11 Resources00:04:42 Suggested reading for young children00:04:50 Reading score is a reliable predictor of lifelong academic achievement 00:05:24 Reading to infants00:06:41 Move away from mère labelling as you read to your infant00:07:00 Making each page come alive00:08:27 Reading to toddlers00:09:08 Transitioning to books with involved plots00:10:58 Comprehending the subtleties of the storyline00:11:10 Understanding Perspective00:11:39 Emerging Theory of Mind00:17:07 Reflection00:17:21 Our next episode: Self-monitoring Resources: 💬 Submit your question to the show: https://www.soundsteps.uk/podcast-ask-question/ 👩‍⚕️ Face-to-face AVT with Shefali Shah (London): https://soundsteps.uk 🌐 Online AVT sessions available via AVT Direct: https://avtdirect.com 🎓 Train online as an LSL professional in AVT: https://learnavt.com 📧 Contact Shefali directly: shefalishah@soundsteps.uk ResourcesFor Professionals & Parents A simple map of typical Theory of Mind development. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiT7HFj2gv4 Astington, J. W., & Edward, M. J. (2010). The development of theory of mind in early childhood. In The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development (pp. 258–284). Wiley-Blackwell. Books For Infants & Toddlers: Browne E., (2004) Handa’s Surprise Buckingham, M., (2007), Peek-a-boo Penguins Hoose, P and H., ( 1998), Hey, little Ant Rathmann, P., (2012), Goodnight Gorilla Sheneman, D, ( 2017), Nope! A Story of First Flight!

    Reading: Moving Beyond Words with Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child
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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 first babble to a teenager’s quick wit, each conversation reveals the art and science of spoken language development, helping children with hearing impairment develop fluent spoken language, clear speech, and confidence, one sound step at a time.  💡 Hear practical tips you can use today.  💬 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 

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  • Creator
    The Sound Steps Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The Sound Steps Podcast