Northlake-Dekalb Kiwanis Club Golf Tournament!
Thank You for your support, Kiwanis!
From left to right: Greg Russel, Debbie Brilling and "Red" Morgan.
Kiwanis Support
Northlake-Dekalb Kiwanis Club Golf Tournament!
Thank You for your support, Kiwanis!
From left to right: Greg Russel, Debbie Brilling and "Red" Morgan.
AVC Graduate - Anna Blair Sarsfield
Anna Blair was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss. She attended AVC from February 2001 until the summer of 2005. Anna Blair received her Cochlear Implant in June 2004. She is now at the top of her 2nd grade class and enjoys playing piano, cheerleading and dancing.
AVC Graduate - Kelly Duncan
Kelly was born profoundly deaf in 1977. She attended AVC in 1980, graduating in 1987. Today, she has achieved her dream job and is a member of the Clayton County Fire Department. While training for her dream job, she won the prestigious "Top Rung" Award. She is housed at Station No. 4 in Clayton County.
Meeting the Governor
2009 Center of Excellence
State of Georgia – Governor Sonny Perdue
AVC Staff and Families showing their support:
The AVC Clients and Graduates:
AVC Has Non-Sedated Auditory Brainstem Response Testing
By Nichelei A. Talmore, M.A., CCC-A Clinical Audiologist
The State of Georgia requires all newborns to be screened for hearing loss before leaving the hospital. Any newborn that fails the screening is required to be re-evaluated within one month for early detection of hearing loss. With its new Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) testing system, the Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. (AVC) now has the ability to evaluate newborns whether they are awake, feeding or asleep. We attempt to schedule all new referrals within three to seven days of initial contact.
The ABR is a measurement of how the brain reacts to sound. An ABR test can be performed on patients of any age to see how well sound travels along the auditory nerve pathways from the ear to the brainstem. A computer analyzes changes in brain waves in response to the sounds. This test is used to diagnose hearing loss for those who are hard to test, or cannot be evaluated by traditional hearing tests such as children, as well as site of lesion testing for differentiating conductive, sensory-neural, and retro-cochlear disorders. In addition, ABR can identify central nervous system lesions, like auditory neuropathy, and auditory dys-synchrony, which are not detectable by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
AVC was the first facility in the state of Georgia to purchase the VIVOSONIC INTERGRITY ABR and OAE system the world's first and only Bluetooth wireless system for Auditory Electrophysiological Assessment and Hearing Screening. This system allows patients to be awake during testing. No sedation is necessary. The patented Amplitrode reduces electromagnetic interference from electrical cords, radio frequency noises, overhead lights and physiological artifacts. The Bluetooth wireless part of the device, VivoLink, interfaces with the computer and the recording unit, eliminating electrically conducted noises from the computer and power lines. The advanced digital signal processing technique called Vivography reduces patient muscle artifacts and movement. These three features allow patient evaluation consistent and reliable results.
The VivoLink is very light and runs quickly once the patient is hooked up. The ABR test is performed in a child oriented environment, which allows us to engage the child in play if he/she is awake. The room has a television with a DVD player, a child table and chair, coloring easel, play mat and educational toys. Parents can even recline in our comfortable chairs while holding their child and watching television.
Appointments for non-sedated Auditory Brain Response hearing evaluation can be made by calling The Auditory-Verbal Center, Inc. at (404) 633-8911.
The Silent Miracle - Featuring Debbie Brilling
“With all the advances
in technology
and early screening,
we can all but
eradicate deafness
as a disability.”
DR. SANJAY BHANSALI
Ear Consultants of Georgia
The Silent Miracle
Thanks to Dramatic Technological Advancements,
Childhood Deafness Can Be Curable
WRITTEN BY STEVE EUBANKS
http://www.avchears.org/Images/pointsnorth.pdf
Auditory Verbal Services
Role of Auditory-Verbal Therapists
Therapy Format:
The Auditory-Verbal Therapist (AVT) creates a therapy plan based on the individual child’s hearing capability, stage of development and the parent’s needs. The plan is comprised of weekly sessions and at-home activities that focus on the following:
Session activities…. Follow a natural progressive process wherein the therapist introduces the child to auditory, new language, and cognitive concepts, as well as, expands upon ones taught previously. The session also serves as a diagnostic time for the AVT to assess the child’s progress.
At-home activities… During the session, the AVT also educates the parents so that they have the knowledge and skills to follow-through daily at home in both formal and informal lessons. The AVT provides the parent with a copy of the lesson plan, various articles related to child development and other materials for home use. Structured activities as well as everyday situations are utilized to foster their child’s language development.
Participation:
Therapeutic Timetable:
A baseline evaluation is conducted upon enrollment to determine a child’s skills and needs when entering the program. Completion of the program will be based on the child’s acquisition of age appropriate communication skills, which averages between 2-5 years. Some factors that can affect the length of treatment for a child are: the age at diagnosis, severity of hearing loss, developmental delays, and level of participation by parents.
Home Center:
The Auditory-Verbal Center has a mock home environment used to demonstrate activities as a part of daily living. The Home Center provides families the opportunity to practice A-V strategies they will implement at home. This clinic has also been used to provide 3-5 day intensive programs to families outside of the metro-Atlanta area.
Assistive Listening Devices
Visit our Assistive Listening Device demonstration center today. Our Audiologists can demonstrate various devices to help those with hearing loss enjoy and participate in everyday situations. We offer various devices to help individuals enjoy and participate in everyday situations.
Using a combination of vibration, light and/or amplification signaling, the following products can be modifed to meet your needs:
Phones
Alarm Clocks
Radios
Watches
Monitors
Portable Amplifiers (TV or personal)
Fire Alarms
Door Bells
Hearing Aids
AVC offers a full range of digital, programmable, analog hearing aids, and accessories. On most hearing aid brands, we offer one of the BEST comprehensive service plans in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Most hearing aid purchases include:
30 - 75 Day Trial Periods
3 Year Loss/Damage Warranty and Repair on Sonus Network Manufacturers
1 - 2 Year Loss/Damage Warranty and Repair for NON-Sonus Manufacturers
Unlimited Programming for 1 year at no charge
Free Batteries for 3 years
Free Quarterly Cleanings
We stay abreast of new technology and work only with companys that stand by their products. We sell and service hearing aids from the following manufacturers:
Unitron
Phonak
Audina
Widex
Resound
Oticon
Siemens
Interton
Most brands are offered in the following styles: Completely in the Canal (CIC), In the Ear (ITE), Behind the Ear (BTE) and Slim Tube. We also offer a variety of hearing aid accessories including batteries, storage appliances, seals, lubricants and cleaners.
For a hearing aid consultation or to purchase accessories, please call (404) 633-8911 to schedule an appointment.
Audiology Services
We are pleased to offer a comprehensive list of Audiology services. We are also one of the few organizations in Atlanta that perform non-sedated ABR testing. This test allows newborns or any person to be tested without the use of anesthesia. A complete list of all our services is as follows:
Complete Adult and Pediatric hearing evaluations
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) screening and diagnostic testing
Immittance Testing to test the integrity of the middle ear system
Auditory rehabilitation (cochlear implant recipients)
Custom hearing protectors and plugs (including musician and swim plugs)
Off site hearing screening at schools, daycares and adult health fairs
To schedule any of the above services call: (404) 633-8911.
Complete Adult and Pediatric hearing evaluations
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) screening and diagnostic testing
Immittance Testing to test the integrity of the middle ear system
Auditory rehabilitation (cochlear implant recipients)
Custom hearing protectors and plugs (including musician and swim plugs)
Off site hearing screening at schools, daycares and adult health fairs
Hearing Loss Checklists - Pediatric and Adult
Pediatric:
Early identification of hearing loss and intervention are essential for learning spoken language and facilitating overall growth and development. The following pediatric hearing guide is a great way to monitor how your baby should be responding to sound at a particular age.
Birth to 3 months
- Is he or she startled awake by loud sounds?
- Is he or she soothed by the parent or guardian’s voice?
4 to 6 months
- Does he or she turn toward familiar unseen sounds?
- Does he or she enjoy rattles or noise-making toys?
- Does he or she coo and imitate his or her own sounds?
7 to 10 months
- Does he or she respond when his or her name is called?
- Does he or she understand “no” and “bye-bye”?
- Does he or she turn quickly toward a “sh-sh” when behind him or her?
- Does he or she try to imitate sounds?
- Does he or she try to babble?
11 to 15 months
- Can he or she point to or look at familiar objects when asked?
- Does he or she like the sound of jingles and nursery rhymes?
- Can he or she imitate simple words and sounds?
16 to 18 months
- Can he or she follow simple directions?
- Does he or she have any sinple words?
- Does he or she know his or her own name?
- Is there a noticeable increase in vocabulary by 18 months?
19 to 24 months
- Can he or she follow simple commands without visual cues?
- Can he or she repeat a phrase?
- Does he or she use short phrases in talking?
- Can he or she refer to self by name?
If you answered “No” to even one question, you should have your child evaluated by an audiologist and/or your pediatrician.
Many adults get through everyday life without fully hearing the world around them. Hearing loss usually happens gradually and can greatly affect ones ability to communicate effectively in work, home and social environments.
Take a free 60 second telephone screening by calling 404-633-6340.
- Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
- Do you have trouble following the conversation when two or more people are talking at the same time?
- Do people complain that you turn the TV volume too high?
- Do you have to strain to understand conversation?
- Do you miss some common sounds like the phone or doorbell?
- Do you have trouble hearing conversation in a noisy background, such as a restaurant or party?
- Do you get confused about where sounds are coming from?
- Do you misunderstand some words in a sentence and need to ask people to repeat themselves?
- Do you have more trouble understanding the speech of women and children, as compared to men?
- Have you ever worked in noisy environments, such as assembly lines or construction sites?
- Do people that you talk to seem to mumble?
- Do people get annoyed with you because you misunderstand what they say?
- Have you ever misunderstood what others are saying and made inappropriate responses?
- Do you avoid social activities because you cannot hear well?
- Do your friends or members of your family think you have a hearing loss?
If you answered “Yes” to 1 or more, please call (404) 633-8911 to schedule a hearing evaluation. Quiz was adapted from the America’s Hearing Healthcare Team website.
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