Natural Aural Approach: Guide

Sue Lewis, Alison Holmans and Cate Statham | View as single page | Feedback/Impact

Essential Features of a Natural Aural Approach

The Natural Aural Approach understands the importance of childhood learning experiences within the family, the family’s community and culture and seeks to manage deafness in children in order for them to be able to enjoy, and benefit from all their opportunities.

There are two guiding principles which must be met:

This means: 

  • Effective amplification – the right hearing aid or cochlear implant and other devices for the right child and the environments they are in.  Good well fitting earmoulds. 
  • Consistent amplification – hearing aids that are worn consistently, are working and systems for checking that the child’s listening skills are developing well.
  • Meaningful input 

The language surrounding the child has to be at the appropriate level and have the appropriate challenge for helping the child to think and learn not only language but about the world around them.  In the first instance this is what almost all parents naturally use with their children and is why almost all hearing children learn effectively in their homes.  In Natural Auralism, parental conversational input and play is considered crucial and much time is spent working with parents and then teachers to ensure that their talk with deaf children reflects what are known to be facilitative features.