The Magic of the Wait Cue
Episode 7, Jan 01, 09:00 AM
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Welcome to The Sound Steps Podcast: Conversations in Auditory-Verbal Therapy - exploring the transformative power of listening to develop fluent spoken language, conversational competence, clear speech, and age-appropriate development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing, one sound step at a time.
Communication is more than an exchange: it is a relationship.
In Auditory-Verbal Therapy, this relationship is intentional: something we seed, nurture, and keep working at.
In this seventh episode, Shefali Shah is joined by Nicole Glazebrook: a dedicated and creative professional from her online Learn AVT course, in a deep and insightful conversation about one of the most deceptively simple yet impactful AVT techniques: the Wait Cue.
Together, they explore how waiting, not rushing to fill the silence, creates the space young children need to process language, plan their response, and take ownership of their contribution to the conversation. The Wait Cue fosters trust, stimulates spontaneous language, and builds new cognitive connections.
It also aligns beautifully with the OWL Strategy from the Hanen Centre — Observe, Wait, and Listen: a powerful approach to child-led communication and experience-based learning.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎯Top Tips from Episode 7
Communication is more than an exchange: it is a relationship.
In Auditory-Verbal Therapy, this relationship is intentional: something we seed, nurture, and keep working at.
In this seventh episode, Shefali Shah is joined by Nicole Glazebrook: a dedicated and creative professional from her online Learn AVT course, in a deep and insightful conversation about one of the most deceptively simple yet impactful AVT techniques: the Wait Cue.
Together, they explore how waiting, not rushing to fill the silence, creates the space young children need to process language, plan their response, and take ownership of their contribution to the conversation. The Wait Cue fosters trust, stimulates spontaneous language, and builds new cognitive connections.
It also aligns beautifully with the OWL Strategy from the Hanen Centre — Observe, Wait, and Listen: a powerful approach to child-led communication and experience-based learning.
This is The Sound Steps Podcast.
🎯Top Tips from Episode 7
-
Waiting creates space.
Children need time to process what was said and to design a response. Don’t rush to fill the silence. -
Waiting builds trust and connection.
When we pause with intention, we invite our child to contribute: as a partner, not a passive learner. -
The OWL Strategy is rooted in waiting.
Observe, Wait, and Listen (Hanen Centre) aligns beautifully with AVT and strengthens child-led interaction. -
Waiting facilitates self-regulation.
Giving time helps children reflect, formulate a meaningful response and monitor how they deliver it. -
Trust. Listen. Reflect.
These are the pillars of interaction and the heart of language learning.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Introduction to this episode
00:01:26 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:35 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child
00:02:17 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:35 Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:03:02 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.
00:03:12 A life free of limitations
00:03:20 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps
00:03:30 Links and contact details
00:03:35 Resources on this topic
00:03:57 AV Techniques: Sabotage
00:04:10AV Technique: The Wait Cue
00:05:06 Introducing our guest on this episode: Nicole Glazebrook
00:05:00 Introducing the Wait Cue
00:07:22 Waiting creates Space to process what was said
00:07:36 Takes reflection in order to practice
00:09:07 Waiting facilitates more initiation and participation from the child
00:09:56 Acknowledging that one doesn’t have answers
00:10:15 Becoming a good listener
00:10:47Allows time to observe
00:11:13 Comfortable with and in silence
00:11:29 Creates the Silence and Space for the child to figure things out for herself
00:12:37 Establishes trust
00:13:10 A deliberate Wait
00:13:50 The give-and-take of Waiting
00:14:52Releases pressure
00:15:15 Waiting is a deliberate slowing down of pace
00:16:38 Takes experience and confidence to practice
00:16:58 It’s okay not to have understood
00:17:20 The Hanen Centre: The OWL Strategy
00:19:10 Facilitates self-regulation
00:21:15 A comprehensive technique
00:21:27 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a relationship
00:22:23 Reflection
00:22:54 Our next episode: Living the Targets
00:00:00 Introduction to this episode
00:01:26 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
00:01:35 Choosing Auditory-Verbal Therapy for your deaf or hard of hearing child
00:02:17 AVT facilitates age-appropriate development
00:02:35 Abundant choices open up through AVT
00:03:02 Early identification and the fitting of early and optimal amplification.
00:03:12 A life free of limitations
00:03:20 Show notes, Top tips and Time Stamps
00:03:30 Links and contact details
00:03:35 Resources on this topic
00:03:57 AV Techniques: Sabotage
00:04:10AV Technique: The Wait Cue
00:05:06 Introducing our guest on this episode: Nicole Glazebrook
00:05:00 Introducing the Wait Cue
00:07:22 Waiting creates Space to process what was said
00:07:36 Takes reflection in order to practice
00:09:07 Waiting facilitates more initiation and participation from the child
00:09:56 Acknowledging that one doesn’t have answers
00:10:15 Becoming a good listener
00:10:47Allows time to observe
00:11:13 Comfortable with and in silence
00:11:29 Creates the Silence and Space for the child to figure things out for herself
00:12:37 Establishes trust
00:13:10 A deliberate Wait
00:13:50 The give-and-take of Waiting
00:14:52Releases pressure
00:15:15 Waiting is a deliberate slowing down of pace
00:16:38 Takes experience and confidence to practice
00:16:58 It’s okay not to have understood
00:17:20 The Hanen Centre: The OWL Strategy
00:19:10 Facilitates self-regulation
00:21:15 A comprehensive technique
00:21:27 Auditory-Verbal Therapy is a relationship
00:22:23 Reflection
00:22:54 Our next episode: Living the Targets
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
📘 Resources:
- Estabrooks, W., Morrison, H. M., & MacIver‑Lux, K. (2020). Auditory‑Verbal Therapy: Science, Research & Practice (1st ed.). Plural Publishing.
- Manolson, A. (1992). It Takes Two to Talk: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children Communicate. Hanen Centre.
- The Hanen Center, (2024),Waiting: The Key to Supporting Your Child’s Communication https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/waiting-the-key-to-supporting-your-childs-communication