2024 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 17-19, 2024 • Denver, CO
3/06/2023 | 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | The Colorado EHDI Ascent Program: Collaborative Development of a DHH Adult-to-Family Support Program | DECC 232
The Colorado EHDI Ascent Program: Collaborative Development of a DHH Adult-to-Family Support Program
As written in HRSA guidance, a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) adult-to-family support program is integral to meeting grant goals. In 2020, a team of stakeholders, affiliated with Colorado’s EHDI program, came together to analyze the needs for DHH adult-to-family support statewide.. While there was an option to adopt an existing program, Colorado’s EHDI team recognized that we had a unique opportunity to identify the needs of families in our state and to create a program to fit those needs. A decision was made to conduct a review of the published literature, query EHDI Coordinators about programs in their states, and survey our families about their needs. Based on the information we collected and analyzed, we chose to create our own program - The Ascent Program. The program elements that were drafted were then shared with Colorado EHDI task force members that included: DHH adults; families of DHH children, and professionals working in screening, diagnostic/identification and early intervention programs. These efforts resulted in the creation of a program with a shared philosophy, agreed-upon values, a mission statement, and a vision statement. Within one year, we developed a curriculum, training procedures, and program evaluation tools. The goal of this program is for DHH adults to share their positive perspectives, as well as their lived experiences, of being deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind with families. This presentation will share our experience, knowledge, and discoveries during program development and implementation phases.
- Participants will learn about an evidence-based process to develop a program offering deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) adult-to-family support
- Participants will learn how one state brought all stakeholders together to create a sustainable program offering DHH adult-to-family support
- Participants will obtain ideas, tips, and resources to integrate into their own EHDI program to facilitate a DHH adult-to-family program
Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Heather Abraham
(Primary Presenter), Colorado EHDI, habraham@coehdi.org;
Heather has worked in the field of education for 25 years. Her bachelor's degree is from the University of Colorado at Boulder in communication disorders and her master's degrees are from the University of Northern Colorado in deaf education early childhood special education and administration. She has worked as a teacher of the deaf at several schools in Colorado. She was previously a CO-Hear Coordinator and CHIP Facilitator for 18 counties on the western slope of Colorado before transitioning into educational administration. She worked as a Director of Outreach for the Washington School for the Deaf before returning to Colorado to become the Executive Director of Student Services for the Aspen School District for 12 years. Currently, she works as the Family Support and Engagement Coordinator for the Colorado EHDI system.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
Ashley Renslow
(Co-Presenter), Colorado EHDI, Arenslow@csdb.org;
Ashley Renslow is the Early Education Coordinator with Outreach Programs at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. In her role, she coordinates the Colorado Hearing Resource Coordinator (CO-Hear) and Colorado Home Intervention Programs (CHIP),the Colorado Shared Reading Project (CSRP) and the Little Language Learners Toddler Program. She also programmatically oversees the Early Literacy Events. A speech language pathologist by background, she has worked in Deaf residential Schools for 10+ years in varying roles, and has served local families as a CHIP facilitator (0-3 early interventionist). Outside of work, when she's not chasing her kindergartner and toddler, Ashley enjoys being outside, traveling, and lounging with a good book.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.