2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| Weighted Family Perceptual Factors Impacting Early Intervention Services for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Weighted Family Perceptual Factors Impacting Early Intervention Services for Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
In 2020, EHDI programs across the country screened nearly 3.5 million children, referred approximately 69,000 for diagnostic assessments, and of those, tracked 6,321 children with hearing differences. Of those tracked, only 61.4% were receiving early intervention (EI) services (CDC, 2023). The most common non-medical reason for children not to be enrolled in intervention services is “parents declined” (CDC, 2021). Children who do not receive intervention services following identification are considered lost to intervention (LTI) and may be at risk for language learning and mental health challenges that emerge as lifelong obstacles (Hall, 2017). Woodruff-Gautherin & Cienkowski (2023) proposed a model based on expert feedback to explain why LTI occurs within EHDI. Broadly, this model outlines the perceptions and experiences of families that may lead them away from accessing services including Family Experience, Family Culture and Values, Perceived Barriers the families expect in accessing services, Perceived Benefit to the family and child of accessing services, and Perceived Vulnerability of the child and family to the negative sequelae of not pursuing services. However, the importance of each factor was not investigated. This study examines the relative impact of these five identified factors on those individuals' LTI from the perspective of subject matter experts. By identifying the most significant components of this model, professionals moving forward can target such factors in family centered care, which may result in EI services that are more accessible and responsive to the wants and needs of families. While providers may not be able to directly mitigate all factors, by identifying family's needs and understanding how that can influence service provision decisions, providers may be able to guide families to the most accessible and appropriate supports.
- Define the role of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention for children identified with hearing differences.
- Identify factors and their weight influencing family decisions to enroll in Early Intervention services.
- Identify barriers to accessing interventions for children identified as D/deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Presentation:
3478265_16202EmilyLaSpada.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin
(Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter,Author,Co-Author), University of Connecticut, torri.woodruff@uconn.edu;
Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin, PhD is a Research Scientist in the HELLO Lab of Dr. Derek Houston at UCONN. Passionate about bolstering the voices of stakeholders, Torri Ann implements qualitative methods to highlight the power and value of individual voices in making change. Torri Ann is interested in the intersection of public health, early intervention, and family support.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants for Other activities from EAA.
• Receives Salary,Grants for Employment,Other activities from UConn.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional
(Co Chair)
relationship for Board membership.
• Has a Professional
(Board memeber)
relationship for Board membership.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with UConn
EAA
NIH
CT EHDI Taskforce
CT Hands & Voices.
Nature: UConn - employee and a grant on this topic
EAA - grant for related work
NIH - employed on grant
CT EHDI Taskforce - co-chair
CT Hands & Voices - board memeber.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Emily LaSpada
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), University Of Connecticut , emily.laspada@uconn.edu;
Emily LaSpada is an Au.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She completed undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut where her interest in research was piqued. She continues to support work in the UConn Aural Rehabilitation Lab centered around family education and access to early intervention services. Emily’s passion for working with individuals that are D/deaf and Hard of Hearing stems from fluency in ASL and a history with the American School for the Deaf.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from University of Connecticut .
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional
(Executive Board Member of the Student Academy of Audiology )
relationship for Board membership.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with I am employed by the University of Connecticut through a grant received by Dr. Torri Ann Woodruff-Gautherin. .
Nature: I am an Executive Board Member of the University of Massachusetts chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology. .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Kathleen Cienkowski
(Co-Author), University of Connecticut, cienkowski@uconn.edu;
Kathleen M Cienkowski, Ph.D. CCC/A is an Associate Professor and Department Head of SLHS at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Cienkowski studies the benefits of AR among patients with acquired hearing loss and their families. Her work has been funded by National Institutes of Health and the Veterans Administration. She is the Past-President of the Academy of Rehabilitative Audiology, Past-Coordinator for the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) Special Interest Group 7: Aural Rehabilitation and Its Instrumentation. She currently serves a audiology discipline coordinator for the UCONN LEND and co-investigator for the UCONN Pediatric LEND Supplement grant.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Grants for Employment,Other activities from UCONN-LEND.
• Receives Salary for Employment,Teaching and speaking from University of Connecticut.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Professional
(Board member)
relationship for Board membership.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut LEND
Eastern CT HLAA.
Nature: University of Connecticut - employee
UCONN LEND - Grant funds, discipline coordinator for audiology; Eastern CT HLAA board member.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.