2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/18/2024 | 11:25 AM - 11:50 AM | The Vermont Parent Infant Program (PIP) Experience with Language Assessments for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Children Birth to 3 Years of Age | Capitol 6
The Vermont Parent Infant Program (PIP) Experience with Language Assessments for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Children Birth to 3 Years of Age
The Vermont Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (VTEHDI) Program under the Vermont Department of Health (VDH) partners closely with the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), our largest birthing facility, for the staffing of audiologists. A sub-agreement has existed between the two organizations since 2003. Additionally, Vermont’s single point of entry for early intervention for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind (DHHDB) children birth to 3 years of age also falls under UVMMC. There has been an extensive history in Vermont of collaboration and partnership between VTEHDI and the program providing services to the birth to 3 year of age population. The Parent Infant Program (PIP) employs qualified licensed providers trained in working with children and families of Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf Blind children. These providers include Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Speech and Language Pathologists and Educational Audiologists. During the last four years the Director of VTEHDI has also served as the Director of the PIP allowing for an aligned and efficient approach to early intervention services.
During the past two years the Vermont’s PIP Program has partnered with the CDC sponsored special project through the University of Colorado entitled Outcomes and Developmental Data Assistance Center for EHDI Programs (ODDACE). Allison Sedey from The University of Colorado leading the ODDACE project came to Vermont for an in-person training in April of 2023.
VTEHDI and PIP with our key stakeholders inclusive of families are committed to assessing all DHHDB children enrolled in early intervention at 2, 2.6 and 3 years of age for language acquisition and other developmental milestones. Results of assessments will guide IFSP and transition plans school age services.
This presentation includes collaboration with ODDACE, experience with language assessments, demographics of Vermont’s DHHDB children, and results for language acquisition and other developmental milestones.
- Learners will be able to identify appropriate assessments for children birth to 3 years of age who are DHHDB.
- Learners will understand the importance of the family and family leaders in the assessment process.
- Learners will understand how to use assessment data in informing the IFSP plan
Presentation:
3478265_16328TracyHinck.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Tommy Horejes
(Primary Presenter), The Access Foundation, Thorejes@gmail.com;
Thomas “Tommy” Horejes, Ph.D. has decades of academic and professional experience in legal policy & advocacy. His training in both the academic and professional canon is a multi/inter/trans disciplinary focus on law, advocacy, social justice & impact, policy studies, communication accessibility, and public administration. He takes great passion doing research & development on law, data, policy trends, education, consumer service, and innovation with the denominating factor in making a positive social impact to and for all.
Academically, Dr. Horejes has 15+ years of teaching disability policy, law, and sociology in higher education, 13+ peer-reviewed published articles including (Re)conceptualizing Disability Policy Frameworks for the Journal of Policy Practice, and presented 70+ scholarly works on legal policy, accessibility, education, and justice studies for industry conferences, including the International Sociological Association and the American Educational Research Association.
Professionally, he is current Chief Advocacy Officer for SignWow and former Director of Policy & Advocacy for Telecommunications for the Deaf/HH (TDI) as a national leader in policy advocacy, education, and innovation to foster full accessibility, equity, and inclusion in Information and Communications Technology. Prior to SignWow, Thomas was Associate Provost for Gallaudet University; and Executive Director of Deaf Empowerment Awareness Foundation (DEAF, Inc.), a non-profit organization dedicated to empower, raise Awareness, and bridge a sustainable Foundation of advocacy, communication and accessibility for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and the Hearing communities. He was also a former advocate for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD), the largest deaf-run non-profit organization that provided legal advocacy and empowerment to deaf and hard of hearing consumers.
Tommy currently serves on the Board for State of Maryland’s Hands & Voices, Deaf Youth Sports Foundation (dysf.org) and member of Maryland Department of Health’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Council. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri where he attended Central Institute for the Deaf (CID), he?? currently lives in rural Maryland with his wife and blended family of very active children. When he is not busy with legal policy advocacy work, he enjoys watching his kids play baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball along with road biking, cooking, and tending to his small farm and animals.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with VTEHDI Program is supported by HRSA funding.
Nature: Salary and Fringe from HRSA funding for the VTEHDI Program.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Tracy Hinck
(Co-Author), UVMMC, DHHDB Educational Services Program, tracy.hinck@uvmhealth.org;
Tracy Hinck is dually certified as a Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist. She is employed with the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Educational Services Program. As part of her role Tracy is the Coordinator for the Parent Infant Program in Vermont that serves children birth to 3 years of age that are (DHHDB). She has been instrumental in collaborating with the University of Colorado's program ODDACE for language assessments. Tracy represents Vermont on the Governor appointed DHHDB Advisory Council and with the national Educational Audiology Association (EAA).
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.
Morgan Tewksbury
(Co-Presenter), UVMMC. DHHDB Educational Servvices Program, morgan.tewksbury@uvmhealth.org;
Morgan Tewksbury is a Teacher of the Deaf with the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind Educational Services Program. She has a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education , Special Education and has a Teacher of the Deaf endorsement. Morgan is currently finishing her masters degree at the University of New Hampshire.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Nonfinancial -