2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | If I could go back: How to better prepare for natural disaster. | 320
If I could go back: How to better prepare for natural disaster.
When a wildfire hit Lahaina on August 8, 2023, parents were ill prepared. But parents of children who were receiving specialized services through an IEP were slammed with a flood of challenges that left them asking, "How could we have been more prepared as parents?" and "How could our district and our Department of Education have been more prepared to ensure our children received the free and appropriate public education they are promised through the IDEA. During this presentation you will hear how the tragic events of August 8, 2023 have left families with ongoing challenges and a clear resolve to bring to everyone’s attention guidelines that will help guide families during times of natural disaster and will alert early intervention programs, school districts and departments of education to the reality that natural disasters are all around us and are ever increasing, and emergency plans must be put into place now to ensure our children do not lose precious educational time when these tragedies occur.
- Families/Caregivers will learn what documents they need to have accessible to them at all times and suggested formats for how to archive and store these documents will be provided.
- Families/Caregivers will learn what their child’s rights are regarding educational services their child is entitled to after a natural disaster occurs that destroys or damages the public school or administrative buildings that your child’s school or program is housed in.
- School district personnel and Departments of Education members will learn that it is essential to have a functional plan in place in case of natural disaster so children who are deaf or hard of hearing, or any child being served on an IFSP or IEP will be able to continue to receive essential services while the community that has been damaged rebuilds, protecting everyone from violating the educational rights of children with disabilities.
Presentation:
3545975_18061KateDucheneau.pdf
3545975_18061PaulaPittman.pdf
Handouts:
3545975_18061KateDucheneau.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Paula Pittman
(Primary Presenter,Author), SKI-HI Institute, paula.pittman@usu.edu;
Paula Pittman has been involved in the education of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families for 36 years. She was one of the developers of the original Deaf Mentor Program at the SKI-HI Institute and is the director of outreach for the SKI-HI and Deaf Mentor Programs and serves as a National Trainer for both programs.
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.
Kate Ducheneau
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), Hands & Voices Hawaii , kateducheneau@gmail.com;
Kate’s two children and spouse are Hard
of Hearing. She is an advocate in the
State of Hawaii and her local
community for D/HH rights and access
to equal and equitable education for
D/HH individuals. Following the
Lahaina Wildfires, Kate found calling in
assisting families within her
community and creating a guide for
displaced families like hers as well as
preparing other D/HH caregivers for
natural disaster within their own
communities.
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.
Jennifer Clark
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), University of Hawaii's Comprehensive Service Center, Jennifer.Clark.dhh@gmail.com;
Jennifer Clark received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Disorders and Deaf Studies: Sign Language Interpreting, from California State University, Fresno and her Master’s Degree from Gallaudet University in Deaf Education: Family Centered Early Education. Since 2010, Jennifer has been working an Early Childhood D/HH/DB Specialist in the state of Hawaii.
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.