2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM | Family Support: Making It Work In Utah! | 303
Family Support: Making It Work In Utah!
As Utah does not have a state Hands & Voices program, the Utah EHDI program contracts with the Utah Parent Center (UPC) for the provision of DHH family support. The UPC is the family-to-family information center for Utah and offers a unique partnership for the provision of DHH EHDI parent consultants. These consultants are considered EHDI-contracted employees and are an essential part of the Utah EHDI team. Since 2017, they have provided parent-to-parent support in numerous ways, from a bi-monthly family newsletter, online educational WebinEARS, a strong social media presence, many in-person family events, and the creation of the Utah EHDI Parent Volunteer Network. Improvements have been made along the way by creating strong partnerships, building bridges and a safe place for all family communication choices and organizations. Come hear about what they have learned has been successful in our state that can help you support families in your own state.
- Describe the various methods used to connect and support DHH families in Utah
- Identify ways to collaborate with different organizations supporting DHH families in the state
- Develop a contact schedule to maximize parent responsiveness and minimize loss to follow-up
Presentation:
3545975_18111AubriOgden.pdf
Handouts:
3545975_18111AubriOgden.pdf
3545975_18111AubriOgden_2.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Stephanie Browning McVicar
(Co-Presenter), Utah Department of Health and Human Services, smcvicar@utah.gov;
Dr. Stephanie Browning McVicar is the Director of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, the Children’s Hearing Aid Program, and the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Public Health Initiative in Utah. She works for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' Children with Special Health Care Needs Office in Salt Lake City. Dr. McVicar is a pediatric audiologist, an advocate for CMV testing in newborns, and passionate about the prevention of congenital CMV infection. She was instrumental in the creation of the Utah EHDI tele-audiology program. She is originally from Western New York and has extensive experience and knowledge in Audiology and the management of health care programs in both the public and private sectors.
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.
Ashleigh Sorenson
(Co-Presenter), Utah Parent Center/ Utah EHDI, ashleigh@utahparentcenter.org;
Ashleigh Sorenson, BA, is a Parent Consultant for Utah’s Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program working in conjunction with the Utah Parent Center. She contacts families after diagnosis to provide parent to parent support and resources. She also creates the bi-monthly EHDI Parent Newsletter and manages the Utah EHDI Facebook and Instagram social media accounts. Ashleigh is a parent to 3 incredible children. Her middle child, Rori, was diagnosed with severe/ profound high-frequency hearing loss and fit with bilateral hearing aids at age 2 1/2 years. Rori attended DHH preschool and pre-k and then has been mainstreamed in her neighborhood schools since kindergarten. She is currently a Sophomore in High School where she is involved with student leadership and athletic teams. Ashleigh obtained her BA in Education from Pepperdine University. She previously worked with preschool-age families at the Utah School For the Deaf and Blind and is now grateful to be a part of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Team. She loves sharing with families from a parent’s perspective because she strongly believes that the first step in empowering children with hearing loss is helping their families obtain information and resources.
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.
Aubri Ogden
(Primary Presenter), Utah Parent Center/ Utah EHDI, aubri@utahparentcenter.org;
Aubri Ogden, BS, is one of Utah’s EHDI Parent Consultants. She works with Utah’s EHDI team and the Utah Parent Center to provide family and parent-to-parent support for the DHH families in Utah. She helps contact families after children are diagnosed. She also oversees the parent volunteer network and organizes WebinEARS. Aubri is a mom to 3 young fun children. Aubri’s oldest daughter has severe/profound hearing loss on the left side. Her daughter has a cochlear implant and when they were performing the MRI for preparation for the Cochlear Implant they found out the hearing loss is from CMV. Aubri received a BS in Marriage and Family Studies with the Emphasis in Advocacy and Policy from Brigham Young University-Idaho hoping one day to be a voice for children. Once Aubri’s daughter was diagnosed in 2020 she decided she wanted to become an advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to help build a better future for her daughter and other children like her. In 2021 Aubri started her EHDI journey by volunteering with the Parent Volunteer Network in Utah. She loves sharing her family’s story to help others in similar situations.
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.