2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/10/2025 | 10:05 AM - 10:35 AM | How Supporting Family Engagement Can Change Their Trajectory | 309
How Supporting Family Engagement Can Change Their Trajectory
Many families are shocked to receive a diagnosis of DHH for their child through the newborn hearing screening and diagnostic process. Their shock is most often related to fear of future outcomes and lack of experience with DHH adults and culture.
?In Virginia, The Center for Family Involvement has provided the state- based family to family support for over 17 years. The Deaf/ Hard of Hearing Family Navigator program has directly supported families at the point of diagnosis for 10 years.
This presentation will not only identify barriers to family engagement, but share the workflow that Virginia EHDI along with The Center for Family Involvement implement in order to engage families in family to family support at the point of diagnosis. Ideas for family engagement events and potential collaborative partners will be discussed that participants can take back to their own family support programs.
- Participants will identify barriers to family engagement in EHDI systems of care
- Participants will explain workflow for engaging families in family to family support
- Participants will propose a meaningful family engagement activity to implement in their state
Presentation:
3545975_18139LisaEickel.pdf
Handouts:
Handout is not Available
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Lisa Eickel
(Primary Presenter), National CMV Foundation, Center for Family Involvement , eickell@vcu.edu;
Lisa graduated with her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from James Madison University in 2010. She worked as a pediatric Speech- Language Pathologist for 9 years across a variety of settings, including Early Intervention, private practice, charter and public schools.
Lisa became passionate about educating others on Cytomegalovirus (CMV) when her son was born affected by the virus in 2017.
Currently, Lisa works as the DHH Program Director at The Center for Family Involvement and the Family Engagement Coordinator at the Center for Sensory Disabilities within the Partnership for People with Disabilities at Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves as Co-Chair of the Virginia EHDI Advisory Committee and Community Alliance Chair with the National CMV Foundation for Virginia. Lisa and her family live in Loudoun County, Virginia.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from Virginia Commonwealth University: Partnership for People with Disabilities.
Nonfinancial -
• Has a Personal
(Caregiver for child born with CMV)
relationship for Volunteer employment.
• Has a Personal,Professional
(Parent representative on the ACCaregiver for child born with CMV who is DHH)
(represent the Center for Family Involvement on the AC)
relationship for Volunteer membership on advisory committee or review panels.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Virginia Commonwealth University
EHDI Advisory Committee .
Nature: Employment .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.