2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 10:10 AM - 10:40 AM | What we believe: Professional beliefs about deafness and what families want us to know | 306/307
What we believe: Professional beliefs about deafness and what families want us to know
When a family receives news that their child is identified as deaf or hard of hearing, they may experience a range of emotional reactions such as being overwhelmed, disbelief, shock, questioning, or confusion (Benedict, 2011; St. John et al., 2016). Who delivers the news and how they do so may be a family’s first opportunity to understand the possibilities and expectations for their child (St. John et al., 2016). Beyond the medical environment of initial identification, families interact with a variety of professionals with various experiences, training backgrounds, and beliefs about deafness. Provider beliefs about deafness contribute to a parent's construction of their deaf child’s identity. “Parents would appreciate early intervention providers who are aware of how their beliefs about deafness impact the quality of service they provide” (Petersen, 2022, p. 88).
Building on previous research by Petersen (2022) into parental constructs of deafness and a pilot study by this presenter, this presentation explores new findings around how terminology used by early intervention professionals around deafness relates to their beliefs about deafness. Participants will be encouraged to analyze their beliefs and personal biases around deafness and how these are communicated with others (knowingly or implicitly), including to parents with newly identified children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Participants will be encouraged to consider how their word choices might impact families and parents with young deaf children, examine materials shared within their community, and discuss how to broach a difficult topic with those whose beliefs differ from their own.
- Participants will analyze their beliefs and personal biases around deafness.
- Participants will consider how their beliefs are communicated to others, including parents with newly identified children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Participants will develop strategies to examine terminology used in the EHDI community and tools to examine materials shared with community partners.
Presentation:
3545975_18143NicoleHutchinson.pdf
Handouts:
3545975_18143NicoleHutchinson.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Emily Wojahn Small
(Primary Presenter,Co-Presenter,Author,Co-Author), Gallaudet University, emily.wojahn@gallaudet.edu;
Emily (Wojahn) Small, a hearing teacher of the deaf by training, has been a classroom teacher, early intervention provider, and regional hearing resource coordinator in Hawaii and Colorado. Emily is currently the program coordinator for DC's EHDI Program while pursuing her PhD in deaf education with a specialization in early intervention at Gallaudet University. Having spent most of her career and higher education in Deaf-centric spaces, Emily is fluent in American Sign Language and an advocate for deaf rights and language access.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Nicole Hutchinson
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), Maryland/DC Hands & Voices, nbhutchinson@gmail.com;
Nicole Hutchinson is a teacher of the deaf with a focus on early intervention. She has a BA in Linguistics: American Sign Language from the University of California, San Diego and a MA in Deaf Education: Family-Centered Early Education from Gallaudet University.
Nicole’s passion is family support programs for Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) children and their families. She is an advocate for early language access and providing unbiased information to families to support them as they make decisions for their D/HH child.
Nicole has worked with DHH infants, toddlers and their families for 15 years. She was formerly at The River School in Washington DC, where she coordinated the Parent-Infant Program for D/HH infants, toddlers & their families, and taught preschool for 12 years.
Nicole currently works at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in Washington, DC in the Parent-Infant Program. She also serves as a board member of the Maryland/DC Hands & Voices chapter and volunteers with the Washington DC EHDI stakeholders group.
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.