2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/11/2025 | 9:40 AM - 10:10 AM | A Toolkit for Fostering Language in D/HH Infants and Toddlers | 301
A Toolkit for Fostering Language in D/HH Infants and Toddlers
In the early stages of raising a deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) child, creating a language-rich environment is essential for promoting language development. Parents can foster their child's language skills by intentionally incorporating social interactions and language activities into daily family routines. Early intervention providers require easily accessible, evidence-based resources to support families in this effort. These 10 language nutrition strategies are versatile and designed to be accessible for families of varying backgrounds and communication opportunities. Each strategy will be accompanied by a discussion of its importance, along with handouts that provide explicit guidance on how to implement them in natural environments. These resources can be utilized by intervention specialists during home visits or independently by families to support language development.
- Explain key factors of a language-rich natural environment
- Identify 10 evidence-based language development strategies and identify why each skill is important
- Apply handouts of the 10 strategies to natural daily routines and reflect on tangible ideas of how to use these strategies in a family’s natural environment
Presentation:
3545975_18189RebeccaTucker.pdf
Handouts:
3545975_18189RebeccaTucker.pdf
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Rebecca Tucker
(Primary Presenter), Gallaudet University, rebecca.tucker@doe.k12.ga.us;
Rebecca Tucker is an Early Intervention Specialist in Georgia providing in-home language development services to families of D/HH infants and toddlers. She works for Georgia PINES, Georgia's early intervention program for families of infants and toddlers who are deaf, hard of hearing, and/or have vision loss. She has a Bachelor's in Deaf Studies/ Educational Psychology and a Master's in Deaf Education. She is currently a student at Gallaudet University in the Early Intervention Studies Certificate Program. Her passion lies in building deep, empathetic connections with families while offering tailored language development support. Her goal is for every family to feel seen, appreciated, and empowered to provide a language-rich environment for their child.
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.