2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/16/2026 | 2:25 PM - 2:55 PM | Connecting the Dots: Using Network Mapping to Strengthen EHDI Partnerships in Your State or Jurisdiction | City Terrace 7
Connecting the Dots: Using Network Mapping to Strengthen EHDI Partnerships in Your State or Jurisdiction
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs rely on strong, coordinated partnerships across healthcare, education, family support, and community systems to ensure timely and equitable services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This session introduces Network Mapping as a practical and visual tool to help EHDI Coordinators identify key stakeholders, understand existing relationships, and uncover gaps in service delivery and communication. Network Mapping is a powerful and effective evidence-based tool to help build stronger, more comprehensive and sustainable systems of care.
The session will also address how network mapping can help EHDI teams:
• Strengthen cross-sector collaboration and reduce duplication of efforts.
• Identify missing voices, especially from underserved communities.
• Facilitate conversations that lead to shared goals and collective action.
In this session, participants will increase their understanding of how to develop and use Network Mapping to visualize the ecosystem of providers, organizations, and families involved in EHDI efforts—from audiologists and early interventionists to parent advocates and school systems. Through real-world examples and interactive participation, attendees will be able to identify how mapping can reveal underutilized connections, highlight isolated partners, and support strategic outreach to improve coordination and outcomes.
Participants will develop new knowledge and strategies for applying Network Mapping in their own states and jurisdictions.
This session is ideal for EHDI Coordinators, program managers, and anyone working to improve early identification and intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Participants will increase their knowledge and understanding of how to effectively engage with stakeholders, parents, and local and state organizations to support their EHDI network
- Participants will be able to state at least three benefits of using a Network Mapping Tool to ensure their EDHI system is a supportive system of care.
- Participants will learn how to implement a Network Mapping Tool in their EHDI system.
Presentation:
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Handouts:
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Transcripts:
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Presenters/Authors
Leslie deRosset
(Primary Presenter,Author), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, derosset@email.unc.edu;
Ms. deRosset is a Research Investigator in the MCH Department at the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Ms. deRosset provides technical assistance, consultation, coaching, capacity building, and training to state and jurisdictional public health leaders. She is an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department and with UNC’s MPH@UNC program.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Nonfinancial -
Non-Financial relationship with .
Nature: .
Christi Batamula
(Co-Presenter,Author), Gallaudet University, christi.batamula@gallaudet.edu;
Christi is excited to be serving as the Director of the National Beacon Center. Christi is a professor in the Department of Education at Gallaudet University. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of deaf education and early childhood education. This includes teaching in various school settings and approaches including private (oral), mainstream (total communication), and schools for the Deaf (bilingual). In addition to her advanced degrees in deaf education and international education with a focus on early childhood education, she has practical and research expertise in early language acquisition and development, multilingual education, and family engagement. Christi lives in Maryland with her husband, three children, granddaughter, and their beloved family dog.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with HRSA EHDI Grantee.
Nature: ICC EHDI Technical Assistance Center.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
Bobbie Jo Kite
(Co-Presenter,Author,Co-Author), Gallaudet University, bobbie.kite@gallaudet.edu;
Bobbie Jo is a passionate educator and researcher with deep roots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in Early Childhood Education in 2004 and her M.A. in Deaf Education in 2005 from Gallaudet University, where her love for working with young children and Deaf Education flourished. Bobbie Jo began her teaching career at Kendall Demonstration Elementary School and the New Mexico School for the Deaf. In 2017, she earned her Ph.D. from George Mason University, with a specialization in Early Childhood Education and Multilingual/Multicultural Education. Her dissertation explored Family Language Planning in American Sign Language and English Families, a topic close to her heart. With a research focus on Family Language Planning & Policy, and Multilingual Education, Bobbie Jo is dedicated to supporting families, providers, and educators in fostering rich, inclusive language experiences for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in the role of Assistant Director of the National Beacon Center and professor in the Department of Education at Gallaudet University. Bobbie Jo comes from a second-generation Deaf family. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two cats, and a dog.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
Rebecca Greenleaf
(Co-Presenter,Author,Co-Author), The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, rebecca_greenleaf@unc.edu;
Rebecca Greenleaf currently serves as the Director of Learning for the National MCH Workforce Development Center (MCH WDC). Founded in 2014, the MCH WDC helps state and territorial Title V leaders and their partners tackle complex challenges through training, collaborative learning, coaching, and consultation. Since 2016, Rebecca has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her role at the MCH WDC, she collaborates with faculty and staff to build workforce capacity , teach transformational skills, and help teams of MCH professionals take strategic action to make progress on their goals
Rebecca has been working in various public health roles for more than 20 years. Prior to joining the MCH WDC, Rebecca worked for the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, North Carolina's Title V Program, the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, and the National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants.
Rebecca earned a master’s degree from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. A native of New England, she is an avid fan of hiking, reading, and puttering around coastal towns. Rebecca lives in Hillsborough, NC with her family.
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.