2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
3/16/2026 | 2:25 PM - 2:55 PM | AI as a Bridge: Adapting Parent Education for Diverse Needs | City Terrace 6
AI as a Bridge: Adapting Parent Education for Diverse Needs
Families of children with hearing technology often encounter barriers when navigating complex medical and educational systems. Differences in language proficiency, literacy levels, and familiarity with hearing health services can make essential information difficult to access, leaving some families at greater risk for delayed intervention or loss to follow-up. This presentation will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a bridge to reduce these barriers and support more equitable family engagement.
Discussion will highlight practical applications of AI tools to adapt parent education materials for diverse needs. Examples will include transforming technical content into plain language, creating multilingual resources with AI-driven translation and voice support, and generating multimedia materials tailored to different learning preferences. Participants will also consider how AI can streamline communication between providers and families, making critical steps—such as device management, early intervention enrollment, and educational advocacy—more approachable and less overwhelming.
Ultimately, this session emphasizes how thoughtfully applied AI can empower parents with clearer, more accessible information from the earliest stages of diagnosis. By making education and outreach more inclusive, providers can foster earlier incorporation of services, reduce delays, and help limit the long-term impacts of hearing loss. Opportunities, limitations, and best practices for using AI responsibly will also be addressed, with an emphasis on equity and collaboration.
- Describe how AI can adapt parent education materials to meet diverse language and literacy needs.
- Identify practical ways AI tools can improve family engagement and reduce barriers to early intervention.
- Evaluate opportunities and limitations of AI in supporting equitable, family-centered hearing health care.
Presentation:
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CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Hia Abdelqader
(Primary Presenter), NYU Cochlear Implant Center, Hia.Abdelqader@nyulangone.org;
Hia Abdelqader, MA, CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd, is a Senior Education Specialist at the NYU Cochlear Implant Center, part of NYU Langone Health’s Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. She is a certified Teacher of the Deaf, Special and General Education, and a Listening and Spoken Language Specialist. In her role, she collaborates with audiologists, speech-language pathologists, families, and educational professionals to bridge clinical care and educational supports. Her work emphasizes family-centered engagement, equitable access to services, and maximizing outcomes for children with hearing technology.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
• Receives Salary for Employment from NYU Langone Health.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with NYU Langone Health - Cochlear Implant Center.
Nature: financial.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.