2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| A Systemwide Challenge: Why the LSL Deaf Educator Shortage Matters to EHDI Stakeholders
A Systemwide Challenge: Why the LSL Deaf Educator Shortage Matters to EHDI Stakeholders
There is a critical shortage of professionals trained to serve children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) who are developing and using Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). This shortage is compounded by a lack of awareness of LSL Deaf Education as a field of study and by inadequate recruitment into professional preparation programs. This presentation will summarize findings from two recent survey studies that explored these challenges. The first, a cross-sectional survey of higher education faculty and staff in special education teacher training programs, examined awareness of LSL Deaf Education and the type and amount of information shared with undergraduate students. Alarmingly, 31% of respondents reported being not at all familiar with LSL Deaf Education, 38% were slightly familiar, and 19% were moderately familiar. Only 8% indicated they were very familiar and 4% extremely familiar. These results reveal a significant awareness gap at the university level, limiting exposure of potential students to LSL Deaf Education as a career path. The second survey investigated how professionals in the field define retention, the strategies they use to support it, and the factors that contribute to attrition. Taken together, findings highlight the alarming trend of fewer professionals pursuing LSL training than are needed to meet hiring demands—an issue that, if unaddressed, will jeopardize access to highly qualified providers for children who are DHH and their families. This could have a substantial impact to the purpose and mission of all EHDI stakeholders involved in LSL services. In this session, we will share key findings from both studies and engage attendees in identifying strategies to raise awareness and improve recruitment in LSL Deaf Education. A handout summarizing current teacher preparation programs nationwide will be provided, equipping participants with resources to guide students toward this critical and rewarding field.
- Participants will discuss survey findings that highlight the lack of awareness of LSL Deaf Education services and identify strategies to improve awareness of LSL Deaf Education as a field of study.
- Participants will examine survey findings on recruitment and retention trends in LSL Deaf Education and evaluate their implications for future service delivery to children who are DHH.
- Participants will discuss the role of stakeholders in promoting awareness of LSL Deaf Education as a field of study and propose innovative approaches to increase visibility across professional domains.
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Presenters/Authors
Lauri Nelson
(Primary Presenter,Author,Co-Author), Utah State University, lauri.nelson@usu.edu;
Lauri Nelson is a Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Utah State University. She is the Director of the Listening and Spoken Language Interdisciplinary Deaf Education graduate training program and the Director of Sound Beginnings. She has a dual background as both a pediatric audiologist and LSL deaf educator.
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.
Dorie Noll
(Author,Co-Author), Utah State University, dorie.noll@usu.edu;
Dr. Dorie Noll is a deaf educator and Listening and Spoken Language Specialist, Auditory-Verbal Educator (LSLS Cert. AVEd). She is an Education Specialist in Listening and Spoken Language in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at Utah State University. Over the past 18 years, Dr. Noll has worked with children and families as an early intervention provider and teacher at Central Institute for the Deaf, mentored graduate students and early career teachers of the deaf, presented nationally and internationally, and conducted research on caregiver coaching in early intervention services for deaf children learning to listen and speak. She has planned and implemented workshops for teachers and healthcare professionals in Vietnam and Mongolia with the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss. Dr. Noll serves on the Board of Directors for the AG Bell Academy for Listening and Spoken Language, is a member of AG Bell's Global Matters Committee, and serves as co-lead for the Global Family Council. She also brings a parent perspective as the mother of a young adult son who is profoundly deaf and uses a cochlear implant.
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.
Casey Reimer
(Co-Author), Washington University School of Medicine, caseyreimer@wustl.edu;
Casey Reimer is Director of Deaf Education Studies and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine and is an active member of OPTION University Partners.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Amanda Rudge
(Co-Author), Moog Center for Deaf Education, arudge@moogcenter.org;
Amanda Rudge, PhD, is a research scientist and an educator of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is the Director of Research and Development at the Moog Center for Deaf Education in St. Louis, a nonprofit organization which supports children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. She received her Master of Science degree in Deaf Education and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences (PACS) at Washington University in St. Louis. Before completing her doctorate, Dr. Rudge worked full-time as a Teacher of the Deaf and research collaborator. In her current role, she develops new research projects, optimizes data management, analyzes program outcomes, and engages in community and professional outreach. Her research interests include early intervention and caregiver coaching for families of infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing; speech perception and development of spoken language in children who are deaf or hard of hearing; and language, academic, and psychosocial outcomes for children and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. In addition to her work at the Moog Center, Dr. Rudge is an instructor in the Audiology and Communication Sciences graduate program at Washington University School of Medicine.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -
AAA DISCLOSURE:
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Nonfinancial -