2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| From Hearing to Understanding: The Impact of Auditory Perception on Vocabulary and Syntax Outcomes
From Hearing to Understanding: The Impact of Auditory Perception on Vocabulary and Syntax Outcomes
Listening is the foundation of spoken language development, serving as the primary pathway for vocabulary growth and syntax development. For children who are deaf or hard of hearing, consistent and meaningful access to auditory input is critical for achieving age-appropriate language outcomes. This poster highlights the role of auditory perception in supporting vocabulary acquisition and syntax development, emphasizing how Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) strategies can be embedded in classroom or therapy sessions. This presentation will discuss the role of assessment and making data-driven decisions to identify and address gaps that may be present. Through activities such as phonemic awareness with sound–movement associations, auditory-focused snack routines, and play-based syntax practice, children are given repeated opportunities to strengthen auditory discrimination, expand word knowledge, and internalize grammatical structures. Through QR code access, this presentation will provide practical examples, such as illustrating how strategies like auditory closure, the auditory feedback loop, acoustic highlighting and other LSL strategies facilitate language growth. The learning outcome is clear: when children are given rich listening opportunities, they develop stronger vocabularies, more complex sentence structures, and increased confidence as communicators.
- Participants will discuss the role of auditory perception in supporting vocabulary and syntax development.
- Participants will discuss the importance of utilizing assessment findings and making data-driven decisions to provide effective instruction and address potential learning gaps.
- Participants will explore practical LSL strategies that can be embedded in classroom and therapy activities.
Presentation:
View Presentation File
Handouts:
View Handout File
Transcripts:
CART transcripts are NOT YET available, but will be posted shortly after the conference
Presenters/Authors
Tia Knox-Dawkins
(Primary Presenter,Co-Author), Utah State University, tknoxdawkins@yahoo.com;
Tia Knox-Dawkins is a second-year graduate student in the Teacher of the Deaf program at Utah State University, specializing in Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). She currently teaches at St. Joseph Hearing and Speech, where she supports children in developing listening, speech, and language skills through auditory-based instruction.
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.
Jennifer Loring
(Co-Presenter,Co-Author), Utah State University, cheesewise@yahoo.com;
Jennifer Loring has spent more than 30 years in education and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Utah State University as a second-year Teacher of the Deaf graduate student with a specialization in Listening and Spoken Language (LSL). She works at Tucker Maxon School, an OPTION school where children who are deaf or hard of hearing learn to listen, talk, and thrive.
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.
Lauri Nelson
(Co-Presenter,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.