2026 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 15-17, 2026 • Jacksonville, FL
| Using the 12 Key Rights to Support Family Conversations: A PDSA Evaluation by WA State Hands & Voices
Using the 12 Key Rights to Support Family Conversations: A PDSA Evaluation by WA State Hands & Voices
The 12 Key Principles for Early Intervention from the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 2007 Supplement provide a foundational framework to guide family-centered early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). While widely recognized among professionals, these principles are often not presented in ways that are accessible or actionable for families navigating the early stages of diagnosis and care.
In response, WA State Hands & Voices, through its Guide By Your Side (GBYS) program, launched a project to adapt the JCIH principles into a plain-language, family-friendly tool called the "12 Key Rights." The goal was to facilitate more effective conversations among stakeholders working with families, promote shared understanding statewide, and ensure families feel informed and more confident as active participants in their child’s early intervention and language development journey.
A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was used to evaluate how this tool functions in real-life family conversations. The project explored four main objectives:
Support families in understanding and owning their unique journey.
Explore how the tool can complement existing family support practices.
Enhance consistency and shared language across care teams.
Contribute to the development of tools that are meaningful and practical for both families and professionals.
This presentation will describe the development process of the 12 Key Rights tool, the structure of the PDSA cycle, and key themes emerging from its use in family conversations.
- Adapt the JCIH 2007 12 Key Principles into a plain-language, family-centered tool to support meaningful conversations between families and professionals in early intervention settings.
- Evaluate the use of the “12 Key Rights” tool through a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to understand how it functions in real-life family support conversations.
- Explore how the tool can enhance shared language and consistency across EHDI teams while promoting family empowerment and informed decision-making.
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
Christine Griffin
(Primary Presenter), Washington State Hands & Voices, gbys@wahandsandvoices.org;
Christine Griffin is the proud parent of two Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) adults. Her family’s journey began in 2001 when both children were identified with hearing differences, sparking a lifelong commitment to advocacy and connection within the DHH community. She serves as the Program Coordinator for Washington State Hands & Voices, where she established the Guide By Your Side program in 2010 and the Advocacy Support & Training program in 2024. Christine combines her lived experience with professional expertise to support families across the state. She holds a Master of Education focused on adult learning, with a particular interest in how parents learn and engage in systems. Christine has been recognized at both the state and national levels for her contributions to family support and community engagement.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exists.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.
AAA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Financial relationship with Washington State Hands & Voices.
Nature: None.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists.