2027 Virtual Conference
Sessions

Session Length

Session Topic/Title

Family-Centered Early Intervention: Supporting Families Through Trust and Collaboration

Family-centered early intervention extends beyond providing services to children—it is about building trusting partnerships that empower families to support their child’s communication, learning, and participation in everyday life. This session explores evidence-informed strategies for fostering collaborative relationships, honoring family priorities, and using coaching practices to promote meaningful outcomes. Participants will examine practical approaches for strengthening family-professional partnerships, supporting informed decision-making, and embedding intervention within daily routines and natural environments.

Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the core principles of family-centered early intervention and their impact on child and family outcomes.
2. Identify strategies for building trust, promoting collaboration, and supporting family decision-making throughout the early intervention process.
3. Apply coaching-informed practices to help families embed communication and learning opportunities into everyday routines and natural environments.

Supporting Literacy Instruction with Signing Exact English

Participants will examine the meaning and practical application of the core Principles of S.E.E. and apply these principles to address the four identified areas in which students with hearing differences encounter challenges while progressing toward mastery of English literacy.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Examine the core Principles of SEE and analyze how each principle deepens understanding of the English language for individuals with language deficits.
2. Identify the 4 areas of documented challenges with English literacy  for students with hearing differences.
3. Implement the core Principles of SEE within English literacy instruction.
4. Recognize the critical role that regular, consistent exposure to SEE plays in achieving English language proficiency.

Many Voices, One Mission: Micro-scripts for Strengthening Family-Professional Communication in the Hearing Loss Journey

Parents and professionals on the hearing-loss journey often communicate under stress, grief, uncertainty, and overload. This session introduces the SOS Model and practical micro-scripts that reduce shame, clarify next steps, strengthen family-professional partnerships, and support children’s access to language, relationship, and belonging.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Identify common sources of caregiver stress, grief, and decision fatigue in the hearing loss journey and explain how those pressures can affect family-professional communication.
2. Apply the SOS Model – Sense It, Own It, Shift It, Live It – to support parents and professionals during high-stress communication moments.
3. Select and rehearse practical micro-scripts that reduce shame, clarify next steps, preserve relationship, and strengthen family-professional collaboration

Teacher Burnout, EdTech, and What TODs Actually Need

This session draws on doctoral research on burnout and technology acceptance among teachers of the Deaf/HH, while focusing on practical application in real educational settings. It will examine why some tools are embraced and used consistently while others are abandoned, ignored, or experienced as one more burden in an already demanding role. The session will connect research findings to concrete examples of what usable supplemental ed tech actually looks like in practice.

In addition to discussing research, this presentation will include real examples of supplemental tools designed for Deaf/HH learners and the educators who support them. Participants will see how specific tool features can support instruction, visual access, flexibility, and efficiency, and how those same features relate to what educators describe as useful, realistic, and sustainable. Rather than focusing only on theory, the session will help attendees think critically about actual tools, actual implementation, and actual classroom or service-delivery fit.

Participants will leave with a practical framework for selecting, evaluating, and using supplemental tools in Deaf education. The goal is not simply to promote more technology, but to help professionals make better decisions about which tools are worth their time, what makes a tool truly supportive, and how technology can be used in ways that genuinely benefit both DHH learners and the professionals serving them.

Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to

1. Explain how burnout and technology acceptance influence whether supplemental tools are actually used in TOD practice.
2. Identify the features of supplemental ed tech tools that make them more practical, accessible, and sustainable in Deaf education.
3. Analyze real examples of supplemental tools through the lens of workload, usability, instructional relevance, and visual access.
4. Apply a practical framework to select or implement supplemental technology more effectively in DHH settings.

Time-Saving A.I. Tools for Special Education Teachers

Objectives:​

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1.  Establish safe and effective access to ChatGPT – Teachers will identify what ChatGPT is as you experience hands-on, guided account setup to begin using AI for instructional and administrative tasks, with privacy in mind.
2. Secrets to Writing Prompts – Teachers will practice using guided prompt strategies, including conversational input, expert role assignment, prompt proofreading, and more to improve the accuracy and usefulness of AI-generated content for classroom and caseload needs.
3. Apply AI tools to reduce administrative workload – Teachers will use AI to automate routine tasks like drafting IEP goal progress notes and generating parent communication templates, saving at least 2-3 hours per week.
4. Design personalized learning materials efficiently – Teachers will demonstrate how to use AI to quickly create scaffolded resources and adapted content that meets individual student needs across reading levels and learning modalities.

Supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Through Virtual Learning

This session will explore the benefits of virtual instruction in supporting DHH students across grade levels, highlighting strategies to enhance auditory skills, reading and vocabulary development, self-advocacy, and device management. Research indicates that virtual educational models can improve language outcomes and provide individualized instruction comparable to in-person services (Marschark et al., 2017). Additionally, virtual platforms enable more frequent and flexible intervention sessions, which are associated with higher student engagement and skill retention (Easterbrooks & Stephenson, 2020). Participants will see practical demonstrations of how to implement virtual strategies that support listening and spoken language, foster self-advocacy skills, and provide effective device troubleshooting and support. The session will also address considerations for equity and accessibility to ensure all DHH students benefit fully from virtual instruction. By leveraging technology, schools and programs can expand access to specialized professionals, improve educational outcomes, and empower students to develop the skills necessary for lifelong success (Flexer et al., 2021). Attendees will leave with actionable strategies that can be adapted for elementary through high school settings, supporting the holistic development of DHH learners.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Describe the benefits and challenges of using virtual education to connect deaf and hard of hearing students with qualified professionals across diverse educational settings.
2. Demonstrate strategies for supporting auditory skills, reading and vocabulary development, self-advocacy, and device management through virtual instruction across grade levels.
3. Apply practical techniques and best practices for ensuring equity, engagement, and accessibility in virtual educational programs for deaf and hard of hearing students.

Practical Considerations and Strategies: Structured Literacy and Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

There is a growing mandate for and adoption of evidence-based structured literacy instruction and Science of Reading (SOR) based programs. While available research around literacy and students who are deaf and hard of hearing provide key takeaways that align with structured literacy instruction, there is a gap between research findings and recommendations, programs and practical classroom accommodations and instructional strategies. This presentation addresses the “research-to-practice” gap by applying specific knowledge of the diverse access needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing to assessments, resources and materials utilized in structured literacy instruction. This session applies an access lens to reading mandates and standardized screeners while using professional judgement to differentiate between access barriers and learning challenges. Early Reading screeners, phonemic awareness and auditory skills, teaching and instructional strategies that can be used within any structured literacy program will be explored and shared. Experience based, ready to use considerations, accommodations and strategies to support access, instruction and student learning across settings are provided.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Understand the impact of hearing and access on early reading screeners, assessments, and benchmarks, and identify reflective questions to consider when interpreting the full picture.
2. Understand structured literacy instruction essential components and benefits for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
3. Apply practical teaching strategies to structured literacy instruction and collaborative recommendations.
4. Implement and recommend accommodations that can be made to instruction/teaching materials to improve access and expand goals.

The Power of “AND” in Deaf Education

Deaf education has long been shaped by either/or debates: ASL or spoken language, center-based or mainstream. But the most powerful approach lies in embracing the and. Through the Clerc Center’s Regional Early Acquisition of Language (REAL) program and State and School Partnership Initiative (SSPI), Gallaudet University provides birth-to-graduation support systems — partnering with center-based, mainstream, itinerant, and residential programs across the country to strengthen outcomes for d/hh students by developing the whole child across language, culture, identity, and learning.

This work is built on the belief that empowering caregivers, strengthening leadership, improving teaching, and building lasting capacity begins with seeing the whole child. This session draws from that multi-year work to help caregivers and professionals working with deaf and hard of hearing children move beyond binary thinking. Participants will explore evidence-based strategies across three areas:
• ASL/English bilingual instruction and language allocation across the communication spectrum
• Culturally responsive assessment, IEP development, and family engagement for diverse DHH learners
• Practical classroom tools for itinerant, resource room, and center-based settings

This session centers the unique strengths each student brings and the diverse voices required to serve them well — the heart of Many Voices, One Mission, and the promise of the power of AND.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Articulate the “power of AND” — explain why whole-child, multi-approach thinking in d/hh education leads to stronger outcomes than singular methodology-driven models.
2. Transfer field-tested tools to their setting — select and apply at least one classroom strategy or resources drawn from REAL and SSPI partner program case studies, applicable across itinerant, resource room, and center-based contexts.
3. Commit to a systems-level shift — reflect on their own practice and identify one concrete “and” commitment — a change in mindset, instruction, or collaboration — that moves their work toward a more whole-child approach.

Making Concepts Stick: Strategies That Foster Deep Understanding

The session is intended to help teachers move DHH students move beyond memorization to enduring conceptual understanding. Using the Frayer Model as a foundation, the session will highlight practical strategies for helping students define, distinguish, and apply concepts in a variety of contexts.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Apply the Frayer Model to support concept learning.
2. Refine definitions by clarifying essential characteristics.
3. Distinguish between the Direct Presentation and Concept Attainment approaches to teaching concepts.

Accessible Educational Materials in ASL

Participants will examine current research and a proposed crossover study investigating the impact of pairing grade-level English text with ASL supports, including full translation, ASL summaries, and unprepared interpretation. The session will explore how these conditions influence comprehension, independence, and user experience for secondary students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Using real classroom and research-based examples, attendees will analyze how ASL-based AEM can reduce reliance on adult mediation and increase direct access to academic content. The session will also address practical considerations, including time, cost, and implementation challenges associated with TTASL.

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how ASL-based materials can expand the definition of accessibility and support equitable access to grade-level curriculum.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Define Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) within the context of ASL and bilingual access.
2. Explain school district responsibilities related to providing AEM in ASL.
3. Identify at least three AEM in ASL resources (apps, websites, or tools) to support instruction.

Swaddling Ear to Ear: Modeling and Addressing Lost to Intervention in Early Hearing Detection Through a Public Health Lens

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs have achieved near-universal newborn hearing screening in the United States, yet many children who are D/deaf or hard of hearing do not enroll in early intervention. While quality improvement efforts have addressed logistical barriers, understanding family perceptions is essential to reducing loss to intervention and improving enrollment. This presentation will cover the research into this topic and a novel intervention, Swaddling Ear to Ear, to address this challenge.

Objectives:

By the end of this session participants will be able to

1. Describe the perceptual factors that impact EI enrollment in this population.
2. Compare the theory of Lost to Intervention with the elements of Swaddling Ear to Ear (SETE).
3. Assess the “goodness of fit” perceptual interventions within this population.

Reigniting Your Purpose by Shifting Your Perspective

LIVE – KEYNOTE    Presented Wednesday, February 10, 2027

“Don’t listen to the negative self-talk,” is a common piece of advice we’ve all encountered and acknowledged as true. However, when you’re living with hearing loss, the internal voices often become even more pronounced. This inner dialogue, both positive and negative, tends to play on a continuous loop for everyone, regardless of their hearing abilities. What truly matters is how we learn to navigate and control these mental tracks, as it can significantly impact the course of our lives. Numerous influential factors, both internal and external, contribute to shaping our identities: our life experiences, our sense of purpose, the communities we belong to, and the people in our inner circle, as well as our victories and defeats. Much like any other skill in life, nurturing a habit of positive self-talk requires consistent e ort and practice. The good news is that we all possess the capacity to strengthen this mental muscle through daily exercises, allowing us to diminish the dominance of those negative tracks in our minds.

Presentation will be recorded for attendee access during the conference.