Role of the Educational Audiologist 

Date: September 29th, 2026

Presented by Dr. Rachel Parkington

If your child is deaf or hard of hearing, you've likely heard the term "educational audiologist," but what does this person actually do, and how is their role different from your child's clinical audiologist, Teacher of the Deaf (TOD), or speech-language pathologist (SLP)? This session breaks down the educational audiologist's role, so families and advocates know what to ask for and expect from their child's school team. We'll cover the educational audiologist's key responsibilities in the school setting, from evaluations to recommending and monitoring hearing assistive technology, all aimed at ensuring your child can access instruction throughout the day. We'll also clarify how this role differs from other familiar team members — the TOD, the SLP, and your child's clinical audiologist. The educational audiologist serves as the bridge, translating your child's hearing needs into what actually happens in the classroom, with assessment that goes well beyond the audiogram. We'll also discuss how educational audiologists are meant to collaborate with your child's outside clinical audiologist and the rest of the educational team, and how you can help ensure that communication actually happens. Since some districts don't have an educational audiologist on staff, we'll offer practical guidance for that situation, including who else might help and how to advocate for bringing this expertise to your child's team.

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Link to EAA Assessment & Evaluation Webpage: https://www.edaud.org/assessment-and-evaluation

Powering EI so Families Can Thrive

Date: July 15th, 2025

Presented by Carrie Balian & Lisa Kovacs

Early Intervention (EI) for families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing often occurs at a time when families are adjusting to many new experiences. Some families may be navigating parenthood for the first time, unfamiliar with the Deaf or Hard of Hearing experience, and processing unexpected results from hearing screening and diagnostic tests. In the midst of these challenges, early intervention services are introduced, which can feel overwhelming. It is essential for professionals and family support providers to clearly communicate the value of EI and guide families in understanding its benefits. This session will examine common reasons why some families may choose to decline EI, present evidence-based recommendations and guiding principles, and highlight the critical role early intervention plays in supporting a child’s development.

*This webinar was supported in part by the IL EHDI program

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Language Acquisition for All

Date: March 25, 2025

Presented by Rick Hauan, MEd

Explore what parents/caregivers should know and what questions to ask yourself and the teams supporting your child as you navigate through the EI system as well as preparing to move into the Preschool – High School education system. Early Intervention should support families and focus on identifying tools and resources to support language acquisition for your child.

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Assessments for Celebrating Achievements and Planning What’s Next

Date 01-28-2025

Presenter: Dr. Uma Soman, PhD, LSLS Cert AVEd.

As families and professionals work together to help children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) develop strong communication and academic skills, periodic assessments are essential to plan effective intervention and educational programming. Often “assessments” are considered to be those that give us a standard score once every three years and determine special education eligibility. In this presentation we will consider how assessments whether they are standardized or non-standardized, academic or functional, led by the caregiver or the professional, can become tools to reflect on the past, document the present, and plan for the future. We will also consider a variety of assessments that might be applicable to DHH learners with diverse learning profiles. Finally, we will explore the role of caregivers in assessment administration, interpretation and application to educational programming.

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The Mind’s Eye: Understanding Theory of Mind and its Impact on Socialization

Webinar 11-19-2024

Presenter: Andrea Marwah

This session explores theory of mind (ToM) for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The presenter shares the components of ToM, provides examples of ToM, discusses how hearing loss can impact ToM, and how to support ToM development with specific examples regarding socialization and language & literacy.

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Special Education Advocacy Strategies for Deaf+ (DeafPlus) Students with IEPs

Webinar 8-27-2024

Presenters: Kristen Stratton J.M.

This session covers general IEP meeting tips, procedural safeguards, what laws and regulations apply to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in public schools, and advocacy strategies to address the challenges often encountered by Deaf+ families during IEP meetings.

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Best Practices When Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families

Webinar 6-25-24

Presenters: Ana Brooks & Rana Ottallah

 Learn how to implement best practices to effectively support and empower culturally and linguistically diverse families that leads to increased parent participation, access to resources, and improved student outcomes.

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National Assoc of State Directors in Special Education Guidelines

Webinar 4-02-24

Presenter: Cheryl DeConde Johnson

The Optimizing Outcomes for Students who are DHH/Educational Services Guidelines through NASDSE provides a set of recommended practices in Deaf education.

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Keeping Our Students Safe at School: The H&V Safety Attachment

Webinar 2-13-24

Presenters: Janet DesGeorges, Sara Kennedy and Dr. Harold Johnson

The Hands & Voices Safety Attachment is a tool families can use for meaningful conversations with their IEP team to develop strategies to ensure the safety and well-being of DHH students in education.

Download Safety Attachment For Student who is Deaf/Hard of Hearing(D/HH), D/HH+, or Deaf-Blind

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Early Intervention: Advocacy in the Early Years

Webinar 11-09-2023

Presenters: Sara Kennedy and Elizabeth Shuler Krause

Early Intervention comes at a vulnerable time for many new families. Having an understanding about quality services assists families with their decision-making and family participation in Early Intervention that leads to successful transitions to preschool outcomes.

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