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EHDI: Early Hearing Detection & Intervention | NTRC: National Technical Resource Center

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Last Modified: 06/14/2023

Family Support and Partnership

a mother holding her baby close in a cloth sling, both smiling

Family support is an essential component of an effective EHDI system. EHDI coordinators and other stakeholders, such as the medical home and audiologists, have a responsibility to ensure:

  • Families are supported: EHDI systems must ensure that families get access to culturally-competent information to help them make informed decisions. This also includes providing access family support groups to help provide emotional support as only other caregivers can offer.
  • Families are partners in decision making: EHDI systems must honor family decisions about what is best for their own child and family. At a systems level, families with diverse perspectives can offer their expertise to guide EHDI practices and policies, resulting in more family-centered EHDI systems.

Just in Time Tool

The "Just in Time" tool [PDF] is designed especially for family organizations to help them in their job to support families. It contains the most essential resources identified by both families and professionals to address hearing-related needs. Family organizations, such as Family Voices, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers, and Parent-to-Parent USA chapters are invited to do the following:

Resources for Building Family-Professional Partnerships

Other Resources that may be of interest:

NCHAM Pages and Materials

Other Materials and Websites