HB 251: "An Act relating to education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 251 01 "An Act relating to education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 04 Sec. 14.30.282. Education program for deaf or hard of hearing children. 05 (a) The department shall establish an education program for children who are deaf or 06 hard of hearing. The program required under this subsection shall be designed to 07 improve the education opportunities for a child who is deaf or hard of hearing in all 08 school districts of the state and to achieve the following goals: 09 (1) a recognition that hearing loss involves the most basic of human 10 needs, the ability to communicate with other human beings; many children who are 11 deaf or hard of hearing use, as their primary communication mode, American sign 12 language, while others express and receive language through English-based sign 13 language, or orally and aurally, with or without visual signs or cues; still others, 14 typically young children, lack any significant language skills; children who are deaf
01 or hard of hearing require educational programs that provide appropriate, ongoing, and 02 accessible educational opportunities; 03 (2) placement best suited to the child's individual needs, including 04 social, emotional, cultural, and learning requirements; 05 (3) an education in which the child's unique communication mode is 06 respected, utilized, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency; 07 (4) an education in which qualified special education teachers, 08 psychologists, speech therapists, assessors, administrators, interpreters, and other 09 personnel understand the unique nature of hearing loss and are specifically trained to 10 work with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing and in which the child's special 11 education teachers or interpreters are proficient in the primary language mode of the 12 child; 13 (5) an education with a sufficient number of peers with whom the child 14 can communicate directly, and who are of the same or approximately the same age and 15 ability level; 16 (6) the assistance of parents and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing 17 in determining the extent, content, and purpose of this program; 18 (7) an outreach program that provides sign language training and 19 assistance, language development, educational opportunities, and other support services 20 to parents of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, particularly an infant or very 21 young deaf or hard-of-hearing child; 22 (8) direct and appropriate access to all components of the educational 23 process, including recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities; 24 (9) programs in which the child's unique vocational, social, emotional, 25 and cultural needs are provided for, including appropriate research, curricula, programs, 26 staff, and outreach; 27 (10) consideration of the unique communication needs of children who 28 are deaf or hard of hearing in determining the least restrictive environment as required 29 under state and federal law; 30 (11) the development of written and other materials, and the provision 31 of workshops, and other procedures to ensure that school districts understand and
01 implement the program. 02 (b) An individualized education program prepared under AS 14.30.278 for an 03 exceptional child that is deaf or hard of hearing shall 04 (1) address the specific communication needs of the child, including 05 (A) the child's individual communication mode and language; 06 (B) use of a sufficient number of age, cognitive, and language 07 peers of similar abilities; 08 (C) appropriate, direct, and ongoing contact with qualified 09 special education teachers, interpreters, and other specialists who are proficient 10 in the child's primary language mode; and 11 (D) language accessible services and activities in school or 12 extracurricular school activities; 13 (2) provide an appropriate placement in a least restrictive environment 14 consistent with (a) of this section; 15 (3) consider program options that provide an equal opportunity for 16 access to communication facilities; 17 (4) inform the child's parents or guardian of all program options in a 18 manner that allows the parents or guardian to make appropriate placement decisions. 19 * Sec. 2. AS 14.30.350(2) is amended to read: 20 (2) "children with disabilities" means children with mental retardation; 21 children who are deaf or hard of hearing [IMPAIRMENTS, INCLUDING 22 DEAFNESS]; speech or language impairments; visual impairments, including 23 blindness; serious emotional disturbance; orthopedic impairments; autism; traumatic 24 brain injury; other health impairments; specific learning disabilities; or preschool 25 developmental delays;