The WVCDHH Deaf Child Bill of Rights Committee, Mr. Doug Godfrey (Board Chair), Ms. Barbara King (DRS), Ms. Annette Carey (WVDE), and Mr. Marty Blakely (Deaf), along with the WVCDHH staff, wish to thank all who submitted comments regarding this bill.  Your input is extremely valuable and will be carefully considered by the committee.

 

Next Steps:

 

Public Comments received June 3 – July 3, 2009

Summarized by Topic

Total comments received: 14

 

COMMENTS RELATED TO ISSUES LISTED IN DCBR

• Communication mode respect

Each child’s unique communication mode must be respected, utilized, and developed to an appropriate level of proficiency

• Extra strategies and activities for developing language and vocabulary for D/HH children (since they don’t learn through casual conversation the way hearing children do).
• ASL taught to D/HH children as an academic subject when that is their primary language.

 

• Teacher & interpreter proficient in communication mode

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have an education in which teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing and the interpreter are proficient in the primary language mode of those children;

• Teachers “proficient in Deaf Education” and interpreters proficient in primary language mode of the child.

 

• Teacher has specific training – Deaf culture, etc.

Each teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing must be appropriately trained in this area of exceptionality and be sensitive to the cultural and linguistic needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing;

• Teachers learn about Deaf culture (and not compare Deaf students to hard of hearing students)
• Mandatory 18 hours of specialized  (specific to D/HH) professional development for all persons involved with D/HH children.
• Child with pre-lingual, profound, bilateral loss with no benefit from aid entitled to direct instruction with certified D/HH teacher as classroom teacher.  Instruction should begin with preschool until native language and academic skills are age-appropriate and child is able to effectively utilize an interpreter.  Interpreters should not be used as substitutes for certified D/HH teacher.

 

• Specialists trained in D/HH

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have an education in which  teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing, psychologists, speech therapists, evaluators, administrators, and other special education personnel understand the unique nature of hearing loss and are specifically trained to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

• Mandatory 18 hours of specialized  (specific to D/HH) professional development for all persons involved with D/HH children.
• Add interpreters to list

 

• Accurate/non-discriminatory assessment

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must be assessed using tools which accurately evaluate aptitude or achievement level or what other factors the tool intends to measure; The assessment must be provided and administered in the student’s native language and must not be discriminatory.  This includes the provision of a qualified interpreter for the duration of the test;

• Provision of certified (remove qualified) interpreter as accommodation – include EIPA requirements.

 

• IEP Teams consider direct communication with peers

Individual Education Plan (IEP) Teams  for children who are deaf or hard of hearing must consider opportunities for direct communication with peers who are approximately the same age and ability level, in the students languages and communication modes;

• Direct communication with peers – schools offer free classes for peers, family members, community members in communication skills with D/HH, taught by trained professional.
• Consider WVSD may be LRE for D/HH child.
• Peer who can sign or will learn sign in homeroom class.  Consider this when placing students in class (don’t just make random placements through a computer).
• Friends who sign should be placed in classroom/homeroom with D/HH child.  This allows D/HH child to socialize throughout school years, so should start in elementary school when children are more interested in sign.  NO EXCEPTIONS to this – administrator not allowed to say “we use computer to randomly place.”  Parents should not have to file complaints about this.
• Deaf kids need their friends to be in class with them every year.  They can sign good to each other.

 

• Direct communication with professionals

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have access to professional personnel with whom they can communicate directly in their languages and communication modes

• Direct communication with peers – schools should offer free classes for peers, family members, community members in communication skills with D/HH, taught by trained professional.

 

• Children & parents full participants in IEP

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their parent(s) or guardian(s) must be given the opportunity to participate fully in their educational planning, including access to all relevant information

• Programs and services for D/HH children must be developed with involvement of D/HH adults, parents of D/HH students, and qualified certified teachers and professionals trained in Deaf Ed.
• Material must be provided to families with Deaf children to enable parents to attend IEP meetings and provide the school with examples of clearly written, measurable goals for their child's IEP.  The most knowledgeable person regarding the educational needs of the Deaf child in the IEP meeting must be the parent of the Deaf child.  Parents should not assume that the school/administration knows OR wants to provide the most beneficial program for the Deaf child.  The parent must be knowledgeable of the best and most current research for educating a Deaf child.

 

• Access to full ed and voc training programs

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have programs in which they have direct and appropriate access to a full spectrum of educational and vocational training programs, including, but not limited to, recess, lunch, and extracurricular social and athletic activities;

• Early intervention to provide for acquisition of natural language base (ASL, speech, CUED, other sign, or other method).
• Consistent communication system during child’s early, critical language acquisition years.
• Remove “and appropriate” access to educational program (only direct access)
• Deaf children MUST have a reading curriculum which is research based and proven to result in reading success for Deaf students.  This curriculum must be designed to be measurable at frequent intervals and a method of intervention/remediation must be included to ensure the Deaf children make gains in reading and are provided immediate intervention when gains are not made. 
• The Deaf child has the right to measurable goals and objectives clearly written into his/her IEP.   These goals must address each part of the child's educational program, (math, science, reading, social studies, social interaction, writing, communication, etc.).  No parent of a Deaf child should have to learn how to write efficient IEP goals.
• Begining early during elementary school, Deaf children must be provided with ongoing structured competitions such as current events, debate, quiz bowl, oratory, etc. on a local, state and national level. 
• Deaf children need a good reading program starting in elementary school. 

 

• Appropriate AT – teachers, students, terps trained to use

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must be provided appropriate assistive technology and teachers, students, and other school personnel must be trained in its use;

• Add interpreters – they should be trained in use of AT.

 

• Acoustically sound classrooms

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must be educated in classrooms where sound levels meet the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) guidelines for reducing room noise and the signal-to-noise ratio through the use of materials such as acoustical tiles;

• No comments received

 

• Daily monitoring of cochlears/aids

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing and use hearing aids or cochlear implants must have daily monitoring of external components conducted by trained staff; 

• D/HH teacher and interpreter trained in use of devices so they can monitor

 

• Interaction with D/HH adult role models & exposure to deaf culture

Children who are deaf or hard of hearing must have opportunities for interaction with deaf and hard of hearing role models and exposure to deaf culture;

• Deaf children need to be aware of what and who they are (interact with deaf adults).  
• Deaf children have the right to regular opportunities for Deaf role models to communicate fluently and give the Deaf child occasion to observe/interact in discussions, share information about ideas, theories, events in the community, the state, the nation and the world.

 

• Opportunities for personnel training

All teachers, interpreters and other school personnel who work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing must be provided opportunities to receive required professional development in their specialized field which must include educational strategies, interpreting skills, and technology;

• No comments received

 

• Sharing resources across county lines

Due to the unique communication needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, consideration must be given to the provision of services, programs or shared resources across county lines.

• Where there is 1 deaf child in a county, have the ability to cross county lines to attend school with other deaf children.

 

COMMENTS RELATED TO OTHER ISSUES

 

ASL Instruction

• Require all high schools to offer ASL as a class option for students.
• Direct communication with peers – schools should offer free classes for peers, family members, community members in communication skills with D/HH, taught by trained professional.
• ASL as a foreign language must be offered in high schools with a Deaf student.  Offering ASL as a foreign language requirement in school will allow more social interaction for Deaf and hearing students.  Additionally, by exposing more young people to ASL, there will be more interest in the career of interpreting.  WV has an interpreter shortage.
• I am Deaf.  I am 15.  I believe Deaf children need to learn ASL. 
• ASL needs to be a class in school foreign language.

 

Language Acquisition

• Early intervention to provide for acquisition of natural language base (ASL, speech, CUED, other sign, or other method).
• Consistent communication system during child’s early, critical language acquisition years.
• Deaf children must have a fluent first language.  Deaf children must not be delayed in their ability to communicate.  The Deaf child must have a first FLUENT language so they can be taught, can express themselves fluently, be social and learn from others.

 

General Support

• What you’re doing is great
• Thank you for reading my comments
• I agree to support the DCBR
• This could serve as an advocacy for the children in every capacity
• Thank you, WVCDHH, for your involvement in developing a Deaf Child's Bill of Rights.

 

Other

• Professionals are here to advocate for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.
• Parents of Deaf children must learn the language of their Deaf child.  In this way, the parent will be able to communicate, help with instruction, and enable their child to have access to knowledge.
• WVCDHH should "hold nothing back" in the creation of the Deaf Child's Bill of Rights, but instead, seeks to design a document which will impact the life of each Deaf child.
• Because of the difficulty I have had in submitting my comments, others may have experienced the same thing.  It may be necessary to extend the comment period.
• Deaf parents of Deaf children need to learn ASL so they can talk to their children.

 

Questions

• What are the names of people on DCBR Committee?
• What is the plan in place for reviewing all of the comments?
• How will revision to the document be made? 
• How can members of the public see ALL comments made about DCBR before final decisions are made?

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