Sponsored by:
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblywoman MILA M. JASEY
District 27 (Essex and Morris)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes programs to address needs of toddlers and certain children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes and Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The States early intervention program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1993, c.309 (C.26:1A-36.7) shall conduct activities to address the specific needs of toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing and are receiving early intervention services, as well as the needs of the toddlers parent or guardian. The activities shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) holding two meetings per year between the toddler, the toddlers parent or guardian, and a language team, which meeting shall continue until the toddlers sign or spoken language development meets the objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth by the early intervention program; and
(2) pairing the toddlers parent or guardian with a mentor who shall:
(a) be deaf or hard of hearing;
(b) provide guidance to, and share personal insights with, the toddlers parent or guardian about the mentors experiences living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing;
(c) play an active role in the toddlers language development as a member of the toddlers language team pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
(d) be trained as a SKI-HI deaf mentor in accordance with the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program.
b. Each toddler who is deaf or hard of hearing and is receiving early intervention services shall be automatically enrolled to receive the services provided by a language team pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section, except that the toddlers parent or guardian shall have the option to decline such services.
c. The early intervention program shall allow a toddler who is deaf or hard of hearing and is receiving early intervention services and the toddlers parent or guardian to participate in the activities conducted pursuant to subsection a. of this section until the toddler turns three years of age, whereupon the child may be eligible to participate in activities under section 2 of P.L. ,
c. (C. )(pending before the Legislature as this bill)
d. As used in this section:
Language team means a team consisting of a pediatric audiologist, a teacher of the deaf or hard of hearing, a deaf mentor, and a speech and language pathologist.
Pediatric audiologist means a licensed professional trained to test, diagnose, evaluate, and manage the presence, extent, and reason for hearing loss and other hearing-related issues in infants and children, and to provide recommendations for interventions or rehabilitation, including, but not limited to, prescribing hearing aids or other assistive devices.
Speech and language pathologist means a licensed professional trained to identify, assess, and rehabilitate persons with speech, voice, or language disorders.
2. The Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health, shall conduct activities to address the specific needs of children between the ages of three and five who are deaf or hard of hearing and have previously received early intervention services pursuant to section of P.L.1993, c.309 (C.26:1A-36.7), as well as the needs of childs parent or guardian. The activities shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) holding two meetings per year between the child, the childs parent or guardian, and a language team, which meeting shall continue until the childs sign or spoken language development meets the objective criteria and developmental benchmarks set forth by the early intervention program; and
(2) pairing the childs parent or guardian with a mentor who shall:
(a) be deaf or hard of hearing;
(b)provide guidance to, and share personal insights with, the childs parent or guardian about the mentors experiences living day to day as a person who is deaf or hard of hearing;
(c) play an active role in the childs language development as a member of the childs language team pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection; and
(d) be trained as a SKI-HI deaf mentor in accordance with the SKI-HI Deaf Mentor Manual training program.
b. Each child between the ages of three and five who is deaf or hard of hearing and has previously received early intervention services, shall be automatically enrolled to receive the services provided by a language team pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of this section, except that the childs parent or guardian shall have the option to decline such services.
c. The early intervention program shall allow a child between the ages of three and five who is deaf or hard of h