Enhanced Special Education and Accountability for Children with Sensory Disabilities.
This Act strengthens educational rights for children with sensory disabilities (blind, deaf, deafblind) by mandating high-quality, specialized instruction and early intervention services tailored to their unique language and learning needs. It ensures that IEPs provide direct access to communication methods like American Sign Language or Braille, and increases state accountability for training qualified personnel and maintaining specialized schools.
Key points
Guaranteed Specialized Instruction: Deaf children must receive direct access to American Sign Language (ASL), and blind children must receive instruction in Braille and orientation/mobility training.
Improved Early Intervention: Infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities will receive more targeted developmental and language services from specialized providers.
Protection for Specialized Schools: States must maintain a full continuum of placement options, including specialized schools for the deaf and blind, preventing their closure or consolidation.
New National Center: Establishes the Anne Sullivan Macy Center to support research, training, and enrichment activities for students who are blind or visually impaired.
Expired
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