HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

14

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the department of education to study the educational implications of the special needs of preschool age children with developmental disabilities.

 

 


     WHEREAS, the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs; and

 

     WHEREAS, public schools are also required to develop appropriate Individualized Education Plans for each child; and

 

     WHEREAS, the developmental needs of the child must be considered when developing an Individualized Education Plan; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is a need to improve the coordination of IDEA-mandated special education and related services with respect to the appropriateness of a disabled child's developmental age, not just chronological age, due to a biological risk factor such as Down syndrome or Trisomy 21; and

 

     WHEREAS, children with Down syndrome, for instance, generally develop at a slower rate and have different patterns of development than typically developing children; and

 

     WHEREAS, this delay in development means that children with Down syndrome will not learn to sit, stand, walk, or talk as early as other children; and

 

     WHEREAS, it also means that children with Down syndrome may need more repetition and more consistency than typically developing children when learning new skills; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is recommended that a "total communication" approach, including sign language, oral communication, and visual cues be used to help children with Down syndrome develop expressive language; and

 

     WHEREAS, for children with Down syndrome who have a permanent or persistent hearing loss, it is important to consider using amplification such as hearing aids or other systems prescribed by an audiologist; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Education should study the educational implications of the special needs of preschool age children with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Education is urged to study the educational implications of the special needs of preschool age children with developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome, and to consult with the Department of Health and Parent Training Centers during the study; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is also urged to develop:

 

     (1)  Guidelines for the assessment, intervention, and education of preschool-age children with developmental disabilities, including the use of sign language for children regardless of hearing loss; and

 

     (2)  Developmental goals and criteria for preschool readiness, including appropriateness for developmental age and chronological age; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to consider adopting the December 2005, Clinical Practice Guideline: Down Syndrome, Assessment and Intervention for Young Children (Age 0 to 3 Years), sponsored by the New York State Department of Health; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and Director of Health.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Education; Individuals with Disabilities Education Act