Missouri s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will for the first time create developmental standards for deaf and hard-of-hearing children under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Mike Parson.
Currently, there is no standard process for assessing deaf children under five. Kids with hearing loss sometimes arrive at kindergarten with “language deprivation,” meaning they don’t know as many words as they should at their age.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing Missourians are hoping the governor signs a bill that, among other education-related provisions, would provide parents of deaf children with resources to prepare their kids for kindergarten.