The school year is now back in full swing, and kids of all ages are settled into classrooms learning and connecting with teachers and fellow students. School administrators and parents do everything they can to ensure that they have the supplies and support needed to excel, but what about hearing support?
While it’s not always as easy as parents and experts would like for kids with hearing loss to learn in a classroom environment, a new law is helping.
The facts about children with hearing loss
There’s no doubt that a child being able to hear in the classroom is crucial to academic success. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 14.9% of children ages 6 to 19 have a low- or high-frequency hearing loss of at least 16-decibel hearing level in one or both ears. It’s also not unusual for this hearing loss to go undetected and undiagnosed, written off as misbehavior or not listening.
Kids who are undiagnosed may:
Without clear hearing, treatment and the support they need, children with hearing loss often fall behind classmates more and more as time goes on. But, even with a diagnosis, kids with hearing loss face challenges due to lack of support or understanding in school. It’s for this reason that New Jersey has recently enacted two new laws geared just toward this population.
Legal support for students and families
In recent months, New Jersey government took significant steps to improve education for students with hearing loss and support them and their families as they navigate the educational system.
“To ensure that every deaf student in New Jersey acquires the same high quality education as other students, I am proudly signing these two bills today establishing a Deaf Student’s Bill of Rights along with other initiatives for research, advocacy, and parental guidance,” said Acting Governor Sheila Oliver. “Governor Murphy and I believe that every child has the ability to excel, no matter what their challenges may be. We will work to help deaf students overcome their challenges by providing the resources and support they need to succeed in the classroom and in life.”
What you can do to support academic success
Help your child succeed in school by supporting their hearing health and education:
If you believe your child has a hearing loss or would like more information about resources available to children with hearing loss, contact our office for more details.
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