La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CI-703

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section CI-703 - Deaf-Blindness

A. Definition. Deaf-Blindness is concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational problems that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for students with deafness or students with blindness.

1. If a student has only two disabilities and those disabilities are deafness and blindness, the student must be classified as having deaf-blindness. Each LEA shall notify state Deaf-Blind Census of all students who have both hearing and visual impairments.

B. Criteria for Eligibility. Evidence of criteria listed in Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 are required.

1. Vision impairment in accordance with §725 of this Chapter.

2. Deaf and/or hard of hearing in accordance with §709 of this Chapter.

3. Educational Need

a. Educational determination that the student's combined vision and hearing losses are such that he/she cannot be served appropriately solely by the special education program for either visual impairments or deafness and/or a hearing loss.

C. Procedures for Evaluation. Conduct all procedures described under §513, Evaluation Components.

D. Additional procedures for evaluation:

1. an assessment of the student's vision conducted by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. When the impairment results from a documented medical condition, it shall be verified in the report of an ophthalmologist, pediatrician, or pediatric neurologist. When the condition is progressive or unstable, the need for a yearly eye examination will be documented in the integrated report;

2. an assessment of the student's hearing conducted by an audiologist or otologist;

3. an orientation and mobility screening conducted to assess the student's ability to travel around in his or her environment. (There is a suggested screening checklist in the Appendix.) Based on the results of the screening, an assessment conducted by a qualified orientation and mobility instructor may be warranted;

4. the educational assessment conducted should verify that the student's combined vision and auditory losses are such that he/she cannot be served appropriately by a program for students with visual or deafness and/or a hearing loss;

5. the family interview must include an investigation of family history of Usher Syndrome or other contributing medical difficulties;

6. a speech and language assessment of receptive and expressive language to include the student's language level and communication skills conducted by a speech/ language pathologist. The examiner should be fluent in the student's primary mode of communication or should utilize the services of a certified interpreter/transliterator, when necessary.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CI-703

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 35:905 (May 2009), effective July 1, 2009, Amended LR 432493 (12/1/2017), Amended LR 491210 (7/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:1941 et seq.