La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § CI-709

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

Section CI-709 - Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing

A. Definition. Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing - a loss of hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a student's educational performance. It includes deafness, which is a hearing disability that is so severe that the student is disabled in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.

1. Deafness is a hearing loss with an unaided pure tone average of 70dB (ANSI) or more in the better ear at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz. The hearing loss is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.

2. Hard of Hearing includes the following.

a.Permanent or Fluctuating Hearing Loss-a hearing loss with an unaided pure tone average in the better ear at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz between 25 and 70 dB (ANSI). The hearing loss is severe enough to be considered educationally significant, as it will to varying degrees impact the normal development of speech and language skills and/or interfere with learning new information through the auditory modality.

b.Unilateral Hearing Loss-a permanent hearing loss with an unaided pure tone average in the poorer ear at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz of 40 dB (ANSI) or greater. The hearing in the better ear is within the normal range (pure tone average of 20 dB or better at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz). The hearing loss in the poorer ear is of sufficient severity to be considered educationally significant because it may affect the person's ability to process linguistic information and/or localize sound, particularly in the presence of background noise.

c.High Frequency Hearing Loss-a bilateral hearing loss with an unaided pure tone average of 40 dB or greater at any two of the following frequencies (2000, 3000, 4000 or 6000 Hz). The hearing loss is educationally significant because it is of sufficient severity to impact the person's ability to process linguistic information, particularly in the presence of background noise.

3. If a student has only two disabilities and those disabilities are deafness and blindness, the student must be classified as having deaf-blindness. The 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 and 2 must be met:

1. there must be audiological evidence that the student is either deaf or hard of hearing, consistent with the definition; and

2. there must be evidence that the hearing loss adversely affects the student's educational performance.

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

D. Additional Procedures for Evaluation

1. the interview with the student must be conducted in the student's primary mode of communication;

2. An assessment of the student's hearing sensitivity, acuity, with and without amplification shall be conducted by a physician with specialized training or experience in the diagnosis and treatment of a hearing loss and/or a licensed audiologist.

3. the student, family and teacher interviews should include the following discussions:

a. the student's language and communication needs;

b. opportunities for direct communication with peers and professional personnel in the student's language and primary mode of communication;

c. academic functioning levels; and

d. the full range of needs, which include opportunities for direct instruction in the student's language and primary mode of communication;

4. The statewide assessment center for students who are deaf and/ or hard of hearing may be used as a resource to conduct the evaluation.

5. 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;

6. for students with deafness, a description of how the impairment is impacting the student's ability to process linguistic information shall be provided.

E. Reevaluation

1. If at the time of the triennial reevaluation, the student has not been considered for Usher Syndrome and it is judged that the student is "at risk" for the syndrome, the triennial reevaluation cannot be waived.

2. Students who are considered "at risk" for Usher Syndrome shall receive a comprehensive vision examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

a. "At-risk" indicators are the following:

i. unable to walk by 13 months;

ii. difficulty seeing in low lighting situation;

iii. glare sensitivity;

iv. immediate family member(s) diagnosed with Usher Syndrome;

v. difficulty seeing people/objects in visual periphery;

vi. difficulty focusing on objects/written word; or

vii. balance problems.

b. Students identified through screening, as "at risk" shall be referred to an ophthalmologist for assessment to document the presence of any disease process.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § CI-709

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 35:908 (May 2009), effective July 1, 2009, Amended LR 432493 (12/1/2017).

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