Mussman Passes Bill Creating Language Equality Acquisition for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind Children Act

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, passed a bill to strengthen our  early childhood assessment programs to improve language acquisition for children from birth to age 5 who are deaf, hard of hearing or DeafBlind.

“The first 3 years of life are a crucial time for brain development and language acquisition, but most deaf children enter kindergarten without proficient language skills, which has a lifelong impact on reading, academics, and social interactions.” said Mussman. “By supporting deaf, hard of hearing or DeafBlind children while they begin to learn language, we’re preparing these kids to learn and communicate at the same pace as their peers so they can start elementary school not just on-time, but ready to learn.”

House Bill 1783 creates an advisory committee to work with language and communication professionals on strengthening language assessment programs for deaf, hard of hearing, or DeafBlind children. The program establishes developmental milestones to help parents, healthcare providers, and educators track language development and take corrective action if the child demonstrates they are falling behind. Data will be collected to monitor the progress of individual children and the progress of children state-wide.

This proposal seeks to address the common problem within the Deaf community of deaf children often not having the proper resources to gain language skills, causing these students to fall behind their peers due to delays in communication. Members making up the advisory committee include the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission, the Illinois Department of Early Childhood, and the Illinois State Board of Education.

“Thanks to the support and advocacy of the LEAD-K organization, we are moving towards removing inequity when it comes to children learning language and communicating,” said Mussman. “Parents of deaf children will be better supported, deaf children will receive timely interventions to improve language development, and most importantly, these children will be able to start their early years of schooling with the communication tools that they need to thrive.”

House Bill 1783 passed with bipartisan support in the House and heads to the Senate for consideration.