MI SB1144

The department of education shall develop or adopt language developmental milestones to track expressive and receptive language achievement in American Sign Language, English literacy, and audiological habilitation for deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing children from birth to age 8, aligned with federal disability education standards and state assessments.

The department must create and distribute parent resources for each category of deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing children that include developmental milestones, information about language deprivation risks, available communication options, technological advances, and contact information for support organizations.

The department shall develop or adopt appropriate assessment tools to evaluate deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing children's language development and may use these tools to establish or modify individualized education programs, family service plans, or accommodation plans.

A 13-member advisory committee with a majority of deaf, deafblind, or hard-of-hearing members shall be established within 6 months to recommend developmental milestones, assessment tools, monitoring methods, and communication strategies for language development.

If a child does not demonstrate reasonable progress in age-appropriate language skills, the individualized education planning committee must modify the child's plan with detailed explanations and specific recommendations for strategies and services to address language development gaps.