§ 16-25.2-1 — § 16-25.2-1. Definitions.

Rhode Island § 16-25.2-1

• Jurisdiction: Rhode Island
• Title 16: Education
• Ch. 16-25.2: Instruction for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]

Text

§ 16-25.2-1. Definitions.

As used in this chapter:

(1) "American sign language� means the visual/gestural language used by deaf people in the United States and Canada, with semantic, syntactic, morphological, and phonological rules which are distinct from English.

(2) "Deaf student� means an individual who has a hearing impairment which adversely affects educational performance and which is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.

(3) "English sign� systems means sign systems developed for educational purposes, which use manual signs in English word order; sometimes with added affixes which are not present in American sign language.

(4) "Hard of hearing student� means an individual who has a hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, which adversely affects a child's educational performance but which is not included under the definition of "deaf student� in this section.

(5) "Individualized education programâ€� means a written statement developed for a student eligible for special education services pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

(6) "Primary communication mode, style, and language� means that communication mode, style, and language which is preferred by and most effective for a particular student, as determined by appropriate language assessment undertaken by individuals proficient in the communication mode, style, or languages being assessed.

Legislative History

P.L. 1995, ch. 161, § 1.