Position Statement on Inclusion
- Declaración de posición sobre la inclusión
The NAD believes that ALL deaf and hard of hearing children are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), the environment that presents the fewest language and communication barriers to their cognitive, social, and emotional development. The NAD also believes that direct and uninhibited communication access to all facets of a school’s programming1 is essential for a deaf or hard of hearing child to realize his or her full human potential.
The NAD believes that an appropriate educational placement in the LRE for a deaf or hard of hearing child is one that:
- ensures full development of language for the child;
- enhances the child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development;
- is based on the language abilities of the child;
- offers direct language and communication access2 to teachers and other professionals;
- has a sufficient number of age-appropriate and level-appropriate peers who share the child’s language and communication preferences;
- takes into consideration the child’s hearing level and abilities;
- is staffed by certified and qualified personnel3 trained to work with deaf and hard of hearing children;
- provides access to the general education curriculum4 with modifications in pedagogy to account for the child’s unique language, learning, and [...]