Missouri Bill Aims to Help Children With Hearing Disabilities to Better Communicate With Others
January 13, 2023 5:46AM CST
FILE – Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz delivers opening remarks during the start of the annual legislative session on Wednesday, Jan, 5, 2022, in Jefferson City, Mo. The Missouri Senate remained divided over a congressional redistricting plan Tuesday, Feb. 8 as a filibuster from conservatives pushing for an aggressively Republican map carried on through a second day and Democrats raised concerns that they were being treated unfairly. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)
A legislative effort aims to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing better communicate with others. State Senator Greg Razer, a Democrat from Kansas City, says Missouri has a few hundred kids who are deaf or hard of hearing. He has filed a bill that would require Missouri to create a tool for parents to monitor and track milestones in the language development of their child with hearing disabilities.
Under his bill, the state would be required to select existing tools or assessments for teachers that can be used to review the language and literacy development of these children. Razer does not know how much this effort would cost but he says the kids deserve to catch up to their peers.
