RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, sign language has long been used as a tool to facilitate communication for children who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, and, in particular, research has shown that incorporating sign language into the instruction and training of children with oral-motor or developmental disabilities, including those with Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, can also have tremendous educational and developmental benefits; and

WHEREAS, according to a 1998 article published by the Colorado Springs Down Syndrome Association, there are two forms of sign language: American Sign Language and "Signed English"; and

WHEREAS, American Sign Language is a visual manual language system with its own sentence structure and word order, and is suited for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment; and

WHEREAS, Signed English, suited for children with other disabilities, is a system in which words are signed and spoken at the same time, and in the same order as spoken English, such that coupling sign language with the spoken word increases language comprehension by presenting information visually as well as auditorily; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education has a duty to provide all exceptional children with instruction, special facilities, and special services for education, therapy, and training in order to enable them to live normal competitive lives; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education is required to accomplish that duty by establishing and administering instruction, special facilities, and special services for the education, therapy, and training of exceptional children, and provide in connection therewith corrective therapy, together with academic, occupational, and related training; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to require sign language training for special education service providers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to seek cooperation from the University of Hawaii in having the University of Hawaii include in its speech pathology curriculum a course in American Sign Language and dysphagia, or swallowing disorder, training; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, and the Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii.

Report Title:

DOE; Special Education