Recently Julie Rems-Smario, current CAD President, sent a letter listed below to Patrick O’Donnell, chair of the Appropriations Committee, urging him to support SB 210. Please show your support by sending an email to Misty.feusahrens@asm.ca.gov. Please send your email today!
RE: SB 210 (Galgiani): Special Education: Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing: Language Milestones – SUPPORT, as amended
Honorable Assembly Patrick O’Donnell
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Room 4166
Sacramento, California 94249-0070
Dear Honorable Assembly Patrick O’Donnell, Chair of Appropriations,
As you know, SB 210 passed the Senate floor earlier this summer. On behalf of the California Association of the Deaf (CAD), a statewide advocacy organization serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals of California, we are proud to be one of the sponsors of SB 210, as amended. I urge you to lend support to SB 210 and vote for it.
We support SB 210 because, currently, a significant proportion of approximately 4,000 Deaf children between the ages of 0-5 have minimal to no language instruction and arrive at kindergarten with inadequate and delayed language development. This makes it extremely difficult for them to achieve academic success and social and emotional growth. It is time to end this tragic statewide epidemic with accountability.
SB 210 enforces language milestones in ASL and English during each Deaf and Hard of Hearing child’s first five years to ensure they are on track to be acadmically and socially ready for Kindergarten. We all support this bill because we want children to be academically and socially ready for Kindergarten at the age of five.
Deaf children have the same capability for learning language as their hearing peers BUT they must be provided the support and access they need during the critical period for language development and that takes place from infancy through early childhood. The delays caused by language are, unfortunately, a common problem that is not addressed by the various professionals working with Deaf and hard of hearing infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.
Language acquisition is a basic human right to ensure that all Deaf babies and toddlers have full access to acquiring a language and experience the same milestones as their hearing peers. It is a very basic human right taken for granted by those with full access to language.
Please support SB 210 and provide a healthy access to language development to all Deaf children in California. This bill will save lives.
Sincerely,
Julie Rems-Smario, President
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