ABSTRACT
The National Institutes of Health held a Consensus Development Conference in 1993, which then led to the passage of the Newborn and Infant Hearing Screening and Intervention Act of 1999 resulting in the screening of all newborn babies' hearing before they leave the hospital. This chapter provides an overview of laws and research—while also pointing out visible legal violations that lead to language deprivation—and specific provisions that advocates for deaf children can utilize in their advocacy efforts. Developing a language plan outlining which language is to be used when and with whom is recommended. People who understand the importance for deaf children of having rich sign language exposure have many advocacy strategies available to them. Researching and documenting the impact of these practices upon deaf children is difficult because the US Department of Education does not require states to specify the nature of a child's disability.
