Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
In August 2019, two pieces of New Jersey legislation were signed for the purpose of supporting children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The New Jersey Deaf Student’s Bill of Rights, which is a statement of responsibility to school districts on meeting the needs of students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing ages three to twenty-one (3 to 21), and the Working Group on Deaf Education focused on the early linguistic development of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The legislation recognizes that children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing are a heterogenous group with unique and varied needs requiring a continuum of educational programs and services. In addition to the NJDOE offering individualized technical assistance at the program and student levels, the following resources are intended to provide information regarding a wide range of considerations, from early language and mode of communication decisions to educational programming through transition to adult life.
Please note that the links provided are suggestions for resources and do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the New Jersey Department of Education of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation or organization or individuals.
Preschool-Aged Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- NJ Language Acquisition Rating Scale for Preschool-Age Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- End of Year Reports for Language Development Ratings for Preschool Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- NJ Working Group on Deaf Education Report
- NJ Assessment Guide for DHH Students, Birth to 5
Educational Planning Guide for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Communication Access Services
List of Programs, Evaluators, Audiologists and Service Options for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing in New Jersey.
Communication Options
The decision on how to provide language access for your child is a difficult one. Parents are encouraged to thoroughly research the various options and consult with a variety of experts, including the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. Depending on how your child’s language and literacy development progresses, this decision might need to be revisited. Follow the link for more information regarding the communication options listed below.
- American Sign Language
- Conceptually Accurate Coded English (CASE)
- Cued Speech
- Listening and Spoken Language
- Manually Coded English (MCE)
- Total Communication Philosophy
Additional Family Resources
Visit the OSE's Parental Rights and Engagement webpage to access the following resources.
- NJ Statewide Parent to Parent (NJP2P)
- NJ Department of Education Families Portal
- State Parent Advisory Network (SPAN)
- Disability Rights New Jersey
See below for the New Jersey Deaf Students Bill or Rights (11 languages) and the New Jersey Parent Resource Guide (11 languages).
Educational Interpreter Program/Certification Information
- Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) Information
- Educational Interpreter Programs
- Certification/Endorsement Requirements
- Professional Development Opportunities
Educational Interpreter Resources
- Classroom Interpreting
- National Association of Interpreters in Education (NAIE)
- New Jersey Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (NJ-RID)
- Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.
Teacher of Deaf and Teacher of American Sign Language Certification/Endorsement Requirements
- Teacher of American Sign Language
- Teacher of the Deaf Oral/Aural Communication
- Teacher of the Deaf with Sign Language Communication
Deaf Education Professional Organizations and Resources
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
- Educational Audiology Association
- Language First
- Supporting Success for Children with Hearing Loss
Free Library of Captioned and Described Educational Videos
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EDHI)
- Early Intervention System
- Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) and SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and Deaf Mentor Program
- Division of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH) Language Instruction Program
- The Campaign for Language and Literacy Excellence (TCNJ-CLLE)
Transition Planning for Younger Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (ages 5 to 13)
New Jersey Transition Toolkit for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (ages 14 and up)
- Survey for the New Jersey Transition Toolkit
- Introduction to the New Jersey Transition Toolkit for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- The New Jersey Skills and Competencies Checklist for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Glossary of Key Terms for the New Jersey Transition Toolkit for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Resources and Informational Websites to Assist New Jersey Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Achieving Positive Postsecondary Outcomes
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (ages 14 to up)
Universal Transition Resources (NJDOE)
New Jersey Deaf Student’s Bill of Rights Brochures
- Arabic — الطفل الأصم شرعة حقوق
- Bengali —িনউ জািসর্ বিধর িশাথর অিধকােরর সনদ
- Chinese (simplified) — 新泽西州 失聪学生权利法案
- English — New Jersey Deaf Student’s Bill of Rights brochure
- Gujarati — ધ ન્યૂ જર્સી ડેફ સ્ટુડન્ટ્સ બિલ ઑફ રાઈટ્સ (બહેરા વિદ્યાર્થીઓના અધિકારોનું વિયેધક)
- Haitian Creole — Deklarasyon Dwa Elèv ki Soud New Jersey
- Hindi — न्यू जर्सी बधिर छात्र के अधिकारों का विधेयक
- Korean — 뉴저지 청각 장애 학생의 권리 장전
- Portuguese/Brazilian — Declaração de Direitos de Alunos Surdos de Nova Jersey
- Spanish — Declaración de derechos de los estudiantes sordos
- Urdu — ی ڈیف اسڻوڈنٹ بل آف رائڻس
NJ Parent Resource Guide for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Arabic — دليل نيو جيرسي لموارد الوالدين لألطفال الصم أو ضعاف السمع ل
- Bengali — নিউ জার্সিতে বধির বা কম শ্রবণশক্তিসম্পন্ন শিশুদের জন্য প্যারেন্ট রিসোর্সগাইড
- Chinese (simplified) — 新泽西州 失聪或听障儿童 家长资源指南
- English — New Jersey Parent Resource Guide for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (fillable) (printable)
- Gujarati — બહેરા અથવા સાંભળવામાં તકલીફ હોય તેવા બાળકો માટે ધ ન્યુ જર્સી પૅરન્ટ રીસોર્સ ગાઇડ
- Haitian Creole — Gid Resous pou Paran nan New Jersey pou Timoun ki Soud oswa ki Mal pou Tande
- Hindi — द न्यू जर्सी की अभिभावक संसाधन गाइड उन बच्चों के लिए जो बधिर हैं या जिन्हें ऊँ चा सुनाई देता है जन्म से लेकर पाँच साल की उम्र तक
- Korean — 청각 장애 또는 난청인 자녀를 둔 뉴저지주 학부모 리소스 안내서
- Portuguese/Brazilian — Guia de Recursos para os Pais de Nova Jersey, para crianças surdas ou com deficiência auditiva
- Spanish — Guía de recursos para padres de niños sordos o con problemas de audición de Nueva Jersey
- Urdu—نیو جرسی پیرنٹ ریسورس گائیڈ ان بچوں کے کے لئے ہے جو بہرے ہیں اور اونچا سنتے ہیں
ASL Storytelling
- American Society for Deaf Children
- ASLIZED
- Rocky Mountain Deaf School (YouTube)
- Texas Statewide Outreach Center (YouTube)
ASL Resources
- ASL Connect
- ASL Nook
- ASL That (YouTube)
- American Sign Language University
- The Daily Moth (YouTube)
- DPAN.TV
- Handspeak
- Sign School
Additional ASL Resources
- Professional Development Video: ASL for School Bus Drivers (Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind)
New Releases
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Click on the following link to access the "Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students: Considerations for Determining Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)" (2025).
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Click on the following link to access the "The Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child's Preschool Roadmap for Families" (2025).
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Click on the following link to access the "Scope of Services for Professionals in Deaf Education" (2024).
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Educational Planning Guide for Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing