SERVICES FOR DEAF-BLIND CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

SEC. 302. SERVICES FOR DEAF-BLIND CHILDREN AND YOUTH. (a) Amendments to Subsection (a).— Section 622(a) (20 U.S.C. 1422(a)) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting “local educational agencies, and designated lead agencies under part H” after “State educational agencies”; (B) in subparagraph (A) by— 104 STAT. 1119 (i) inserting “infants, toddlers,” before “children and youth”; and (ii) striking “special education and related services” and inserting in lieu thereof “special education, early intervention, and related services”; (C) in subparagraph (B), by amending such subparagraph to read as follows: (C) make available to deaf-blind youth (who are in the process of transitioning into adult services) programs, services, and supports to facilitate such transition, including assistance related to independent living and competitive employment.”; (2) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively, and by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph: “(2) For purposes of this section, the term ‘deaf-blind’, with respect to children and youth, means having auditory and visual impairments, the combination of which creates such severe communication and other developmental and learning needs that they cannot be appropriately educated in special education programs solely for children and youth with hearing impairments, visual impairments, or severe disabilities, without supplementary assistance to address their educational needs due to these dual, concurrent disabilities.”; (3) by amending paragraph (3) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of this subsection) to read as follows: “(3) (A) A grant, cooperative agreement, or contract may be made under paragraph (1)(A) only for programs providing— “(i) technical assistance to agencies, institutions, or organizations providing educational or early intervention services to deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, or youth; “(ii) preservice or in service training to paraprofessionals, professionals, or related services personnel preparing to serve, or serving, deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, or youth; “(iii) replication of successful innovative approaches to providing educational, early intervention, or related services to deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth; “(iv) pilot projects that are designed to— “(I) expand local educational agency capabilities by providing services to deaf-blind children and youth that supplement services already provided to children and youth through State and local resources; and “(II) encourage eventual assumption of funding responsibility by State and local authorities; “(v) the development, improvement, or demonstration of new or existing methods, approaches, or techniques that contribute to the adjustment and education of deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth; or “(vi) facilitation of parental involvement in the education of their deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth. “(B) The programs described in subparagraph (A) may include— “(i) the diagnosis and educational evaluation of infants, toddlers, children, and youth who are likely to be diagnosed as deaf-blind; “(ii) programs of adjustment, education, and orientation for deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth; and 104 STAT. 1120 “(iii) consultative, counseling, and training services for the families of deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth.”; (4) in paragraph (4) (as so redesignated)— (A) in subparagraph (A), (i) by striking “organizations serving, or proposing to serve,” and inserting the following: “organizations that are preparing deaf-blind adolescents for adult placements, or that are preparing to receive deaf-blind young adults into adult living and work environments, or that serve, or propose to serve,”, and (ii) by striking “who have attained age twenty-two years”; and (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting “supervised,” after “rehabilitative,”; (5) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by amending such paragraph to read as follows: “(5) In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary is authorized to enter into a number of grants or cooperative agreements to establish and support single and multi-State centers for the provision of technical assistance and pilot supplementary services, for the purposes of program development and expansion, for children and youth with deaf-blindness and their families.”. (b) Amendments to Subsection (c).— Section 622(c)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1422(c)(1)) is amended— (1) in clause (A), by inserting “sex,” after “severity,”; (2) in clause (C), by inserting before the period the following: “and the setting in which the services are provided”; and (3) (A) by striking “and” at the end of clause (B); (B) by striking the period at the end of clause (C) and inserting “; and”; and (C) by adding at the end the following new clause: “(D) student outcomes, where appropriate.”. (c) Amendments to Subsection (d).— Section 622(d) (20 U.S.C. 1422(d)) is amended to read as follows: “(d) The Secretary shall make a grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agreement, for a national clearinghouse for children and youth with deaf-blindness— “(1) to identify, coordinate, and disseminate information on deaf-blindness, emphasizing information concerning effective practices in working with deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth; “(2) to interact with educators, professional groups, and parents to identify areas for programming, materials development, training, and expansion of specific services; “(3) to maintain a computerized data base on local, regional, and national resources; and “(4) to respond to information requests from professionals, parents, and members of the community.”. (d) Amendments to Subsection (e).— Section 622(e) (20 U.S.C. 1422(e)) is amended to read as follows: “(e) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the availability and quality of existing services for deaf-blind infants, toddlers, children, and youth in the country, and, to the extent practicable, ensure that all parts of the country have an opportunity to receive assistance under this section.”; (e) Amendments to Subsection (f).— Section 622(f) (20 U.S.C. 1422(f)) is amended by striking “with,” and all that follows and inserting the following: “with organizations or public or nonprofit104 STAT. 1121 private agencies, as determined by the Secretary to be appropriate, to address the needs of children and youth with deaf-blindness, for— “(1) research to identify and meet the full range of special needs of such children and youth; and “(2) the development and demonstration of new, or improvements in existing methods, approaches, or techniques that would contribute to the adjustment and education of children and youth with deaf-blindness.”.