Rhode Island General Laws Title 16. Education § 16-25.2-1. Definitions

(1) “ American sign language” means the visual/gestural language used by deaf people in the United States and Canada, with semantic, syntactic, morphological, and phonological rules which are distinct from English.

(2) “ Deaf student” means an individual who has a hearing impairment which adversely affects educational performance and which is so severe that the student is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification.

(3) “ English sign” systems means sign systems developed for educational purposes, which use manual signs in English word order; sometimes with added affixes which are not present in American sign language.

(4) “ Hard of hearing student” means an individual who has a hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, which adversely affects a child's educational performance but which is not included under the definition of “deaf student” in this section.

(5) “ Individualized education program” means a written statement developed for a student eligible for special education services pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.

(6) “ Primary communication mode, style, and language” means that communication mode, style, and language which is preferred by and most effective for a particular student, as determined by appropriate language assessment undertaken by individuals proficient in the communication mode, style, or languages being assessed.