1. The State Board shall, after considering the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Language Development for Children Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Blind or Visually Impaired pursuant to NRS 388.518, prescribe by regulation criteria for use by school employees and providers of services to assess the development of language and literacy skills by children who are less than 6 years of age and are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, including, without limitation, children who are both deaf and blind. The criteria must:

(a) Be based on criteria and assessments developed by persons and entities with expertise in the development of language and literacy skills by children, including, without limitation, children without a disability, who are less than 6 years of age; and

(b) Be organized according to stages of development of language and literacy skills.

2. The Department shall:

(a) Distribute to school districts, charter schools, the Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health and Human Services and other entities that provide educational services to children who are less than 6 years of age and are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, including, without limitation, children who are both deaf and blind, a summary of the criteria prescribed pursuant to subsection 1; and

(b) Provide to employees of the entities described in paragraph (a) training concerning the use of the criteria to assist children who are less than 6 years of age and are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, including, without limitation, children who are both deaf and blind, in developing the language and literacy skills necessary for kindergarten. Such training must include, without limitation, training concerning children who communicate using spoken English and children who communicate using American Sign Language.

(Added to NRS by 2019, 3938)