Change may be coming to deaf legislation very soon.
Paula Rodriguez used to council deaf children, but now she is pushing to change laws for the hard-of-hearing in Louisiana.
Rodriguez met with many deaf children over the years as a counselor, and she noticed that most of the time, the children were referred to her because their parents noticed behavior problems. The kids were acting out in class, and when their parents could not figure out why, they resorted to counseling. 
“So when they come to counseling because they’re acting out because of behavior issues, usually it’s because they’re having a tough time communicating,” said Rodriguez. 
Rodriguez explained that deaf children often resort to aggression when they can’t communicate. This inspired Rodriguez to begin advocating for them. 
Rodriguez is the Founder and Director of Deaf Focus in Baton Rouge. Right now, they are trying to gain support for a bill that would make sure the children are ready for kindergarten. The bill would create Lead-K, a task force comprised of passionate people who want to make sure that deaf children are not left behind.