Two hundred and fifty years ago, L'Epée and Heinicke were engaged in a disagreement over the role of signs in the education of deaf students, with L'Epée supporting both natural and methodical signs and Heinicke advocating for an oral method without a manual component. This was the beginning of the oral/manual controversy. This controversy set a…

A six-year longitudinal evaluation was made of the effectiveness of the various early intervention strategies being emphasized in seven preschool programs for hearing-impaired children. (Author/DLS)

Presented are issues, background information, and a definition pertaining to manual communication, and explored are aspects of language development in aurally handicapped children. Proposed is a functional definition of American Sign Language, with High(H) (a system that accommodates itself to English, such as manual English) and Low (L) (a system…

The history and development of various sign languages in Europe and America are described, and the characteristics of manual communication systems are discussed. Modifications of sign language have been used to communicate with nonvocal austic children, severely language-delayed children, and retarded adults. (CTM)

Presented is the third year interim report of a 4-year longitudinal study comparing effectiveness of seven preschool programs which serve approximately 69 deaf children. Schools are seen to emphasize either an oral-aural, Rochester (oral-aural plus fingerspelling), or total communication approach to language development. Reported are the following…

The author reviews studies and programs in consideration of problems and issues professionals face in the early education of aurally handicapped children. Language handicaps as an obstacle to development of the child's academic, intellectual, and social potential are examined; as is parental need for supportive guidance. Discussed are studies…

The study, based on L. Cronbach's Characteristics by Treatment Interaction model, investigated seven preschool programs for aurally handicapped children which variously employed the oral-aural method, the Rochester method, or the total communication method. Equipment, materials, grouping procedures, and activities were indicated for each program.…

Considered in the paper, which originally was prepared for publication by the Moscow Institute of Defectology, are research and methodology related to education of deaf children in the United States. Described are deaf children's communicative problems, and defined are classifications according to varying degrees of deafness. Discussed is…