Total communication procedures were used with three severely mentally retarded children (mental ages 2 to 4) to examine the effects of receptive speech on the acquisition and maintenance of manual signing. Signs corresponding to known words were generally acquired faster and retained better than signs corresponding to unknown words. (Author/JW)

The relative effectiveness of total communication and oral communication training in a parent-assisted, home-based language intervention program was studied with 15 Down's syndrome children, 18-36 months old. (Author/SEW)

Three Spanish deaf preschoolers were taught receptive vocabulary in oral English, English sign-mix, oral Spanish, Spanish sign-mix, and sign alone. Subject one learned best using sign alone. Subject two performed best using oral Spanish or sign alone. Subject three seemed to profit from sign, Spanish sign-mix, or oral English. (Author/SW)

The article analyzes the controversy over total communication vs. oralism in the education of hearing impaired students, notes the differences between speech and language, and suggests points to be considered by parents in deciding on one or the other approach. (CL)

Discusses learning to read by hearing impaired children and maintains that given a language base (in sign alone, oral and/or signed English), a total communication environment, and the opportunity to utilize various modes to decode written English, it appears likely that hearing impaired children can develop reading and writing skills in English.…

The differences between Pidgin Sign English and American Sign Language in simultaneity, or the visible presence of two or more linguistic units (manual or nonmanual) co-occurring, are demonstrated. Differences are exemplified in handshape-classifier pronouns, directional verbs, co-occurring manual signs, and nonmanual behavior. (PMJ)

At the Iowa School for the Deaf, five young hearing children (age three years) were integrated into the preschool program to study the development of total communication skills including speech and language patterns. (Author/PHR)

Reveals trends influencing the enrollment rate of hearing-impaired college students and discusses the elements of a comprehensive support service program. These include: planning; establishment of services, i.e., counseling, interpreting, note-taking, and tutorial services; and benefits to the institution, the hearing-impaired students, and…

Timing sensitivity (awareness of rhythm of lapsed time), age, and sex were studied as possible predictors of success in hearing adults' learning of sign language. The results of school evaluations revealed that younger hearing adults with a sensitivity for timing learned sign language faster than did other adults. (PMJ)

Attachment behaviors were compared for groups of mother/deaf preschool child dyads where only oral communication was used and where total communication was used. Results showed that very few of the children were distressed by separation from their mothers. Further, the children's level of communicative competence was shown to be associated with…

The article considers whether young deaf children of hearing parents should learn American Sign Language (ASL) as their first language and whether teachers in day high school programs should use manual communication. It concludes that, because ASL is the key to deaf culture, it should be used by parents and teachers. (DB)

This paper reports the results from a minitrial in Sweden of the use of still-picture telephones by people with moderate mental retardation. The two participants used total communication, mixing spoken language, Pictogram symbols, and sign language. Improved communicative skills were found, though heavy staff training and involvement were…

The speech intelligibility of 18 children with prelingual deafness was examined after using cochlear implants for an average of 3 years. The average speech intelligibility score of the nine children using oral communication was significantly higher than that of nine children using total communication. (DB)

Teachers of students with deafness (31 teachers following an oral approach and 93 following the Total Communication approach) were surveyed to examine work-related stress. The two groups did not differ in overall stress levels but did differ on two stress factors: institutional provision of technical and personnel assistance, and agreement with…

This study investigated the overall intelligibility of speech produced during simultaneous communication (SC). Four hearing, experienced sign language users were recorded under SC and speech alone (SA) conditions speaking Boothroyd's (1985) forced-choice phonetic contrast material designed for measurement of speech intelligibility. Twelve…