Signing systems that attempted to represent spoken language via manual signs -- some invented, and some borrowed from natural sign languages -- have historically been used in classrooms with deaf children. However, despite decades of research and use of these systems in the classroom, there is little evidence supporting their educational…

To those who look to technology to enhance a person's quality of life and not merely to restore capability, it is more important and cost effective to consider environmental modifications and the functions of devices within a comprehensive context of varying situations (Milieu characteristics); user interests, needs, capabilities, expectations,…

Describes the controversy in hearing-impaired education between advocates of unisensory and multisensory approaches to communication for learning and socialization. Concludes that the multisensory approach is superior after reviewing arguments from developmental and perceptual theories, information processing, early intervention pedagogy, and…

Simultaneous communication used by four teachers in formal lessons was investigated, to determine the extent to which signs and speech matched and to delineate factors predicting communication behavior. Simultaneous communication was found to be sign-driven or speech-driven depending on factors such as student comprehension, teacher's expertise,…

A 4-year study of 131 preschool children with severe/profound hearing losses found that children tended to be placed first in auditory/oral programs and later moved to total communication programs. Evaluated are the performance of children in both types of programs on measures of spoken language, receptive language, and mother-child communication.…

The study measured hearing-impaired (N=106) students' reception of language presented via five modes: oral, aural, manual, oral-aural;, and simultaneous manual and oral. The simultaneous manual and oral and the manual modes received the highest ratings. Results are discussed in terms of theories of cognitive processing and selective attention.…

Evaluates effects of age of initial intervention on hearing-impaired children's academic achievement, social-emotional adjustment, and speech comprehension. Early intervention was not associated with improved performance in any dependent measures. (Author/BB)