The report presents the results of an Office of Demographic Studies study of the communication patterns of a national sample of 657 hearing impaired children. The extent to which various modes of communication (such as manual or oral) are used with hearing impaired children is examined, and the relationships between communication patterns and a…

Considered are ways in which developmental theories, methodologies, and research findings may be used to clarify the concept of experiential deficiencies of deaf children. Examined are the effects on deaf children of deprivations in physical experiences (such as the reduction of information about objects provided by auditory feedback) and in…

This manual, which is intended to accompany a series of video tapes, is designed to provide a basic sign vocabulary for use by hearing persons in communicating with the deaf. The manual consists of an introduction, explanation of the illustrated signs, seventeen lessons, and an alphabetical index of signs. Each lesson in the manual contains an…

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…

Investigated were aspects of language development (association, memory, comprehension, and production) in three groups (50 individuals per group) of deaf adolescents who were variously trained by the pure oral method, the combined oral-manual method, and the Rochester fingerspelling method. One hearing group was matched with the deaf in age, and…

A follow-up was done on a 1976 survey of communication trends in schools and programs for the hearing impaired in the U.S. Although a lower response rate made direct comparison of numbers impossible, the percentage of classes using the various communication modes was consistent with the earlier study. (Author/CL)

This study of seven educators of hearing-impaired students in early elementary programs found that teachers' signed Manually Coded English (MCE) messages represented their spoken utterances. MCE proficiency may be influenced by teacher attitude regarding the importance of signing complete messages and the degree to which supervisors monitor…

The article describes methods used to bring a seven-year-old boy with severe auditory and visual impairments and no communication skills to a level of oral communication within one year. The manual, graphic, and oral-aural strategies used are described. (Author/DB)

The study compared scores of 2 groups of hearing-impaired students ages 5 to 12 years on a literacy battery. Subjects (n=73) were receiving instruction which either completely encoded spoken English or incompletely encoded spoken English. Those receiving completely encoded English instruction tended to score higher on achievement tests especially…

Twelve stories were told to four profoundly deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool children, using either pure American Sign Language (ASL), pure Signing Exact English (SEE) II, or SEE II with ASL features and structures. Children participated more during story conditions that were either pure ASL or contained ASL signing. (DB)

Questionnaires completed by 100 certified audiologists were analyzed to determine their positions on the deafness communication methodology (oral/manual) controversy. (LS)

The article traces the steps that St. Mary's School for the Deaf in Buffalo, New York, followed in the implementation of their Total Communication program. (Author)