Eight focus groups of teachers of students who are deaf/hard of hearing identified language instructional practices associated with either oral communication or total communication. This generated a set of 79 statements of practices that were then verified by program supervisors using a Likert-type scale. Teachers' identified practices differed…

Two teachers recount the 2 years they each spent teaching an autistic 9-year-old boy named Bernie. The first teacher reviews Bernie's life history, reporting the facts of his birth and followup examinations which revealed no medical abnormality. The teacher then describes her work with Bernie at the Therapeutic Nursery School. After an initial…

Historical and current trends, practices, and perspectives regarding manual communication in educating deaf children are discussed, including Manually Coded English systems and American Sign Language. Issues concerning choice of sign language/systems and instructional strategies that support sign usage (such as Total Communication, Simultaneous…

A total communication program was introduced to enhance the communication skills of 8 students, age 11-14, with severe and moderate retardation. The method gradually developed into a successful introductory reading program, with instruction focused on sight vocabulary and comprehension skills. (JDD)

This paper argues that current practices in total communication classrooms have basically assigned the responsibility of communication to hearing-impaired students who must adapt to the variation in communication behaviors displayed by each of their teachers. The paper advocates use of a model communication and language policy designed to…

Examines the social rejection and acceptance of American Sign Language (ASL) since its introduction in schools for the deaf in 1817. Concludes that the evolutionary nature of ASL binds its use to the deaf community. (Author/FMW)

Investigates the administration and interpretation of deaf educational policy at a regular education campus. There was a breakdown in translation of policy and a lack of articulation between the County and the District, as well as confusion regarding language use in the classroom and a lack of knowledge concerning the bilingual education of the…

A school district established a Total Communication Project to improve consistency in teachers' role modeling of English with deaf students, which was the primary language of the classroom, and American Sign Language (ASL), which was used as an intervention tool. This paper describes the program, its theoretical framework, and procedures for…

The document contains 18 presentations from Southwestern Region Deaf-Blind Center workshops held from 1970 to 1973 and covering the areas of assessment, vision, auditory training, communication, learning, family, and problems. Entries included the following titles and authors: "Methods for Assessing the Status and Growth of Preschool Deaf-Blind…

A 4-year demonstration Total Communication Project was implemented at three schools (an elementary, a middle, and a high school) serving hearing impaired students. The goal of the project was for the six participating teachers to become consistent in their role modeling of English and American Sign Language (ASL), through weekly inservice on ASL…

This annotated bibliography on the reading achievement of the deaf is designed to aid those who wish to learn more about how children with severe auditory handicaps read. The various sections focus on the severity of the reading deficit of deaf students, the findings of basic research on how they read, and some of the instructional approaches…

The paper presents an overview of the methods used in a class for autistic children (ages 4-11 years) and reports on a longitudinal case study of an autistic 11 year-old girl. Autistic characteristics, such as poor eye contact and insensitivity to pain, are outlined. The author explains that the program emphasized teaching basic communication…

This booklet presents knowledge, attitudes, and educational ideas on how to give deaf children the support they need to develop. It focuses on the fundamental and comprehensive needs of deaf children, using methods and ideas that can be adjusted to countries without great technical resources. The first chapter examines the importance of language…

The results of study in England and Wales to determine the place of fingerspelling and signing in deaf education are reported. The scope and procedure of the inquiry, its context, the meaning of terms, the linguistic quality methods of communication, variable factors likely to affect the attainments of children with impaired hearing, and present…

This paper presents historical information about language teaching methods and focuses on "formal" and "functional" strategies of teaching and learning. Particular attention is directed toward the immersion type of education. A table that lists developments in language teaching theory from 1840-1977 is presented. A table that summarizes…