Term
| On the average, deafness is confirmed at 2 ½ years of age in the United States. Most parents are aware that something is awry well before that time and the vast majority of pediatricians tend to put off early testing. Many valuable months have passed by the time there is a confirmation of deafness. |
|
Definition
| Average age of deafness 1 |
|
|
Term
| Concurrently, many are in a mental spin regarding the fact that they now have a deaf child. |
|
Definition
| mental thoughts of parents 1 |
|
|
Term
| For at least a century, the education of deaf children has been polarized into two main camps, the manualists (those who sign) and the oralists (those who rely on speech and speechreading for communication). In addition, there is a third camp, those who use cued speech. Cued speech is not really speech at all, but a visual representation of English sounds. In relative terms, it is a new method that will be discussed later. If parents understand the history behind the controversy, they will have a better chance of being able to filter feelings from fact. “They [parents] need to learn the difference between opinion (emotionally based) and fact (researched).” |
|
Definition
| 3 different camps of deafness schools 1 |
|
|
Term
| During the early 1800’s, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet went to England to learn a teaching method suitable for instructing deaf students. When he approached the Braidwood school, they were unwilling to share their instructional method. Braidwood’s methods were oral in nature, reliant on speech and speechreading. |
|
Definition
| Thomas Hopkins teaching 1 |
|
|
Term
| a French priest, Roche-Ambroise Sicard, a brilliant teacher of the deaf, was on tour demonstrating his method while Gallaudet was in England. Gallaudet went to the demonstration and was impressed with Sicard’s sign language method. He brought Sicard’s methods and Laurent Clerc, a gifted deaf teacher to Connecticut. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| These dedicated men established the Hartford school, later known as the American School for the Deaf in 1817. The method used in the School was sign language. french and english |
|
Definition
| founders of hardford school for the deaf 1 |
|
|
Term
| About one half of all teachers of the deaf were deaf themselves and a number of deaf individuals established their own schools. During this golden era of signed deaf education, Congress established the National Deaf Mute College in 1864. Today, this institution is known as Gallaudet University.However, the trend toward using sign language to educate the deaf changed after the Conference of Milan. |
|
Definition
| deaf teachers and the national deaf mute college 1 |
|
|
Term
| The Conference of Milan was an international conference on the virtues of the two major instructional methods used to educate the deaf in that time period. The best educators in the world were in attendance. Although the United States traditionally used signed language to teach the deaf population, other countries used oral methods. Prior to Milan, there was always bickering between educators as to which method was superior, sign or speech. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A parent respondent shared this insight “NO One has one right way to raise a deaf child, any more than anyone has one right way to raise a hearing child. The politics involved in deaf education are nauseating and who suffers the most in the end are the children themselves.” |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In 1880, the two did battle at the Conference of Milan. The conclusion of the Conference was that the oral method was superior. This changed the course of teaching history for the next eighty years. Within ten years, the number of deaf teachers of the deaf dropped to one quarter of total teachers. Within the next twenty years the number of deaf teachers teaching deaf students fell to one fifth of the total.7 Regrettably, many talented deaf teachers went into retirement during this period of time. Milan affected members of the Deaf community profoundly, professionally and personally. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Signing in the classroom became a forbidden thing. Anecdotally, people have shared stories about being forced to sit on their hands. It was not uncommon for children to have their hands slapped for signing. The issue of corporal punishment, when seen in the light of earlier teaching practices, does not seem cruel. Children, both hearing and deaf, were disciplined this way when they disobeyed. |
|
Definition
| signing and the punishment 1 |
|
|
Term
| upon reflection, these deaf children had poor communication with their teachers and no effective way of communicating among themselves. The fairness of harsh discipline under these circumstances is questionable. As a result of these attitudes and practices, signing was done in secret and ASL was often taught to the younger children by the older youths in the residential institutions. |
|
Definition
| evaluation of the punishment 1 |
|
|
Term
| Sign was forbidden because educators believed that if a profoundly deaf child signed, he would not learn how to speak since speaking is a difficult skill for a deaf child to learn. English is a truly difficult language to speechread. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Then in the early 1960s William Stokoe wrote and published Sign Language Structure.This work proclaimed that American Sign Language (ASL) was, indeed, a true language on a par with any spoken language. From this point forward, various forms of signed communication, were used more frequently in the in the classroom. In 1966, Dr. Orin Cornett designed Cued Speech. This method is not sign, nor is it really speech, but rather a visual way to present the phonology of the English language. Shortly thereafter all of the Manual Codes for English came into being. Total Communication also emerged about this time. The teaching trends begun in 1880 had finally begun to turn around. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Today, the attitudes towards teaching deaf children have changed drastically. Many professionals in the field of deafness suggest a tool box approach. Generally the professionals feel that some form of signing, preferably ASL, is useful to the deaf child. Quite a number advocate using the bilingual model. One professional writes: ”What the U.S. desperately needs ASAP is a TRULY bilingual program for deaf kids in which ASL via signs and English via cues are given equal importance.” |
|
Definition
| changes in attude today 1 |
|
|
Term
| Regrettably, the damage between the Deaf and hearing communities had been done. Trust between people and establishments take many years to heal. The deaf individuals of this era and their parents must not only deal with the basic challenge of finding a common way to communicate, but they must also deal with the ghosts of the past. |
|
Definition
| dammage done to the deaf 1 |
|
|
Term
| The medical model is distinguished by the viewpoint that deafness is a functional disorder that needs to be fixed. In this viewpoint deaf people are seen as handicapped. |
|
Definition
| medical veiw of deafness 1 |
|
|
Term
| Generally, people holding this viewpoint consider the hearing condition the optimal model and use the auditory methods to obtain the goals of using residual hearing, speechreading and speech. An individual is deemed successful if he/she gains good oral skills. The use of assistive devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants is considered appropriate. A person who has this viewpoint is called “deaf”. |
|
Definition
| medical view of deafness (deaf view) 1 |
|
|
Term
| cultural model of deafness defines the deaf individual as a linguistic minority with a distinct language, culture and mores. “Deafness is viewed as a difference, a difference which in no way connotes inferiority |
|
Definition
| cultural view of deafness 1 |
|
|
Term
| An individual is deemed successful if he/she attains fluency in ASL |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Individuals who are members of the Deaf Community are able to communicate and become friends with members of the Hearing Community and visa versa. |
|
Definition
| deaf and hearing communication 1 |
|
|
Term
| Irene Schmalz, an oral deaf parent shares these thoughts: “It [Deaf Culture] is a matter of personal opinion and it is wonderful for those who wish to be a member.” The value of understanding that there is more than one way to approach deafness, lay in the ability to decipher the mindset behind all the “wonderful” advice that is frequently showered upon parents of deaf children. |
|
Definition
| thoughts of Irene Schmalz 1 |
|
|
Term
| Prior to 1975, “more than one-half of the children with disabilities in the United States did not receive appropriate educational services that would enable such children to have full equality of opportunity. One million of the children with disabilities in the United States were excluded entirely from the public school system and did not go through the educational process with their peers...because of the lack of adequate services within the public school system. |
|
Definition
| public laws that effect education 1 |
|
|
Term
| Families were often forced to find services outside the public school system, often at great distance from their residence and at their own expense.” Due to these gaping failures on the part of the American educational system, Congress passed a series of laws that were aimed at addressing the problems. |
|
Definition
| public laws effects on education 1 |
|
|
Term
| The first of these was the passing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This combined with Public Law 94-142 (the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act) assured a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for every child with a disability. |
|
Definition
| 504 plan burst to action 1 |
|
|
Term
| Then in 1986, Public Law 94-142 was further amended by Public Law 99-457 (Education of the Handicapped Amendments of 1986). |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Finally, the 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was enacted. The IDEA now refers to the entire package of laws that assures a decent public education for all children with disabilities. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| One of the most important things a parent can do for their child is to know the law, their rights under it and then take a proactive stance towards their child’s education. “Parents should think of themselves as their child’s only advocate in a complicated legal dispute. |
|
Definition
| important parent decisions 1 |
|
|
Term
| IEP lawyers who deal with a particular district eventually will want to compromise on an individual’s IEP to preserve their cordial relationship with the district. Parents should learn the IEP process and look for a parent who has successfully gone through fair [due] process as a mentor.” Parents must be effective advocates for their children and they need to understand what the IDEA mandates the schools to do. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Early and unbiased evaluation of hearing loss in school-age children
Unbiased evaluation of deaf children using a variety of communication methods, including sign language. “Each local educational agency shall ensure that tests and other evaluation materials used to assess a child under this section are provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so…” |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The IEP Team must develop an IEP [Individual Education Plan] for each child with a disability. The IEP Team must “consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, consider the child’s language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communications with peers and professional personnel in the child’s language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs, including opportunities for direct instruction in the child’s language and communication mode; and [shall] consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services.” |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| In addition to all of these laws, the Bilingual Education Act of 1988 provides the legal definition of the terms native language and limited English proficiency. Deaf students were included in its terminology for the first time |
|
Definition
| Bilingual education act 1 |
|
|
Term
| Deafness is considered a low incidence disability. It is a disability that requires personnel with highly specialized skills and knowledge. Teachers and aides with these skills are costly. Interpreters are as well. School systems, with ever tightening budgets, may have difficulty justifying the cost. As a result, they try to do with less. If they think the child can survive mainstreaming, they will push for it. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| A vital aspect of choosing the right education for your child is remembering that although your child is deaf, he is an individual. Each person has a different learning style. “We need to understand that no two deaf people are alike; many professionals seem to have a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to educational strategies for deaf children. The truth is, there is an ongoing controversy over the best ways to educate the deaf, and most of the arguments center around communication methods. The best thing to do is evaluate, determine the best environment, and go with the child’s strengths.” |
|
Definition
| how to choose education 1 |
|
|
Term
| There are several different types of hearing losses that a child can have. These losses may determine the type of method the parent chooses and it may also determine the educational setting. |
|
Definition
| determinging types of deafness 1 |
|
|
Term
| Conductive losses are caused by blockage or disease of the outer or middle ear. They generally are less than 60 decibels (dB). Conductive hearing losses are generally treatable by a physician and account for 5 to 10% of all hearing loss. Examples of conductive losses are: wax, rupture of the eardrum and deformity of the outer or middle ear structure. |
|
Definition
| conductive hearing loss 1 |
|
|
Term
| Sensorineural hearing losses are losses that involve damage to the nerves of the inner ear.These losses cannot usually be fixed. Sensorineural deafness affects both loudness and fidelity of sound, making the sound distorted. A common difficulty is loss of the high tones. This is pertinent since consonant sounds are high tones. These sounds help discriminate one word from another. Amplification is not always helpful because the distortion is amplified as well as the sound. Different causes of sensorineural losses are: heredity, bacterial meningitis, and excessive noise. |
|
Definition
| sensorineural hearing loss 1 |
|
|
Term
| Mixed hearing losses are exactly what they imply. It is a mixture of both sensorineural and conductive losses. Mixed losses cause difficulty with both distortion and loudness. “As conductive losses tend to fluctuate, depending on the nature of the loss, mixed losses may also fluctuate.” |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Central hearing loss involves the auditory centers in the brain. This kind of loss involves the brain-end of the process rather than the hearing end. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| The progressive hearing loss is one that worsens over the course of time. Individuals with these losses need repeated testing to keep tabs on what is happening with the child and to plan appropriately. |
|
Definition
| progressive hearing loss 1 |
|
|
Term
| hearing devices and amplifiers can date back to the 1500's. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Girolama Cardano (1501-1576), an Italian physician, philosopher and mathematician, writes in De Subtilitate about bone conduction of sound: how sound may be transmitted to the ear by means of a rod or the shaft of a spear held between one’s teeth. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Spanish monk, Pedro Ponce de Leon (1520-1584), uses oral education methods to teach the deaf children of some members of the nobility, in a convent of Valladolid. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Giovanni Battista Porta (1535-1615), an Italian physician, scientist and cryptographer, described some early hearing aids in Magia Naturalis. The hearing aids were made of wood and shaped like the ears of animals known to have acute hearing. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Giovanni Bonifacio (1547-1635) publishes a treatise discussing sign language, Of the Art of Signs |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| Frederick C. Rein establishes F.C. Rein and Son in London. It is the earliest firm known to manufacture hearing aids on a commercial basis. Rein’s early products are non-electric hearing aids, such as ear trumpets, acoustic urns, and speaking tubes for churches. F.C. Rein remains in business until 1963. |
|
Definition
| 1800's federick (manufacture of hearing aids) 2 |
|
|
Term
| The American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, the first permanent public school for the deaf in the U.S. is founded in Hartford, Connecticut. The chief impetus was given by a young divinity student, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. Gallaudet enlisted the services of Laurent Clerc, a French teacher of the deaf who was trained in the manual approach of De l’Épée. Clerc, who was deaf himself, came to Hartford at the urging of Gallaudet, becoming the first deaf teacher of the deaf in the U.S. The school, now known as the American School for the Deaf, continues to this day to provide educational and vocational training for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, youth, adults, and their families. |
|
Definition
| 1st American Asylum for education for deaf and dumb 2 |
|
|
Term
| Maico (U.S.) presents a programmable CIC aid called the RD301, with two programs and volume control. The RD301 is controlled by a remote control. Siemens introduces a programmable CIC in 1996. |
|
Definition
| the modern new hearing aid 2 |
|
|
Term
| Before 1975 more than half the children in the United States did not have access to appropriate education. Children with disabilities weren't even aloud in the same school systems, making mainstreaming impossible. |
|
Definition
| start of the laws comming forth 3 |
|
|
Term
| in 1864 The National Deaf Mute College was established by Congress. This is now Gallaudet University |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| American Sign Language has only been acknowledged as a true language in the latter part of the twentieth century, but the language's roots date back to eighteenth century France. |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| For centuries, deaf persons were assumed to be unteachable. Deaf children were not allowed to attend school with hearing students. schools specifically for the deaf were founded in Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. They focused on attempting to teach hearing impaired children to speak, read lips, and master their native language. Deaf persons worked hard at these tasks, but when socializing or working outside of the school, they developed informal signs and used them to communicate. |
|
Definition
| how ASL became a lanuge 4 |
|
|
Term
| When persons who knew the signs met, they shared new signs and so spread and developed the system. Educators, however, insisted that the signs could not be considered a true language, because they did not comply with the grammatical rules of French. |
|
Definition
| development of ASL as a lanuge 4 |
|
|
Term
American Sign Language has made steady gains in respectability, and is often the language of choice for children who were born deaf or who became deaf before learning english
. Signed Exact English has more connection to English and continues to be taught to students in schools, though American Sign is now also used. American Sign Language has also gained the respectable status at the high school and collegiate levels, as it is increasingly taught as an option to fulfill foregin langue requirements. The educational world is at last acknowledging what the deaf community has known for many years: American Sign Language is a separate and distinct language in its own right.
[image] |
|
Definition
|
|
