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Thomas Holcroft's Deaf and Dumb (1801), an adaptation of J. N. Bouilly's L'Abbé de L'Épée (1799), is a foundational story for deaf justice that models educational access as a route to self-determination for deaf people. Based on the real story of the Comte de Solar, Bouilly's play, and its many translations, recounts the story of an abandoned deaf child who is rescued by the Abbé, taught sign language and restored to his family. This article follows the progress of the tale as it is reworked by deaf and hearing writers, circulating extensively in many genres on both sides of the Atlantic over the next two hundred years. Holcroft's version is closely tied to fundraising for deaf schools, and is an important example of transatlantic exchange between deaf Anglophone and Francophone worlds. Although Holcroft's play was embraced by pioneer deaf educators, such as Laurent Clerc, its sentimentality has proved to be problematic, as this article will also explore. The Solar story is, nevertheless, significant for the attention it pays to a number of deaf justice issues: the rights to family life and name; property ownership and inheritance; education and literacy; access to communication and community; and legal protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the educational experiences of deaf children in Mexico. Schools for the deaf exist, but no research has examined instructional practices for children in these contexts. In this study, we adopt a sociocultural framework for language acquisition to document and understand how teachers at a bilingual (Mexican Sign Language and Spanish) school for the deaf in central Mexico support the learning of their students. Our findings indicate that teachers at this school prioritized deafness and how to leverage the visual modality to support student growth. They used a number of instructional practices familiar to English-speaking audiences, such as scaffolding, explicit instruction, and individualization, perhaps as a result of the close ties between the school and US-based collaborators. Finally, both teachers and students felt that collaboration, between the administration and teachers, among teachers, and among students, was essential. Findings indicate a need to explore these complex issues and expand burgeoning collaborations between bilingual and deaf education researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cochlear implantation in children with hearing impairment (HI) have demonstrated significant outcomes in the areas of spoken language development and education. However, it has been reported that children with cochlear implant (CI) have variable performance in regular educational settings. Therefore, the aim of study is to understand the issues related to classroom performance in children with cochlear implant from a teacher's point of view. Children with cochlear implant placed in mainstream education were recruited for the study. The class teacher filled out a questionnaire that was developed which included 14 domains that was identified based on previous literature. The results indicated significant lacunae in the areas of communication, listening, and social interaction, use of appropriate compensatory strategies, test taking skills, reading, and writing. Children with CI exhibited considerable deficits in mainstream education. However, the study highlighted the potential areas that required professional support to cope with mainstream education. The results of the study can also help to enhance teacher education and thereby facilitate better learning opportunities for children with CI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of sign language proficiency needs to be based on measures with well-established psychometric proprieties. To date, no valid and reliable test is available to assess Polish Sign Language (Polski Język Migowy, PJM) skills in deaf children. Hence, our aim with this study was to adapt the British Sign Language Receptive Skills Test (the first standardized test to determine sign language proficiency in children) into PJM, a less researched sign language. In this paper, we present the first steps in the adaptation process and highlight linguistic and cultural similarities and differences between the British Sign Language Receptive Skills Test and the PJM adaptation. We collected data from 20 deaf children who were native signers (age range: 6 to 12) and 30 deaf children who were late learners of PJM (age range: 6 to 13). Preliminary analyses showed that the PJM Receptive Skills Test has acceptable psychometric characteristics (item analysis, validity, reliability, and sensitivity to age). Our long-term goal with this work was to include younger children (age range: 3 to 6) and to standardize the PJM Receptive Skills Tests, so that it can be used in educational settings and in scientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author talks about the egotistical indulgences in the pleasures of competition to create the gaming environments and obstacles. Topics discussed include live-action role-playing game about inventing language; the government brought together deaf children from across the country to form an experimental school with the goal of teaching children to lip read; and absorb themselves in the practical details of communicating inside the severe restrictions of the game.

This Article asserts that early intervention under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) should be amended to recognize the needs of the young child with the disability as primary over the needs of the child's family. This Article contends that certain requirements of the IDEIA cause early intervention professionals to view and treat the child's family, rather than the child herself as the ultimate recipient of support. In many situations, the needs of the family and the needs of the child may wholly align, but that is an assumption that bears questioning. This Article analyzes groundbreaking legislation efforts in the field of deaf education, the Language Equality & Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) campaign, to illustrate a framework that maintains the focus on the primacy o f the child's needs, with support to the family in service of those needs. The LEAD-K campaign has developed model legislation for adoption by states. Since 2016, twelve states have adopted a form of the LEAD-K model bill. There are approximately fifteen more states with LEAD-K teams in various stages of development. This Article highlights LEAD-K for its potential to transform early intervention for deaf and hard o f hearing children and uses the LEAD-K model bill to illustrate a flaw in the IDEIA. The IDEIA subsumes the needs o f the child within the consideration of the needs of the family, when the child and family should instead be considered as separate (but related) stakeholders. This Article seeks to apply lessons from the LEAD-K campaign to early intervention services under the IDEIA to facilitate more informed decision making by families. While first considering the needs of deaf and hard of hearing children, this Article contends that a framework shift that identifies the needs and goals of the child separately from the needs and goals of her family would be beneficial to all children receiving early intervention services. This Article therefore calls for an amendment to the IDEIA to require that the child's program o f services includes a written statement of the expectations for the child to attain by the end of early intervention. Currently, no such requirement exists. The expectations would be accompanied by a statement of how the measurable goats and outcomes (an existing requirement under the IDEIA) serve these expectations. This Article also suggests an alternative proposal, specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children receiving earlv intervention services, requiring the early intervention team to consider the child's language needs. This Article addresses anticipated counterarguments to the proposals, including claims that the proposals fail to recognize the importance of family autonomy and authority. This Article contends that the proposals set forth herein would facilitate better information sharing by early intervention professionals, leading to more informed decision making by families of young children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's views on changed schooling perspectives. Topics discussed include proposals for inclusive school, sociology of educational policies, comprehensive school projects in 1960s, socio-anthropological approach in education, education given to deaf children and pragmatic sociology.

In this paper, the School for Deaf Children that was opened under the rule of the British Administration in Cyprus is examined. The school was opened in the 1953-1954 academic year and became the second private education institution on the island. Additionally, it was a mixed school that served both the Greek and Turkish communities. Although the school was initially opened with contributions from the Rotary Club, it continued to provide educational services with funds from the British Administration, students' parents and voluntary contributions. During the period of mixed education, the school could not adopt a fully settled structure in terms of the building in which it was locate and was moved to different areas during that period. In the period when the British government transferred responsibility for the education on the island to the Greek and Turkish communities, the school continued to provide services on a mixed basis. However, after the events of 1963, the Turkish teachers and students began to leave the school. Today, it continues its activities in southern Nicosia, whereas in the northern part of the island, the Lapta School for People with Hearing and Speaking Disabilities was opened in 1975 in order for Turkish students to continue their education. The present study is supported with information obtained from Education reports and Cyprus Gazette resources as well as national and international works and verbal resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses issues of language revitalization and linguistic prescriptivism related to the teaching of American Sign Language (ASL) in Canada. I describe the current and historical context for ASL teaching, including the increase in ASL course offerings at some postsecondary institutions, and discuss findings related to challenges in curriculum development and issues of prescriptivism as they recur in my study of developing an ASL curriculum for parents of deaf children that is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although reading outcomes for children with hearing loss are improving, too many of these children continue to display persistent reading difficulties. Because of these difficulties, there is an ongoing need to understand the nature of the relationships among decoding abilities, language skills, and reading achievement in this population more fully. Coincidentally, there has also been an emerging literature on the subjective fatigue in children with hearing loss, which could be directly or indirectly linked to reading ability. The purpose of this study was to examine associations among language abilities, reading skills, and subjective fatigue in 56 children with mild to moderate hearing loss (CMMHL). The results indicated that both phonological awareness and receptive language ability predicted reading achievement in CMMHL, which replicates findings for children without hearing loss. The results also indicated that CMMHL who had poor reading skills reported significantly higher levels of subjective fatigue relative to the other children with mild to moderate hearing loss in the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers investigated the effects of adult language input on the quantity of language, vocabulary development, and understanding of basic concepts of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children who used listening and spoken language. Using audio recording and Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) software, the study involved 30 preschool DHH children who used spoken language as their communication modality and 11 typically hearing same-age peers. The children's language and the language spoken to them during all waking hours over a 2-day period (16 hours per day) were recorded and analyzed quantitatively and were compared to the children's performance on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The results highlight the relationship between the quantity of adult language and the language, vocabulary, and basic concept knowledge of DHH preschool children who use listening and spoken language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on the Broadway Books First Class, a classroom-based reading program which is designed to promote theater arts and children's literature for deaf and children in New York City. She mentions significant of arts participation on the development of social skills and emotion regulation among children, the importance of the use of high-quality children's literature, and the incorporation of the inclusion of the program on literacy instruction.

The history of deaf education has focused heavily on one major issue: the role of sign language and the rise of oralism as a means of suppressing the use of signs. This was a crucial debate which affected the lives of deaf children, informed social and cultural attitudes towards deafness and in many cases spurred resistance from deaf communities. However, other aspects of daily school life and the curriculum of Victorian and Edwardian deaf schools have rarely been commented upon. Focusing on the Cambrian Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Wales' first deaf institution, this article will examine the teaching of writing and moral, religious and industrial education, all of which constructed an image of the intellectual and moral capabilities of the deaf child. The article will argue that deaf children were prescribed a moral and religious identity, and played an active role in wider Victorian and Edwardian discourses of education and childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The view of sign languages as bounded systems is often important for deaf community empowerment and for pedagogical practice in terms of supporting deaf children’s language acquisition and second language learners’ communicative competence. Conversely, the notion of translanguaging in the American Sign Language (ASL) community highlights a number of recurring tensions related to standard language ideology and English-based sign systems in deaf education; these tensions can work to obscure the polyglot nature of ASL itself. This paper reports how translingual practices were embedded in an ethnographic action research study of developing and field-testing an ASL curriculum for parents of young deaf children that is aligned with theCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages(CEFR). In this study of teaching parents classical ASL varieties, translingual practices were highlighted where ASL and the visual code of English are regularly in contact with and influence each other in signers’ multimodal repertoires. This data illustrate the history of translanguaging in ASL communities and points to the importance of preserving historic deaf community language practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 1876, an educator of the deaf and a ‘deaf-mute’ publicly clashed over topics ranging from the nature of deafness and the identity of those who are ‘deaf-mute’ to the best methods to be used in deaf education and what deaf children following those methods might be expected to achieve. The debate occurred at a point in the nineteenth century when expert authority ‘about’ deaf people was beginning to sweep away deaf people’s own right to self-representation. Although richly nuanced and highly personal, the debate’s occurrence at a period that studies of the history of the deaf community have identified as pivotal to deaf people’s categorisation as ‘disabled’ means that much of its complexity has been lost in subsequent historical over-writing. This article explores the debate in depth. It provides a valuable glimpse into the mechanisms of expertise, and the ways that both non-deaf and deaf experts understood who deaf people were, what they could do, and what their place within society should be at that pivotal time. It also highlights the rich complexity of a much more complex history available to those prepared to dig beneath the surface to expose historical texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early intervention is widely recommended for children at risk of difficulties with speech, language and communication. Evidence for effective practice remains limited due in part to inherent difficulties in defining complex interventions and measuring change. The innovative Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system has exciting potential for early intervention and for evaluating outcomes. LENA is used widely in the USA; however, there is little to guide the introduction of this new technology in the UK. Successful implementation of new technology is predicted by its perceived acceptability and usefulness. This qualitative pilot study aimed to explore the acceptability of LENA for UK families with a young deaf child. Four families used LENA to record for one day. They received and discussed LENA feedback reports with a specialist speech and language therapist. Using qualitative methodology with a pragmatic epistemology, semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data explored using thematic analysis. Three families were positive about using LENA; they identified benefits of the feedback, suggested important factors for future use and would recommend it to other families. One family chose not to complete the recording. Key to acceptability is parental understanding of LENA’s purpose and the need for a trusted professional to facilitate interpretation and change. LENA is acceptable for some UK families with a young deaf child suggesting there is potential for successful implementation. Further study to explore LENA’s usefulness is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a significant interest in Theory of Mind (ToM), the specific groups in which it may be restricted and the opportunities which might enhance or suppress development. Previous studies have identified gaps in the literature concerning ideas for intervention and strategies which may augment the development of ToM skills. Published work suggests the use of children’s fiction to support understanding of ToM for young children. However, the current body of evidence does not critically appraise the value of picture books in developing the ToM of deaf children or provide analysis of the elements of ToM they may contain. This paper considers the opportunities held in children’s fiction and details analysis based on a developmental perspective of ToM (Westby, C. and Robinson, L., 2014. A developmental perspective for promoting theory of mind.Topics in language disorders, 34 (4), 362–382). The books analysed were chosen by educators of deaf children and researchers in the field. The opportunity for practitioners and parents to see aspects of ToM in readily accessible fiction is considered with a view to exploiting booksharing for ToM discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Glass Vision 3D was a grant-funded project focused on developing and researching a Google Glass app that would allowed young Deaf children to look at the QR code of an object in the classroom and see an augmented reality projection that displays an American Sign Language (ASL) related video. Twenty five objects and videos were prepared and tested by a focus group. Their suggestions were incorporated into a pilot test at a residential school for the Deaf. Four fifth grade students participated in a usability study. Results were mixed with researchers observing successful use of Google Glass by all participants along with enthusiastic engagement, but also recording a lengthy learning curve and hardware issues that distracted from the learning process. Wearable augmented reality is still in its infancy, but potential was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feasibility study was conducted to test a storybook intervention to increase early reading skills of 25 young signing deaf children of ages 4-9 in grades K through third grade. The children had wide ranges of hearing losses, non-verbal IQs, and signing skills. All were at risk for developing early reading skills, reading below the first grade level. Using a pre-experimental pre/post test design, standardized tests and early reading tasks, the children changes in letter, word and story knowledge were documented over a full school year. The intervention included 20 weekly story reading sessions with children receive modelling by Deaf story signers, with children using their signing and fingerspelling to practice storybook reading, story reciting, vocabulary learning, fingerspelling and writing skills with easy-to-read picture word/phrase storybooks after modelling from Deaf caregivers and teachers. Future research directions for intervention studies were outlined based on outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The high degree of comprehensibility between the signed languages in Trieste (present-day Italy) and Austria is very probably due to their joint history of deaf schools within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Investigation undertaken in archives in Trieste and Klagenfurt has revealed interesting similarities in the education of deaf children there since the mid-nineteenth century, which may explain present-day affinities. General background information is provided regarding sign language in Italy and Austria, and a detailed description of schools and teaching methodologies, which are the probable source of a historical connection, is then presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failing to acquire language in early childhood because of language deprivation is a rare and exceptional event, except in one population. Deaf children who grow up without access to indirect language through listening, speech-reading, or sign language experience language deprivation. Studies of Deaf adults have revealed that late acquisition of sign language is associated with lasting deficits. However, much remains unknown about language deprivation in Deaf children, allowing myths and misunderstandings regarding sign language to flourish. To fill this gap, we examined signing ability in a large naturalistic sample of Deaf children attending schools for the Deaf where American Sign Language (ASL) is used by peers and teachers. Ability in ASL was measured using a syntactic judgment test and language-based analogical reasoning test, which are two sub-tests of the ASL Assessment Inventory. The influence of two age-related variables were examined: whether or not ASL was acquired from birth in the home from one or more Deaf parents, and the age of entry to the school for the Deaf. Note that for non-native signers, this latter variable is often the age of first systematic exposure to ASL. Both of these types of age-dependent language experiences influenced subsequent signing ability. Scores on the two tasks declined with increasing age of school entry. The influence of age of starting school was not linear. Test scores were generally lower for Deaf children who entered the school of assessment after the age of 12. The positive influence of signing from birth was found for students at all ages tested (7;6-18;5 years old) and for children of all age-of-entry groupings. Our results reflect a continuum of outcomes which show that experience with language is a continuous variable that is sensitive to maturational age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "wall at the age of nine" is used to refer to the difficulty teaching deaf children Japanese case particles. As existing research has focused on verbs with which subjects and objects are symmetrical or interchangeable, it is difficult to grasp whether the children failed to understand the underlying deep cases or the surface cases (i.e., surface forms or case particles). In this study, we therefore conducted a test asking deaf children to choose the illustration that matched the sentence shown to them in their first language: Japanese Sign Language (JSL). The participants were deaf children aged 6 to 15 from Grade 1 of a deaf Elementary School to Grade 3 of Junior High School in Tokyo. The results show that until Elementary School Grades 3 and 4 (children aged 9-10), their encyclopedic knowledge and recognition of deep cases were not clearly separate, while older children became able to distinguish between the two. We concluded that deaf children have a fair understanding of deep cases and consider that, by utilizing the method of teaching Japanese as a second language to adults, we can develop teaching materials that allow deaf children to match the deep structure to the surface structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we explored the revision process and strategies implemented by deaf and hearing students who attend the same bilingual school context (LIS and Italian). For that we analysed and compared the types and quality of revisions made by deaf and hearing participants to their first draft of a narrative text (‘Frog, Where Are You?’) in order to produce their final draft. Results show that there were no significant differences in the revision process and actions of deaf students compared to hearing students. However, the deaf writers made more changes to their texts than their hearing counterparts. Furthermore, that bilinguism does not appear to interfere with the development of narrative writing skills and revision strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates what competencies are needed by teachers of children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH), in the changing circumstances of their profession in Jordan. One hundred and five teachers of children who are DHH from kindergarten up to primary grade took part in this study. A scale was developed in order to achieve the goals of the study. The results revealed that the teachers’ competencies on the development of Instructional Planning Strategies subscale ranked first as the most important teaching competency that teachers need to develop. Competencies in definitions and communication skills, assessment, managing the classroom environment, and team working ranked lower, with developing positive attitude ranked the last. Moreover, the results showed that there were significant differences at (α = 0.05) according to school type in favour of private schools, according to educational settings in favour of local public schools (inclusion settings), and according to teachers’ background in favour of ordinary teachers with general teaching qualifications. Based on the findings, appropriate recommendations for the educational system of the DHH in Jordan were outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article aims to discuss young deaf children's access to literacy within a sociocultural perspective. We introduce the concept of communities of practice as an aspect in early literacy development for young deaf children. Preschools are learning communities and thus constitute communities of practice. Our discussion on the use of communities of practice is based on a study of literacy practices in preschools with deaf and hearing children. The findings revealed that deaf children did not have adequate access to significant literacy events during preschool activities. We will argue that with regard to developing literacy, more attention should be given to the importance of participation, interaction and regularity for deaf children in these communities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this quantitative investigation was to identify instructional practices used by special education teachers in classrooms of young children with deafness. The population of study involved all 388 teachers serving in 34 Government Deaf & Defective Hearing Schools located in four zones of the Punjab province. A sample of 68 teachers (two teachers from each school) teaching to young children with deafness in class K.G.I and K.G.II was selected. A self developed and validated questionnaire (cronbach Alpha: 0.92) was used to elicit teachers' responses on instructional practices made by them in teaching speech, speech reading, reading recognition, writing and mathematics, on parental involvement and evaluation. Data were collected personally, through email, and registered post. Collected data were analyzed on SPSS. Independent sample t-test and ANOVA was run to see differences in instructional practices on the basis of teachers' gender, position, qualification, number of children, and four zones of the Punjab. Major findings revealed that teachers were having problems in teaching to and working with young children with deafness due to overcrowded classrooms, lack of teaching staff, unavailability of hearing aids, lack of parental cooperation etc. conclusions were drawn and recommendations to Punjab Special Education Department of Pakistan were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the contributions of the Dominican Sisters and Sisters of Mercy in running schools for female deaf children in Ireland during the period 1846 to 1946. The schools were established as part of an attempt to educate Catholics in the Catholic faith and provide literacy to female deaf children. In assuming the challenge of educating deaf girls, the sisters adopted a method of teaching and learning through signed language of which they had little prior knowledge. While the history of the schools is contextualised as a central narrative of this paper, the religious orders’ attempt to educate deaf children effectively is examined in the context of teacher role models and sign language pedagogy. This paper argues that the work of the Mercy and Dominican sisters should be recognised for its contribution to the education of female deaf children, whose needs would otherwise have been neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Saudi Society undergoes rapid developments as all Arab countries, a matter that necessitates emphasizing citizenship concepts and values in addition to fostering loyalty among society members with all its various classes. Therefore, the current study aimed at finding out the citizenship level among a sample of Saudi primary school students in Al-Riyadh city. Results showed statistically significant differences between normal and hearing impaired students. Hearing-impaired students out performed normal students. Results also showed that mothers' nationality (Saudi vs. non-Saudi) had an effect on students' citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades there have been major developments in deaf education in many countries. Medical and technical advances have made it possible for more deaf children to hear and speak successfully. Most deaf pupils learn in ordinary classes in mainstream schools. In this article we explore patterns of achievements of deaf pupils to see if these reforms had improved attainment outcomes. International surveys such as PISA do not include deaf pupils. This article describes two independent large-scale surveys about deaf pupils in Sweden and Scotland. The similar results from both countries show that deaf children, after two decades of social reform and technical advances, still lag behind their hearing peers. The results also show how large-scale surveys can contribute to a greater understanding of educational outcomes in a small, vulnerable group and make it possible to continue to reform the field to narrow the achievement gap further. The results further suggest that differing methods in two contrasting educational contexts can lead to some similar results and point to the need for different support to children with hearing loss and language disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There are very few measures of language development in spoken Greek that can be used with young deaf children. This study investigated the use of Cyprus Lexical List (CYLEX), a receptive and expressive vocabulary assessment based on parent report that has recently been adapted to Standard Greek, to measure the vocabulary development of deaf Greek-speaking children with cochlear implants. Design: A Standard Greek version of CYLEX was used to collect data on receptive and expressive vocabulary development from parents of thirteen deaf children with cochlear implants aged between 21 and 71 months. These data were compared with data collected previously from typically developing hearing Greek-speaking children. Results: Use of the test by parents of deaf children was found to be reliable. No correlation was found between children's vocabulary scores and chronological age. A positive correlation was however found between children's post-implant age and expressive vocabulary. The vocabulary skills of implanted children with a mean post-implant age of 20 months were not significantly different from those of typically developing hearing children of similar chronological age. Conclusion: CYLEX is a reliable and useful tool for exploring vocabulary development with this clinical group. Findings confirm the results of other studies in indicating that the vocabulary size of implanted pre-school-aged deaf children is related to the amount of time that children have used their implant, rather than chronological age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the research into deaf children’s bilingualism and bilingual education through a synthesis of studies published over the last 15 years. This review brings together the linguistic and pedagogical work on bimodal bilingualism to inform educational practice. The first section of the review provides a synthesis of the research, addressing linguistic, cognitive and social aspects of bimodal bilingualism. This is followed by a focus on bimodal bilingual language experience and use in different learning contexts. These first two sections provide the context for the main focus of the review: education and learning. The third section reports on links made between bimodal bilingualism and learning with regard to deaf children’s literacy development. The fourth section examines further research into bimodal bilingual pedagogies. The final section considers the theoretical and practical implications of the field to date in developing a contemporary model of bimodal bilingual education for deaf children. It also charts future research priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No formal Canadian curriculum presently exists for teaching American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language to parents of deaf and hard of hearing children. However, this group of ASL learners is in need of more comprehensive, research-based support, given the rapid expansion in Canada of universal neonatal hearing screening and the corresponding need for enhanced, early intervention service provision to families with deaf children. Inspired by parent sign language courses that have been developed in the Netherlands, the article outlines the rationale for and first steps toward developing a Canadian parent ASL curriculum framework that is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The CEFR and its proficiency levels hold much promise for innovation in second language teaching and learning, as they are based in conceptions of the language learner as a social agent who develops general and particular communicative competences while achieving everyday goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies to determine the intelligence level of children with special needs are performed by Guidance and Research Centers, university research centers, schools, and the relevant clinics of hospitals for a variety of reasons. International occupational organizations describe that gaining an understanding of the intelligence characteristics of hearing-impaired children in different cultures and societies is of critical importance to ensure that specialists and researchers performing intelligence tests can interpret their results correctly. Based on this consideration, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the intelligence characteristics of hearing-impaired children through comparisons with children with typical development. In addition, I investigated the relationship of the intelligence quotient (IQ) score with basic demographic, educational, and audiological variables, and evaluated whether IQ scores differed according to these variables. The sample of the study consisted of 329 hearing-impaired children in different educational settings within the Eskişehir province. According to the results of the one sample t-test performed within the frame of the study's main purpose, the total IQ scores of the hearing-impaired children, as determined by the WISC-R performance sub-tests, were higher than the scores of the standardization sample of Turkey. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that the WISC-R performance sub-tests had a moderate correlation with one another, and a high correlation with IQ scores. Among the different demographic variables, the educational level of both the father and mother had a significant effect on total IQ scores, although the fathers' level of education showed a higher correlation with total IQ than the mothers'. In regards to the audiological variables, the degree of hearing loss did not have a significant correlation with total IQ. Based on the ANCOVA, in which the fathers' level of education as covariate, it was determined that with respect to the gender, male children had higher total IQ scores than female children; and that, with respect to the educational setting variable, children receiving education at the Education and Research Center for Hearing Impaired Children (İÇEM) and in inclusive settings had higher total IQ scores than children receiving education at the Ministry of National Education's (MoNE) Elementary Schools for the Hearing Impaired. No significant difference was identified in terms of IQ scores between children using hearing aids and children using cochlear implants. Higher IQ scores were observed for the standardization group during the comparison of Turkey's standardization sample with the hearing-impaired children sample. We believe that this may have been due to the fact that the test's standardization data were somewhat not actual. The study findings indicate that individuals performing intelligence assessments on hearing-impaired children should take into account the socio-economic level of these children's families, as well as the educational setting. Possible recommendations we can make to other researchers include determining the psychometric characteristics of the new version of this test and other non-verbal intelligence tests; conducting norm studies; testing the psychometric characteristics of intelligence tests with groups that have different special needs; and developing tests suitable for the Turkish culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated whether core vocabulary intervention (CVT) improved single word speech accuracy, consistency and intelligibility in four 9-11-year-old children with profound sensori-neural deafness fitted with cochlear implants and/or digital hearing aids. Their speech was characterized by inconsistent production of different error forms for the same lexical item. The children received twice weekly therapy sessions for eight weeks. Fifty target words were drilled and changes in production assessed for accuracy and consistency. Generalization of consistency and accuracy was assessed on non-targeted words. There were four assessment points: six weeks pre-therapy; immediately before therapy; immediately following therapy and six weeks post-therapy. In addition, 10 unfamiliar listeners judged the intelligibility of audio recordings of the children's speech before and after therapy. The children's consistency and accuracy of single word production improved following CVT. Consistency generalized to untreated words. Sentence intelligibility ratings improved and more target words were identified after therapy. These case studies suggest that C V T merits further investigation as an effective intervention approach for deaf children, enhancing consistency, accuracy and intelligibility of speech. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This survey study explored teacher perceptions regarding services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing in southern regions of Vietnam, including educational successes and challenges, the availability and use of hearing technology, and teacher recommendations for improving child outcomes. Method Using a cross-sectional survey design, hard-copy surveys were sent to professionals who provided services to children with hearing loss ages 3–9. Ninety-eight surveys were distributed and seventy seven surveys were returned, resulting in a return rate of 79 per cent. Simple statistics were used to describe the quantitative survey results; content analysis was completed on open-ended survey comments. Results Access to hearing aids and hearing aid repairs are substantial barriers for many families. Survey respondents expressed desire for more training in hearing technology and effective teaching strategies. Twenty-six per cent of children in preschool and kindergarten used listening and spoken language as their primary mode of communication compared with 7 per cent of children in first to fourth grade who used listening and spoken language. Conclusions Expansion of early identification programmes beyond high-risk cases, with increased access to hearing technology and early intervention services from highly trained professionals were recommended to optimize listening and spoken language outcomes of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores on the informal educational systems or deaf education in Israel. It highlights the characteristics of oppressive education based on human rights and the recognition of deaf culture as well as sign language in education. It examines the unequal opportunity for deaf students including prejudices, labeling and stereotyping.

This qualitative, longitudinal, single-case study analyzes naturalistic interactions in Swedish Sign Language. Multiple interactions took place mainly between a mother and a deaf twin on twelve occasions. The participants' actions and language structure are examined as the child progressed from ten to forty months of age. The results are presented in three segments: transformations (i.e., types of actions during the sessions); gaze; and structure of utterances. The first segment (when the child was between ten and thirteen months of age) includes mediating utterances that contained a few signs with steady eye contact (i.e., focus on an object with mediating, displaced signing, as from the signers perspective).The second segment (when the child was between fifteen and twenty-four months of age) includes flexible eye contact, multiple phrases, and narrative structure. The third segment comprises conversations that include a dynamic visual contact utilizing nonmanual structures. Mediating factors such as simultaneous tactile looking, mediating vision, and mediating triangles, which may be useful for pedagogical purposes, are emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a correlational study of language and home factors and their role in fostering the development of alphabetic knowledge among a national sample of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old deaf children. A structural equation model was constructed and tested in an examination of the combined impacts of student age, fingerspelling ability, and receptive American Sign Language ability on the participants' ability to write, say, or sign letters of the English alphabet. The resulting models explained more than half of the variance in letter-writing ability and revealed significant independent effects of all three variables. Additionally, ASL skill revealed noteworthy indirect effects through its impact on fingerspelling, emphasizing the importance of the combination of signing and fmgerspelling as predictors of emergent literacy in young deaf children. A follow-up analysis examined the correlations between age and letter writing, as well as those between ASL skill and letter writing, separately for subgroups (defined by parental hearing status and the use of sign in the home). This analysis revealed strong associations between ASL skill and letter writing in signing deaf and hearing families but not in nonsigning hearing families, raising a concern that deaf children in families with no early exposure to a visual language may be at greater risk for delay in their emerging reading abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to investigate the potential role of parent involvement and parent expectation in postschool outcomes for individuals who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). Students who are DHH have lower retention and employment rates than their peers. Recognizing the importance of family in developmental outcomes for all individuals, this article focuses specifically on the role of parents in facilitating postsecondary outcomes. In an effort to address gaps in the literature in this area, this study utilizes the National Longitudinal Transition Survey 2 (NLTS-2) dataset to measure the effect of parental involvement and expectations as individuals who are DHH transition from secondary grades into a variety of postschool settings. Overall, none of the parental involvement variables were statistically significant when controlling for student and parent demographics. The parental expectation variables that had a statistically significant impact on outcomes included expectations to live independently, to be employed, and to pursue postsecondary education. This article discusses findings in the context of operationalization of study constructs in the NLTS-2 and literature related to transition and parental involvement for students who are DHH. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the important elements of the therapy of young hearing-impaired children is rehabilitation camps. They accelerate the process of language and communication skills acquisition. In the current social-legal and financial situation organisers of rehabilitation camps may encounter some difficulties. The aim of the research was an attempt to determine the role of rehabilitation camps by means of a diagnosis of their effectiveness using parents' and therapists' opinions and objective results of progress in the development of hearing, communication and language skills in children. The research demonstrated effectiveness of rehabilitation camps in the scope discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers of deaf children express concern over a lack of curricular materials appropriate for and beneficial to the deaf population, particularly for language and literacy development and in early childhood classrooms. In addition, more and more deaf children are attending classrooms in which their teachers may not be fluent in ASL. This, too, indicates a need for curricular resources that support and extend language and literacy instruction for deaf children. The current study examines the potential of classroom activities designed to supplement an educational video series in ASL. The participants included one teacher, six deaf children, and one child of a Deaf adult (Coda) in an early childhood classroom. Over the course of two weeks, the teacher showed the participants an educational video and implemented six supplemental activities, all of which were designed to promote a set of early literacy skills (e.g., vocabulary, knowledge of story elements, sequencing ability). Each activity was video-recorded and transcribed for childrens displays of literacy-related behaviors. The teacher also filled out a survey in order to provide feedback on the usability and effectiveness of the activities. The findings suggest that the children displayed many of the targeted skills during the classroom activities, and the descriptive statistics show higher mean scores in targeted skills following the classroom activities. Although they are exploratory, these findings suggest the potential benefit of incorporating such activities into early childhood classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Manitoba Institute of the Deaf and Dumb (MIDD) located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Topics include the work of Duncan Wendell McDermid, the history of education for the deaf in Canada, and its transition from funding from private and religious charities to public funds. Other topics include the 19th-century advocacy for childhood education for the prelingually deaf and hearing-impaired and the development of institutes for disabled individuals.

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