The study investigated the "hundred languages of Deaf children" (Malaguzzi, 1993) in two schools using the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, which originated in Italy. One principle of this approach, "the hundred languages of children," supports young children in expressing their ideas and thoughts in…

This paper discusses the role of American Sign Language (ASL) in educating deaf children, based on the history of using manually coded English (MCE). The paper concludes that use of ASL should not be the ultimate goal of bilingual bicultural programs, and, in some classrooms, the optimal program will be complementary use of ASL and MCE. (JDD)

Describes the development of the Interactive Video Questionnaire for interviewing deaf persons. The questionnaire uses videodisc and bar-code readers to present survey questions on screen in American Sign Language, Signed English, speech reading, or as English subtitles. (DB)

Curricular plans for deaf students include the study of English but not of American Sign Language (ASL). This omission suggests a lack of recognition of ASL as a language and as the communication system of deaf people. Every program for the deaf students should include ASL in its requirements. (Author/CL)

Two elementary hearing impaired students showed their ability to demonstrate which of several languages and/or systems was the most beneficial to them as an instructional communication tool. Findings had implications for teachers wishing to match language of instruction to the child's language preferences. (Author/CL)

Materials written by T. H. Gallaudet on the subject of sign language and communication are reviewed that indicate that some of his ideas regarding the use of sign language in teaching deaf students may have been partially misunderstood. (Author/SW)

The mother of a young deaf child describes her son's progress in communicating through sign and verbal language. (CL)

The article reviews linguistic features of a trilingual approach to total communication for deaf children from non-English-speaking families. Covered are issues of syntax, semantics, and use of fingerspelling. (CL)

A case study of a prelingually hearing impaired boy with bilateral severe to profound sensory neural hearing loss is presented. Separate analyses of spoken and signed language were made indicating that signs had become vehicles for attaching meaning to sounds. (Author/CL)

Research is reviewed on bilingual education and its application to the education of hearing-impaired students. Assessment procedures for obtaining valid samples of language behavior, distinguishing between competence and performance, and considering language variation are emphasized. (CL)

This article presents initial guidelines for combining current conventions for analyzing sign language and spoken language, to represent signs accompanied by speech. Rules are outlined for transcribing utterance groupings in terms of their context, inflection, sign gloss, spoken component, and phonetic transcription. (JDD)

In order to investigate the role of visual perceptual abilities in the acquisition and comprehension of sign language, four tests of perceptual ability were administered to 120 entering hearing-impaired students and 23 new hearing staff members at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. (Author)

American Sign Language (ASL) is the natural language of deaf individuals. ASL should be an integral part of every Total Communication program for the deaf. Through ASL, the deaf child can develop into a self-sufficient and proud individual. ASL also contributes to the preservation of the deaf community, its heritage, and its culture. (Author).

Six research areas in manual/simultaneous communication (M/SC) for hearing-impaired individuals are discussed. (Author)

The need for selection, standardization, and development of signs and manual communication systems for use in the educational setting is discussed. (Author)