This study reviewed records of several American schools for the deaf in the 19th century concerning the stated causes of deafness given by parents. The high rate of adventitious deafness is noted. Stated causes are categorized into: fevers, inflammations, medicines/poisons, trauma, heat/cold, ear problems, nervous system problems, head/neck…

An adventitiously visually impaired individual examines differences between the neurological, psychological, and educational development of persons blinded either very early in life or much later. (DB)

This article on young adults with brain damage in New South Wales (Australia) focuses on epidemiological considerations and implications for management. Jointly planning for provision of services for individuals who have either congenital or acquired brain damage is recommended, in view of their similar needs. (JDD)

The characteristic features of psychogenic stuttering of adult onset are reviewed, and four cases of this disorder are presented. Psychogenic stuttering of adult onset is classified as a conversion reaction, and tentative criteria for this diagnosis are proposed. (Author/JDD)

This article addresses the lack of access to low-vision rehabilitation services by individuals needing them, due to lack of coverage by public or private health insurance. Improved insurance coverage would result in improved access as well as more direct referrals by ophthalmologists, more consumer choice, more timely rehabilitation, reduced…

This article introduces a reprint of an 1835 article by Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard entitled, "Existing State of the Art of Instructing the Deaf and Dumb". It reviews Barnard's background and achievements (including 25 years as the president of Columbia College), his familial progressive deafness, and his advanced views on communication…

A nurse educator specializing in diabetes recounts her own experience with vision loss resulting from diabetic retinopathy, considers the roles of rehabilitation specialists and diabetes educators, and urges the two professional groups to work together more closely. (DB)

This article describes major issues in teaching Braille to students with acquired visual disability and presents results of a survey of 22 teachers of students with visual impairments in Texas. The survey addressed demographic characteristics, instructional schedules, materials, and instructional methods. Results have implications for development…

Originally part of a symposium on educational media for the deaf, the author shares his experiences as a multiply handicapped person. Legally blind since he was three years old and profoundly deaf for the past ten years, the author recounts his educational training and frustrations in finding work suitable to his intellect and aspirations. (PHR)

The article questions the loss model used to explain a lack of motivation in visually impaired clients. An alternative model proposes that self-efficacy is the primary factor in adjustment, suggesting that early skill-oriented intervention can prevent loss of competence and foster a sense of personal control essential for successful…

This paper explores social and psychological issues facing those with acquired hearing loss, including self-identity, dealing with the loss, communication issues, and the impact of hearing impairment on significant others. Strategies and innovative approaches to promoting the well-being of deafened and hard-of-hearing individuals and their…

Personal accounts describe the lives of 2 individuals with deaf-blindness, one an 87-year-old woman who was deaf from birth and became totally blind over a 50-year period and the other of a woman who became deaf-blind as a result of a fever at the age of 7. Managing activities of daily life and experiencing sensory hallucinations are among topics…

Discussion and case vignettes demonstrate defence processes in coping with illness and disability. Differences in the coping process between adolescents physically disabled from birth and those disabled through accident or illness are addressed. Dangers and prospects of lengthy rehabilitation processes are discussed, as are adjustments necessary…

Addresses issues of advances in medical technology as related to deafness, including different meanings of the term "medical technology" and the relationship between ethics and the scientific method, production and use of the cochlear implant, and sign language versus aural/aural-communication methods with prelingually deafened children…