Being deaf and in prison is a horror. The main fear of prison inmates, whether Deaf or hearing, is that they will be raped, killed, or subjected to other forms of violence. Such fears are based in reality. The recent overcrowding of jails and prisons has increased these problems significantly. A major reason for this situation is the blatant…

An orientation to autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), also known as autism, is provided, and the specific syndrome of autism and deafness is addressed. The two conditions have in common a major problem: communication. Case histories are provided, the development of treatment for autism is discussed, and the separate disorders that make up ASD are…

The issue of mental health services available to adults and children in the United States who are deaf is addressed. Included is a historical perspective on the changes in these services over the last 50 years. Within this scope, the current status of services is described in some detail. Psychological research on children who are deaf is…

In 1965, McCay Vernon drove a stake through the heart of the long-established "truth" that deaf people were inferior to hearing people. Launched by Aristotle, emboldened by the 1880 Conference of Milan, and reiterated in the twentieth century through the biased research of many psychologists, this falsehood persisted until the publication of this…

Described are the origin and current status of mental health services for the deaf at St. Elizabeth's Hosptial in Washington, D.C. (LS)

Usher's syndrome, a genetic condition causing congenital profound hearing loss and a progressive blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa, affects an estimated three to six percent of children in educational and rehabilitative programs for the hearing impaired. (Author)

Previous research suggested an unexplained difference in the patterns of offending behaviors among deaf people when compared to hearing people. This study, conducted in Texas, compares the incidence and types of violent offenses of a deaf prison population in comparison to the hearing prison population. Sixty-four percent of deaf prisoners were…

Screening of 54 deaf vocational clients by the Bender-Gestalt and other tests indicated the likely presence of significantly more brain damage than among the hearing population with a particularly high correlation between low IQ and brain damage in the deaf population. (DB)

A study of 41 sex offenders who are deaf found the rate of sexual offending was 4 times the rate of sexual offending by hearing offenders, with 30% recidivism. Sixty-two percent of subjects were functionally illiterate. However, the performance IQs were comparable to those of the overall prison population. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article provides guidelines on diagnosing learning disabilities in deaf or hard-of-hearing children and adults, evaluates major tests in terms of their use with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals who may have a learning disability, and suggests a battery of tests found to be useful. (Author/JDD)

Analysis of published studies of deaf mentally ill inpatients indicates a greater overall prevalence of mental illness in the deaf population than in the general population. Characteristic symptoms leading to hospitalization of deaf people tend to be different from those of hearing patients. For both hearing and deaf patients, dual diagnosis…

A creative approach to mainstreaming deaf and hard of hearing children. (Editor)

Discusses deaf criminal suspects in two categories. The first involves deaf suspects who are proficient in the use of one or more of the following languages or modes: American Sign language, manually coded English, contact language, and indigenous or foreign sign languages. The second involves deaf suspects who are not proficient in any language.…

This article outlines linguistic barriers to due process for deaf defendants including: a speedy trial as a function of due process, linguistic diversity as a function of culture, cultural literacy as a function of due process, linguistic diversity as a function of education, linguistic deprivation, and language (including sign language)…