This paper discusses historical and contemporary issues regarding communication approaches for educating Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children in Ghana. Discussion of the communication approaches took into account a brief historical background to the development of formal education for DHH children in the country, academic achievement of DHH…

All children have the right to education that meets their needs and aims to enable them full integration in their society. Education should guarantee all children an equal chance to actively participate in society regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or disability (Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989). Yet sophisticated mechanisms within…

A survey of the methods of communication used at special schools and units for the hearing-impaired in the United Kingdom showed that the oral method is used in about 90 percent of the unit classes. Findings revealed a rapidly increasing trend to total communication. (Author)

Analysis of data from 600 Canadian teachers of the hearing impaired found that the communication mode employed by teachers has a major effect on the competencies perceived as necessary for teacher effectiveness. Oral/aural teachers supported a wider range of competencies than did teachers using a Total Communication approach. (Author/DB)

This study examined whether the level of academic achievement changed when deaf pupils in Sweden were introduced to sign communication at the preschool or kindergarten level. The study compared performance of 40 deaf students, attending a school for the deaf, on a comprehensive testing program (covering Swedish language and mathematical and…