This digest uses a question-and-answer format to address some issues in the possible choice of a residential school for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The importance of the residential school experience in the context of Deaf culture is addressed, as are other issues such as characteristics of students attending residential schools and…

This document is an eleven-page supplemental subject guide listing reference material that focuses on Native American languages that is not available in the Labriola National American Indian Data Center in the Arizona State University, Tempe (ASU) libraries. The guide is not comprehensive but offers a selective list of resources useful for…

A survey of 429 schools serving children classified as ESN(S)--educationally subnormal (severe)--or otherwise handicapped was conducted to find out which sign and symbol systems were used for nonvocal children. (SBH)

Based on experimental research, examines the relationship between American Sign Language and French Sign Language, and sociolinguistic variation in both sign languages. (AM)

Traces the history of the advances and setbacks experienced by proponents of sign language in France and in the United States from the 18th century to the present. (AM)

Describes how using American Sign Language can facilitate the development of skills in spoken English for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Discusses factors influencing how well a child with deafness will develop spoken language and the need to teach the two languages separately. (CR)

Describes planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional unit that uses a direct instruction approach to teach the basics of American Sign Language to elementary-age students with serious emotional or behavior disorders. Figures list lesson topics and instructional objectives, provide a sample lesson plan and a story suitable for…

Sign language production of 14 low-functioning students (ages 9 to 20) with autistic disorder were examined. The location aspect of signs was produced more accurately by subjects than either the handshape or movement aspects. Wide individual differences were observed. Sign vocabulary size and accuracy was correlated with performance on two…

The Sharing Shakespeare project at New York City's Public School for the Deaf developed a unique, elective, process-oriented literature class that combined teenage profoundly deaf students and culturally diverse, limited-English-proficient hearing students. Aided by multimedia technologies, these students collaborated in learning, reading, and…

Examines the concept of linguistic legitimacy (and illegitimacy) using three specific cases--Black English, American Sign Language, and Esperanto. The paper argues that legitimacy is grounded more on personal, political, and ideological biases than on linguistic criteria. (SM)

A within-subject multiple baseline design was used to teach a young girl with severe disabilities six target signs that were functionally equivalent to existing behaviors (e.g., leading, reaching). Teaching occurred only in the presence of behavioral indication by the subject. Results showed successful acquisition and discriminating use of the six…

Assessment of the prelinguistic behaviors of 43 deaf children (ages 8 to 49 months) of hearing parents in Israel found only partial resemblance to the theoretical model of prelinguistic communication in hearing infants. Unique interrelationships among pointing and early noncommunicative behaviors were found with no correlation between use of…

Describes a preschool class for deaf children co-taught by two teachers (one hearing, one deaf) that uses a whole language approach to build students' American Sign Language (ASL) and written English skills. The class uses a thematic approach to organize learning activities through the creative use of ASL. (DB)