It is helpful for us to understand the educational experiences of the Deaf individuals with whom we are dealing. Many Deaf people have had a less than rewarding educational experience, especially if they were in the mainstream system. As small children, many Deaf learners come to school with neither ASL, nor English language skills having been well developed. This is similar to any hearing child entering school with underdeveloped language skills.
In the situation of a language-delayed hearing child, usually his/her language and literacy skills are developed by using the main language of the school. Deaf children, however, are typically learning ASL and English simultaneously and, as such, are moving constantly between two languages and often between two worlds. The result is that, often, neither language becomes well developed. Ultimately, literacy skills suffer.
Learners who experienced Deaf-only schools may also have experienced a philosophy, which for many reasons did not allow them to develop full competence in their first language – ASL. Too much focus may have been put on developing oral skills, often at the expense of improving ASL skills or even at the expense of curriculum content.
A group of researchers at Gallaudet University, the only Liberal Arts college for Deaf students in North America, claims that there are two primary reasons for the failure of deaf education systems:
It has been shown that Deaf children who were exposed to a full natural language and a print language from an early age tend to do much better in reading and writing in later years at school. Sadly, this is not true for the majority in the Deaf community.
Records indicate that most Deaf individuals graduate from high school with very low reading levels, the average being Grade 4. This low level of reading significantly impedes their ability to access higher education and employment opportunities. However, since one does not necessarily have to speak and hear to be able to read and write, low literacy levels then become the handicap for the Deaf person, not the deafness itself.
Return to note 2 Johnson, R.E., Liddell, S.K., and Erting, C.J. (1989)
Unlocking the Curriculum: Principles for Achieving Access in Deaf Education Gallaudet University,
Washington, D.C.