Until the 16th century, the deaf and dumb were treated very cruelly. They were not considered intelligent and were locked up in asylums or even killed.
But in the 16th century, an Italian doctor named Jerome Cardan got the idea of teaching the deaf and dumb through written characters.
As a result of his work, about hundred years later a finger alphabet was developed similar to the finger alphabet used today. With the finger alphabet, a deaf and dumb makes the letters with his fingers and spells out words.
He also depends on sign language. For example, sweeping the forefinger across the lips means “You are not telling me the truth”. A tap on the chin with three fingers means “My uncle”. With this alphabet some deaf and dumb can spell out as many as 130 words a minute!
But many teachers of such people believed that the use of sign language and the finger alphabet wass not the best method. It forced them to communicate only with people in the same condition.
So these teachers now use a method known as “oral instruction”. In this method the deaf are taught to understand what is spoken to them, and even to speak themselves.
Nowadays many of the deaf and those who are hard-of-hearing learn to interpret what is said by watching the lips of the speaker. They learn to speak themselves by observing and feeling the lips and vocal organs of the teacher and then imitate the motions.
Hearing aids are being used more and more. In schools and classes for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, group hearing aids are used.
The group hearing aids have individual earphones for each child so that the volume and tone can be adjusted.
The teacher speaks through a microphone, and the children hear her in the same manner as if they were listening to a radio with earphones.
Credit: Tell Me More
Leave a Comment