Fifty new technical signs for use in the teaching of psychology to deaf college students have been developed. (DB)

Briefly examined is the nature of American Sign Language and its capabilities for use in abstract reasoning. (CB)

Individual signs were presented to deaf fluent signers both in context and without context. Within context, signs were isolated sooner, perfect confidence in the response was reached sooner, and a narrowing-in process was found that was both semantic and phonological. Current spoken-word-recognition models could be modified to reflect…

Fifteen deaf students (18 to 24 years old) who received the standard written form of a reading comprehension test performed significantly better than 15 deaf Ss who received an American Sign Language version. There were no differences between Ss receiving the standard form and Ss receiving a Manually Coded English videotaped form. (CL)

During a six-month program, the effect of signing on speech articulation in an autistic eight-year-old boy was investigated using a three stage probe technique. Articulation improved clinically and statistically both across probes and within probes, where better articulation occurred when sounds were accompanied by signs. (Author)

Reports the results of a demographic survey of 160 interpreters. The following categories were used: (1) personal characteristics, (2) family background, (3) educational background, (4) spoken language background, (5) sign language background, (6) contact with deaf community, (7) interpreting background, (8) interpreting experience, (9)…

The article presents a summary of the language characteristics of autistic children and relates them to existing research supporting both sign alone and sign plus speech as viable training modes. Procedures for determining the optimal sign teaching mode for a given child are also discussed. (Author/SB)

Motoric factors that should be considered in selecting signs to teach severely handicapped learners are reviewed and discussed. They are grouped into three categories: prehension movement patterns, unilateral/bilateral movement patterns, and combinations of successive actions, with a fourth set included of less objectively definable factors…

Reviews methodologies of sign language studies with chimpanzees and compares major findings of those studies with studies of human children. Considers relevance of input conditions for language acquisition, evidence used to demonstrate linguistic achievements, and application of rigorous testing procedures in developmental psycholinguistics.…

Describes systematic communication systems developed by two deaf children of hearing parents who were placed in an oral education program at the time their deafness was diagnosed. Children did not have access to spoken or signed language model. Evidence shows children develop a communication system based on inconsistently used gestures of hearing…

The author proposes that a more complete manual system be used with the youngest child and that, when a child has demonstrated mastery in any modality, i.e., speech (sound and/or lip formation), sign, reading or writing, the system can be made leaner. (Author/SB)

A 4 year old deaf girl of hearing parents was observed during communication with adults, an infant, and a deaf peer. In order to assure meaningful communication, this girl who had had early exposure to communication in signs modified and altered her way of signing, depending on who was being addressed. (Author)

Describes two manual aids used in educating deaf children in Peking: the Chinese finger alphabet for teaching Chinese characters, and a new device being experimented with called the Chinese finger syllabary. Sample illustrations are given for both, as well as for the Pinyin finger alphabet. (PJM)

The authors address several issues pertinent to designing environmentally based total communication assessment and training programs for language delayed hearing children for whom oral language training alone is inadequate. (Author/CL)