In this case study of a young deaf child, his mother relates his progress in language acquisition through the use of signs, finger spelling, speechreading, and auditory training. Other members of the child's family are deaf and the child received training at the Gallaudet preschool from the age of 30 months. The author believes that there are distinct advantages to a "bilingual acquisition of English and sign language," especially in allowing the child to express his needs, questions, and responses in either language. Without early training in sign language, a deaf child may have some language competence (if he becomes a very good lipreader), but "he will be terribly hampered in his formative preschool years." The author concludes from her experiences that sign language can be made into a visual equivalent of English and should be used at an early age as one means of communication between children and their teachers. (JD)