Considered in the paper, which originally was prepared for publication by the Moscow Institute of Defectology, are research and methodology related to education of deaf children in the United States. Described are deaf children's communicative problems, and defined are classifications according to varying degrees of deafness. Discussed is incidence of deaf children in preschool, elementary, secondary, and post-secondary programs; and noted are changes in characteristics of children served by classes for the deaf. Examined are results of research on language and deafness, expressive language, and receptive language. Discussed is the oral-manual methods controversy in the light of methods used in countries such as Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. (which uses four methods: oral, auditory, Rochester and simultaneous). Research which shows better development of deaf children with deaf parents is reviewed. Considered are two philosophical approaches to preschool programs, and the lack of research on effectiveness of intervention programs for young hearing impaired children. The author attributes recent advances for the aurally handicapped to the medical and technological sectors, and encourages educators in their development of theoretical disciplines, such as psycholinguistics and cognition, and applied disciplines that related to reading and learning disabilities. Included in appendixes are listings of periodicals concerned with deafness and of major organizations in the U.S. which serve the deaf. (MC)