This paper discusses the development and use of case studies in the preservice education of teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing. It describes the guidelines for selecting decision-based cases, which were judged the most appropriate for instruction of prospective teachers. The selection of cases focused on choosing a critical incident, describing the context in which the incident occurred, identifying the players, and reviewing the incident and the players' response to the incident. Critical incidents explored in the six cases include parental choice of communication modality, miscommunication between a teacher of the deaf and a regular classroom teacher, lack of administrative support for a student's self-esteem needs, and a parent's quest for an educational interpreter. (Contains 13 references.) (DB)