| The auditory-oral approach is a method in which
children learn to use whatever hearing they have, in combination with lipreading and
contextual cues (speechreading) to understand and use spoken language. The goal is to give
the deaf individual the necessary spoken language skills to be mainstreamed educationally
and to function independently in the hearing world. This approach facilitates the
development of reading and writing skills because proficiency in the English language is
critical to developing good reading ability, and competence in reading is critical to
learning in all academic areas. Small self-contained classrooms coupled with daily
individualized instruction provide the intense early intervention needed in this approach.
Teachers in these programs are highly trained and provide spoken language instruction
throughout the day in all classroom activities. This is full-time therapy and education. For more information, contact: |