It is essential. We phased it in step by step, language arts and math, then science and social studies, and finally applied academics such as career, technical and trade training, art, and physical education. Now we are in our fourth year, and it is fully implemented. In '95, three students became the first in the school's history to earn a public high school diploma. The students really rose to the occasion.
Humans acquire language as babies.
Neurolinguistic research suggests that the window of opportunity to learn language naturally is 0-36 months. If we miss that period, neurolinguistic pathways may become less flexible, more rigid. We have 90 families now that we are working with across the state. Our priority for their deaf children is language. I have used American Sign Language all my life, and it never interfered with my learning speech.