The amount of loss can but does not always affect the ability to acquire speech. A child with a hearing loss needs to have access to language whether the choice be oral or sign language. The amount of parental support and involvement, regardless of program choice, is extremely important to a child's success in school. In general, oral programs have an emphasis on spoken language and listening. No sign language is used.
Many oral programs are private schools, however there are some public oral programs.
In addition, they teach English as a second language for reading and writing. They teach deaf children to be proud of their deaf heritage. They expose the children to deaf adult role models. The total communication philosophy has many variations. In general, they use a combination of various methods and approaches to meet the individual child's needs.