Finger spelling consists of various finger and hand positions for each of the letters of the alphabet. Deaf persons whose primary language is sign language may not have mastered the extensive vocabulary and grammatical subtleties of English their second language. As a result, you may find non-standard English usage in their written expression and reading comprehension. It is appropriate when grading the written work of deaf students to focus more on content rather than grammatical usage and syntax. For this same reason, it may be necessary to clarify, rephrase or reformat written test questions.
Many deaf students can, and do, speak.
Because deaf people cannot automatically control the tone and volume of their speech, the speech may be initially difficult to understand until one becomes more familiar with the deaf person s speech. Deaf students will also communicate in writing when other methods cannot be used effectively. You should not hesitate to write notes when necessary to communicate with a deaf student. Deaf students may use the telephone through a TDD, a device which allows text communication over standard telephone lines. TDD s are available for faculty to borrow from disAbled Student Support Services.