Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-04-04
THE CITIZEN.
Deaf Little Ones.

There are many deaf people who cannot
hear word that is said and yet can tell
what is being told them in conversation
They can do this by closely watching the
lips of the person who is talking, and close
observation they in time learn so well that
i is difficult to tell that they are deaf
Up to few years ago nobody ever thought
OF teaching this art Of lip reading to deaf
people in early youth, but now it is recog-
nized as a part of the study is every instl-
tuition for the deaf aud dumb, and with II
ID taught, slowly and with great difficulty,
speech. The last report of the Pennsyl-
vanla Institution for the deaf and dumb
in Philadelphia contains an interesting pa
per from DR.. Crouter, the superintendent
of the Primary Oral Department, in which
be says: THE age of admission having
been lowered from to years, there are
classes of very young children. In these
classes great attention was given to speech
reading, there being no attempt to teach
the pupil TO speak wo rds until several
months after they enter school. From the
fl rst there were daily drills given in the
single elements of speech, and exercises
leading to the control of the voice with q
view to corsct articulation. The Ian
as jump, run, walk, come to me, give me
a book etc., with the names of familiar
objects. The result of this plan was tnat
the children were Impressed from the outset
by the fact that all information was to be
obtained from the lips of others, and, when
the time came to teach them to speak the
words, = cir meaning was perfectly cleal
and all their efforts were toward correct
speech. This certainly seems the more
natural manner of acquiring language, for
does not a hearing child understand large
number of words long before attempting
to use them"
DR.. Crouter makes an astonishing state
ment in his paper when he says: '"The eX-
periepce of the last three years, during
which time all pupils enter the institution
have received oral instruction, convinces
me that many if not m ost OF
the deaf have some degree of hearing. Il
varies from a slight amount to quit enough
to enable them to hear their own voices
and, after training, to distinguish single
sounds and words. Although the hearing
is in nowise sufficient TO enable them to
acquire speech in the natural manner, 1T
is certainly of roo great importance to be
overlooked, and aural training has greatl y
benefited many OF our pupils. | propose
testing the hearing of all placed under my
care and having systematic work doue
wherever it is shown necessary" Certain
ly there is hope that ne will pursue his
researches and keep up ais observations
in the interests of science aud humanity.
His opportunities are many, and his dis
c6verles in this direction will be of the
higest value.
There are at present 480 children in the
Deaf and Dumb institution, 259 boys and
22l girls, the largest attendance in the
history of the school. The total cost OF
maintaining these little ones in the past
year was s12s, ,927 50. The pupils are Civ
en- d liberal education, and manual train
ing is not negle cted. There are sewing
tailoring, shoemaking, knitting, shoeftuing
printing, carpentering, painting and bak-
ing departments, and each pupil has two
hours day at learning something useful.
Instutions of this character are Of the
greatest benefit to humanity, and are do
ing orld of good.