The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24
DEAF CHILDREN In KANSAS
Methods in Employment at a
School at Otatht.

The Complaint of n Pupil Concern.
ing the Cutting of His Hair-Nis.
placed sympathy of Visitors to the
SchooI-Studcnt's Life Happy One
| OLATHE. Kan. March 20.-The deaf, as
| a class, are victims of many mistaken TO-
tions. Their difficulty in communicating
with hearing people has much to do with
this, as has their characteristic shyness
and 1t may be that the fact that few are
paupers and their names are seldom
found in the records of the common
courts is one reason for their remaining
| aloof and uncomprehended. As a class
they suffer from the ease with which
beggars and swindlers may assume the
role of the deaf mute without detection
| and impose upon the charitable. Then,
too, there was an age when no one
| thought of instructing the deaf and they
| were classed with idiots, and some of
the odium that attached to them then
still clings to them in spite of the fact
| that the deaf mutes of today. educated
| and trained in the State schools, have
| grown up into a body of intelligent, in
dependent. self-supporting. and law-abid-
| ing citizens, alive to the public interests,
and to their own personal welfare.
| 1t is not easy 10 realize how dependent
one IL upon the sense of hearing for the
| enjoyment of life enlightenment, and sue
| cess hen the door of communication
with the world is closed. then, indeed. the
| world becomes blank, and the deaf per-
son mingles with the world. but is not
| part of it. Such. at least, was the con-
| dition of the deaf down to comparatively
| modern times.
| But time has brought about great
| changes in the condition of the deaf. They
now hear with the eye, and talk with
the hand or even with the tongue. They
| go to schools suited to their needs, and
| then take up life in business. in the fam
lily, and in the social relations, very much
| as their hearing brothers and sisters do.
| The success of these deaf mutes demon
| strates conclusively that the State in pro-
| viding for the edcuatiou of the deaf, has
adopted a policy of wisest economy. in
| making of helpless dependents self-sus-
| tanning men and women, capable of enjoy
| ing life and helping others to enjoy it.
The school at Olathe, which the State of
Kansas has provided for its deaf children.
is thoroughly equipped for educational
purposes, and its corps of instructors are
trained specialists. 1t is a school, pure
| and simple. the term asylum and its as
sociations being in no way applicable to
an educational institution which provides
board and tuition for nine months i'll the
year for a course of ten years.
livery year there comes to the Olathe
school class of children ranging in age
from six to ten. who must begin to ac-
quire the English language where the in
FAINT just out of the cradle does Vocab-
ulary is built up, word by word and sem
tenee by sentence in association with OBJ
jects and actions. The teacher presents
some object a hat. for instance, and
writes the name on the wall slate. The
pupil is taught to write the name and as
sociate the name of the object He is
also taught to spell the word on his fin
gers. to speak it, and to read it from the
motion of the lips when spoken by others,
though the instruction in speech and lip
reading is usually preceded by drill on
the elementary sounds of the language.
When the names of several objects have
been learned, including the names of the
pupils. verbs, and complete sentences are
taught ~ means of actions 'One of the
pupils required to ruin across the room
and the pupils are taught Charles ran
So the instruction continues from one
word to another until the end OF his ten
year course.
WHAT THE Pupils ACHIEVE.
What does the pupil finally accomplish?
fair English education, including all
the branches usually taught in our sec
ondary public schools. The greatest diff
ficu!ty in educating the deaf is the mas
pupils opportunities for practice are very
lini ed, and the best their teachers can
do does not approach the easy condi
tons under which the hearing child picks
up language.
Willie the pupils efforts to acquire lam
gusge often fail, his exploits in original
ity of expression are abundantly success
full. One pupil writes:
The cat put to ticks the milk"
Another telling about dog wrote: He
hurrahed with his wag."
A little boy, who had complained to his
teacher that another boy had injured
him, was told to ask an explanation and
returned with the remark: Il whyed him.
but he wouldn't because" which, If not
strictly accurate in form, was an encour-
agingly intelligent use of the words he
knew.
The following written complaint of a
pupil whose hair was cut too short, and
who thereby got into trouble. is a sample !
of the results sometimes achieved:
Yesterday / asked Mr.. w. l want to
cut my hair which is more short He |
granted me and he staid me. He went to
II. then he told him. You cut Mr. c., |
which is less little hair l put my hand |
on this short hair. | was sorry to say |
this was not right. l got cold, and 1 felt |
with my head from the cause OF my cold. |
4 few months ago | glad to say more |
short hair was all right than little less. |
In the morning | considered to ask Mr.. |
cause my head is got this cold that / |
feel most He refuses to me: Good |
enough / questioned again him, Why
is the difference OF more short hair of |
some pupils and less little hair of me-?
He replies to me. Silent Again l ques-
ton, Why Then he coaxes me into the
| do not tempt him. / con-
slider to go TO your Office. He tells me. |
Sit" Again | tell him, but | do not adj
lure him, but he has no law. because that
presume he is not judged himself.
try TO take him away. He yet stands
leaning at the door. and refuses TO me
tell him Back Then he angry to strike |
my throat with a blow. / feel worse |
now tight with him a few minutes. / is
patient calmly, but he overcomes me He |
pushes me to sit. when | miss to point
my hand at his head. but / miss TO do
my INST into his eye | tell him Back
but he refuses TO me. Then ] do not push
MIN away | suffer with little trouble. /
mink more that | am not bad: that Mr.
W. IS little to injure me. l ask you that
| VIII not talk with Mr.. w, but | shall
-alk with you, when | have few things
20 recommend to you. / feel little bad
But l am not afraid 10 confess to you.
Tut you want to do me / think what to !
10. l ask you that | must forgive YOU |
iherefore l viii promise You with oath |
SON"
But the greater number of pupils who |
suage and suffer in no way BY compare
son with their brothers and sisters who /
nave attended the public schools. They
ave been taught their duties as MEM
,ers OF society and as citizens of the |
'tale ana they nave been trained in some
several nave been so well prepared that | I
hey have entered Gailaiidet College |
or the deaf ,
1t is not my purpose to discuss the {
ival methods of instructing the deaf but {
few words will present lhe t,robl.m az 2