The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-20
HEARING" WITH THE EYE
uODFRN LIP READING METHODS
noon TO THE DEAF.
~ o., AID Many Are brought nark to
active life In social ana Industrial
World rubiir na, Srheel for Deaf
Pupils NJ Dnr u Toe Old To Learn.

III" ether day woman advertised
morning newspaper for instruction
\ lp reading This advertisement was
I :. o,Itcom" Of an incident related to her
' "a relative who had attended a luncheon
en III a private house.
Opposite me. she said. sat woman
wno I noticed looked directly at every
SPEAKER. seldom letting her eyes fall 10
bog plate She talked good deal herself
t. and Was one OF the iiveliest guests.
When leaving finding myself almost
A. the side of this woman I spoke and
~as surprised to get no answer. re-
"ated the remark and got no answer.
Int second later -he turned. smiled
pleasantly to my surprise. saying some
thing quite irrelevant To my remark and
we chatted a few minutes befor. sep
arating
-Nor Il! some days later did ! learn
that for nearly eight years this lively
guest had h..en very deaf "a the
result Of an accident and that for "A long
time she had morhidly kept away from
social gatherings Her rerntry into social
ilie was due 10 a little girl almost totally
deaf from scarlet fever. no 10y attending
the Day School for the Deaf opened two
wears ago in New York by the Board OF
Education. had learned To read the lips
Cf any one speaking to her with degree
Of skill which made her almost as useful
rs a child who could hear.
The child was delivering a parcel at
the house Of the deaf woman when the
latter. seeing the little messenger in ami
mated conversation with n servant. asked
some questions and Immediately decided
70 take the lessons. which resulted In
restoring TO her many Of her former
pleasures
Al the end of the story the list ener
sitting close to an acoust icon into which
the visitor talked resolved to advert Use
for a teacher. the caller having no infor
nation to give on this point Az mat
ter % fact most deaf and partially deaf
adults know. as a rule. very little about
the possibilities OF lip reading as it is
taught to-day.
Statistics furnished by an instruct or
show hat there are !? .oOO. 900 deaf persons
in the United States and that u, per cent
~ New Works. population. or something
like 10000 persona. are deaf. The latter
figures. he thinks. do not include many
rarrially deaf persons whose affliction Ia
the outcome OF a sudden attack Of ILL
ness and a growing percentage Of whom
because Of their skill in lip reading are
not classed as deaf at all
In the last few years it has been made
easier for adults TO get inst ruct ion in the
lp reading method. but even now the
uArket In not overstocked with good
r-achers In New York IA far as can he
armed. there In only one private school
drvored tn teaching adults lip reading
q hin arhr>rl ia laGE char,
uIi. and he two or three priv ate board
M; schools for deaf children are scarcely
g. Old
When Public School ~. in Fast Twenty
ri street. was opened for deaf chill
Grcn institutions the country over were
..yi~d on for capable teachers able to
.---rriCt by the oral method only. signs
md tho -Ign language not being per
rli.red Opening with forty eight pupils
and eight Teachers. the school now has
nearly 700 boys and girls from To is
years old who are taught by eighteen
,aachers the regular public school ele
'n"n,ary course. including cooking and
sewing for the older girls and shop work
Tor boys over IL. At the spring eS-
sninations the progress mad. by the
first year pupils fairly astonished the
r-alize at first that the conversations
Carried on between teachers and pupils
were inaudible to the latter. To some
extent this example has given hope to
oder deaf folks and made some Of them
wish that free evening classes to teach
lr reading TO adults might h. included
n the public school curriculum hut too
often. a teacher OF the deaf says. the
a III
SONS Of high Intelligence and large means.
are so tImorous, 40 doubtful of their
ability 70 learn lip reading that they
siwlnk from making the attempt.
When the principal ot III. public school
for tn" deaf was asked II she thought
IL rns.lhle for an adult tn master the
method 10 the extent If understanding
readily what was said by watching the
speakers lips she answered emphati-
ca
Il don't think. | know IL. Becoming
deaf ~ ~ or II "A child il almost a. much
handicapped As an adult would be. yet
have known boys and girls past that age
and q 10y no means nimbe perceptions
who have acquired the method easily
Tho principal sent for John. now nearly
eighteen who has acquired most OF what
b. knows Of lip reading since attending
the school although he has been almost
totally deaf since the ag. Of H. and tho
two chat'.d bri-kly several minutes.
What was John making in the work
sarp' What was this and that boy
making. At IN. club the other night
what was II newcomer had said about
john. The principal asked the questions,
soaking no more slowly than usual, nor
wrh greater emphasis. and without ths
.a-' attempt TO mouth her words.
John apparently understanding every
wort answered promptly and by request
b" 'u.d the club incident.
! hero WAS new hoy at the ciuD I'm,
o'G"r night who. because he saw ms talk
W. with th- felIOw- net another boy
'.r I wasn't deaf AZ all. that | was just
- up gam" on them. After
...... -. -u~ak-d behind me and tried 20
b." ." rp 'aik and Of course | couldn't.
r.r -., ing hi mouth ! seen him coming
T.. .-r a., nigh: