Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-01
WAY TOL|FT CURSE
Of DEAFNESS mus.
SOUGHT AT SESSION
Nationally Known Savants
Meet Here to Study
Relief Plans.
EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY
URGED TO CHART PATH
Children Suffering From Auditory
Deficiencies Will Be Given
Special Attention.

tors, physicists ana PHYSICIANS, WHICH
opened this morning at the National
Academy of Sciences Building.
The meeting was called under the
Craftsmanship of Knight Dunlap, chair
man of the division Of anthropology
and psychology of the National Re-
search Council to consider the applica-
ton of proposals worked out during
the past year by research council COM
mittaeS.
It is proposed to exhaust the present
resources of science in this national
effort to ameliorate, so far as possible,
the hard lives of those suffering from
both functional and organic deafness,
which, it is recognized, not only cause
much unhappiness for the victims but
are responsible for mental difficulties.
Among the proposals to be considered
today is one for the establishment of a
central research unit for the study of
the social and emotional adjustment
of deaf people This unit, with med
ical and psychological staff, might be
located in Washington, due to the proX-
unity of Gallaudet College, which adj
vantage is cited by the committee. The
report also mentions New York. Chi
cago Boston and Baltimore as suitable
locations because of the central loca-
tions and university and medical school
facilities.
House House Visits Urged.
1t also is proposed to conduct an cx-
perimental survey of a population group
of approximately 10000 persons of all
ages and types, by house-to-house visits
In some medium sized, interior city
versified population. Such a survey, it
is pointed out. would give dependable
figures as to the actual prevalence of
deafness in the population and the sort
Of persons among whom it is most fire.
quent. Then it would be possible to
select subgroupS for more intensive
studies, such as the relation of auditory
defects to age, sex, race, heredity other
diseases, climatic conditions, urban and
rural environment, etc.
One of the great drawbacks, It was
pointed out this morning, to national
drive against deafness, Is that nobody
knows just how big the problem Is.
Many persons who are somewhat hard
OF hearing are able to get along and go
through life with the defect unsuspected
except by those closely associated with
them. Other surveys are proposed for
the public schools, the investigators
using standard method. Such surveys
IN the past have resulted In some con-
fusion because different methods were
used, SO that the school children of some
cities show 10 times as much deafness
IS reported from other cities.
Young Sufferers Present Problem.
The committee is interested particu-
larry in the problem of the auditorily
deficient child. From birth to z years
OF age" said the report presented this
morning. such child is at the present
time closed book. With few excep-
tens existing schools for the deaf take
cHluren at the age of or 8. When we
consider the stress now being placed
upon the significance of the early years
in general development it seems
astounding that there should be such a
great gap in our knowledge We know
little about the methods of testing hear
ing at the early ages and relatively
little OF the significance of one, two or
three years OF partial hearing at early
ages with reference to the later general
development OF the individual"
sit Is. known, however" the report
continues, that after the average deaf
child has been In a school for the deaf
for from six to eight years, he can read
no better than the average or 8 year
old hearing child. It requires about
eight or ten years Of instruction In spe-
cial schools to bring the deaf child to
the level which the ordinary child
reaches in one or two years of schooling.
Blind children relatively are re-
tarded slightly in comparison to deaf
children. Deafness seems to be many
times as great handicap with refer
ence to development as blindness. There
Is some indication that deafness re-
tards the development of all processes.
It would seem an easy task for a per-
son with vision to reproduce digits from
memory when such digits are presented
usually, but this Is practically impos-
sible for the deaf child, primarily be-
cause Of the failure of the associated
language processes which make visual
memory possible"
To determine the effect Of deafness
among children, the committee will
consider establishing a special nursery
school for boarding and day pupils. The
location has not been determined In
tensive studies will be undertaken of
the various methods for communication
with deaf persons, such as the use OF
portable microphone sets, various
simplifying devices, and lip reading and
training in the Interpretation OF voice
vibrations against the hand. Where
mechanical appliances are involved, it
Is proposed to keep standard sets at the
Bureau of Standards.
Fitting Deafs Persons Into Jobs to
BE Studied.
Another committee will work on the
problem of fitting deaf persons into
Jobs where they will not be greatly
handicapped and the consideration of
laws and determinations against tnem
A special study is to be made, accord
ing to the outline, Of the alleged dis
ordinations o.. some life insurance
companies against these persons who
are hard of hearing. Methods OF tram
ing the deaf for Jobs also will be con-
sidered. What some members OF the
committee regard as the most inpor-
tant problem of all, rom the stand
point of deaf persons, is the develop
ment of their intelligence. Says the
"The young deaf child frequently IS
thought to be feeble minded. II Sc
vices can be developed which will dis
criminate between constitutional feeble
mindedness and auditory deficiency. it
might be possible to develop an ode
quate training program.
when one realizes the relationship
that exists between the onset Of audi
tory deficiency and the amount of prog
ress the defective child subsequently
makes in a deaf school and the tre-
mendous acquisition OF the hearing
child between the ages of and or g.,
with its correlated effects on the de-
. velopment Of all mental processes, it
seems highly important that every ef-
= fort be made 10 STUDY the possibility OF