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The American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, currently the American School for the Deaf, was founded in Hartford, Connecticut. Students were offered specialized instruction from deaf instructors for the first time (Gallaudet University, 2021).
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With a battery pack on the legs, an amplifier/receiver on the clothes, and a small earpiece, hearing aids were finally portable (Physicians Hearing Services, 2021).
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The end of World War 2 brought new hearing technology. The battery, amplifier, and microphone were combined into a single unit that could fit in a person's pocket. Hearing glasses were even produced for a short time (Physicians Hearing Services, 2021).
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William C. Stokoe published research analyzing ASL and found that it was a complex language system. It was previously seen as a "lesser" language, resulting in a push for all students who were deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) to use oral language. This acknowledgment opened the door for DHH students to learn in more appropriate modes (Spencer, 2016).
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Downs and Sterritt reported the importance of early hearing experiences on later development. They made the first claims supporting early intervention services starting as early as 6 months old (Spencer, 2016).
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The major education approach in the 1970's for deaf or hard of hearing students was SimCom. SimCom is when speakers use oral language and a signing system at the same time. It was later found that this approach does not allow the students to fully experience either language (Spencer, 2016).
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Jewett and Williston first describe the use of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. ABR evaluates the brain pathways for hearing as opposed to the outer and middle ear functions. This advancement in hearing testing would lead to more specific diagnoses (Bhattacharyya, N., 2021). For more information, check out this video by Cincinnati Children's.
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The first single channel CIs were inserted after years of global research and collaboration. CIs would not become wide-spread until the 1990's following FDA approval (ASHA, 2003). To better understand how CIs work, check out this video.
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This act ensures that federal funding is used to provide equal access to educate children with disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2007).
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Dr. David Kemp discovers OAE. OAE evaluates the inner ear function. This test would later become an integral part of newborn hearing screening procedures in the 1990s (American Academy of Audiology, 2009).
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Replaces the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Ensures that students with disabilities receive Free and Appropriate Public Education that is specialized to their needs (U.S. Department of Education, 2021).
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The 1990's introduced a new philosophy for educating students who were deaf or hard of hearing. Instead of favoring oral over sign language, students were given opportunities to become bimodal-bilingual (Spencer, 2016).
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Advancements in technology resulted in smaller, customizable digital hearing aids (Physicians Hearing Services, 2015).
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The 2000's saw a shift toward more naturalistic language learning. Families were encouraged to decide the best communication method for their child who was deaf or hard of hearing. Scholars emphasized the need for language acquisition, no matter what system was used (Spencer, 2016).
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This act is still in progress and has been presented to Congress multiple times. It is a proposed amendment to IDEA that would provide special considerations for deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and deaf-blind students (Cogswell-Macy Act, 2021). Check out this link for more information.
