oral/aural
The Aural/Oral approach to communication relies solely on a deaf child's use of speech. Sign language is not used with the child and there is an emphasis on lipreading. Here, a child is taught to speak well enough to communicate confidently and accurately through speech methods. Oral communication can be taught in various ways, using various methods, depending on the program. However, regardless of the program, oral programs capitalize the child's hearing to the maximum extent possible for teaching spoken language. Using different techniques, instruction is designed to accelerate the child's ability to acquire spoken language throughout the day. Major factors that have influenced oral education are early identification of hearing loss as a result of of universal newborn screening, early intervention, improved technology of both hearing aids and cochlear implants, and improved teaching that capitalizes on the first three factors (Schwartz 2007).
How Aural/Oral Education Works:
Characteristics of a Quality Aural/Oral Education Program include:
The role of the family support system is also vital to the success to an Aural/Oral program. Reinforcement needs to be done at home for the child to fully understand spoken language. An oral program will thus teach parent strategies to:
How Aural/Oral Education Works:
- Teachers listen carefully to what the students says so they can help them speak better.
- During various activities, the teacher capitalizes on teachable moments to help children improve the quality of the students' language and speech.
- The teacher listens not only to what the student says but also to how the student says it and then figures out a way to help the student say it better.
- The teacher models an improved version of the student's utterance using different techniques.
- Getting the student to imitate the teacher's model can provide practice in producing longer, more complete, more correct, or more complex utterances.
Characteristics of a Quality Aural/Oral Education Program include:
- The program's goal is for children to talk well enough to communicate efficiently by talking.
- It emphasizes developing a child's auditory comprehension by providing maximum access to sound through well-fitted hearing aids and/or cochlear implants.
- No sign language is used.
- Children are immersed in spoken language throughout the day.
- Programs are both family-centered and child-centered.
- Parents are considered a critical support in ensuring their child's success in developing spoken language.
- Teachers are knowledgeable about, and trained in, accelerating spoken language development in children with hearing loss.
- Classes are small and allow for individualized instruction.
- Acoustics of the classroom are designed to provide a quiet listening environment.
The role of the family support system is also vital to the success to an Aural/Oral program. Reinforcement needs to be done at home for the child to fully understand spoken language. An oral program will thus teach parent strategies to:
- Help their child understand new and more difficult language
- Encourage their child to talk
- Expand their child's spoken communication skills.