Successful oral deaf education requires full time immersion in spoken language. Infants and very young children need to be "bathed" in spoken language by their caregivers. Later, small classes and daily one-on-one instruction provide the intense earliest intervention that makes oral deaf education work. Teachers must be highly trained and provide spoken language instruction throughout the day in all activities.

As you begin to think about your child's education, look for a program in which:

Children can maximize their auditory potential all day where they are expected to learn to listen and speak.

Spoken language is the only language used by children at all times.

The curriculum prepares children for mainstreaming.
In brief, we recommend that parents make sure the program offers:

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for children birth to 3 years, or Individualized Educational Programming (IEP) for children 3 years and older, to fit your child's needs
Quality and professional education of the staff, including playtime supervisors, counselors, and others.

Curricula that prepare the child for neighborhood schools

A social and physical environment that supports the child's efforts to learn to listen and speak

Comprehensive audiological management

You should also ask about the success the school's alumni have achieved academically, socially and linguistically. Talk with some older students yourself if at all possible.

The best programs will also work closely with mainstream teachers who play a major role in the hearing impaired child's success in that environment.

More guidelines are available by visiting other areas of this Web site, including Frequently Asked Questions , glossary.