Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education

In Plato's "Cratylus", which dates to 360 B.C, Socrates alludes to the use of signs by deaf people. In his "Natural History", completed in 79 A.D., Pliny, the Elder alludes to Quintus Pedius, the deaf son of a Roman consul, who had to seek permission from Caesar Augustus to pursue his training as an artist. During the Renaissance, scores of deaf people achieved fame throughout Europe, and by the middle of the 17th century the talents and communication systems of deaf people were being studied by a variety of noted scientists and philosophers. However, the role of deaf people in society has always been hotly debated: could they be educated? Should they be educated? If so, how? How does Deaf culture exist within larger communities? What do advances in the technology and the genetics of hearing loss portend for Deaf communities? In this landmark volume, a wide range of international experts present a comprehensive and accessible overview of the diverse field of deaf studies, language, and education. Pairing practical information with detailed analyses of what works, why, and for whom, and banishing the paternalism once intrinsic to the field, the handbook consists of specially commissioned essays on topics, such as language and language development, hearing and speech perception, education, literacy, cognition, and the complex cultural, social, and psychological issues associated with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through careful planning, collaboration, and editing, the various topics are interwoven in a manner that allows the reader to understand the current status of research in the field and recognize the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, providing the most comprehensive reference resource on deaf issues. Written to be accessible to students and practitioners, as well as researchers, "The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education" is a uniquely ambitious work that will alter both theoretical and applied landscapes. It surveys a field that has grown dramatically over the past 40 years, since sign languages were first recognized by scientists to be true languages. From work on the linguistics of sign language and parent-child interactions to analyses of school placement and the mapping of brain function in deaf individuals, research across a wide range of disciplines has greatly expanded not just our knowledge of deafness and the deaf, but of the very origins of language, social interaction, and thinking. Bringing together historical information, research, and strategies for teaching and service provision, Marc Marschark and Patricia Elizabeth Spencer have given us what is certain to become the benchmark reference in the field.

Table of Contents:
Contributors; Introduction; PART 1: EDUCATIONAL ISSUES; 1. Perspectives on the History of Deaf Education; 2. Demographic and Achievement Characteristics of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students; 3. Curriculum: Cultural and Communicative Contexts; 4. Educational Consequences of Alternative School Placements; 5. Early Intervention: Current Approaches to Family-Centered Programming; 6. Educational Programming for Deaf Children with Multiple Disabilities: Accommodating Special Needs; PART 2: LITERACY AND LITERACY EDUCATION; 7. Processes and Components of Reading; 8. Approaches To Teaching Reading; 9. Writing: Characteristics, Instruction, and Assessment; 10. Bilingualism and Literacy; PART 3: CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES; 11. Deaf Communities; 12. Peer Interactions of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children; 13. Social and Emotional Development of Deaf Children: Family, School, and Program Effects; 14. Parent-Infant Interactions: A Transactional Approach to Understanding the Development of Deaf Infants; 15. Mental Health and Deaf Adults; PART 4: LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT; 16. The Development of American Sign Language and Manually Coded English Systems; 17. Development of Spoken Language by Deaf Children; 18. Expressing Meaning: From Communicative Intent to Building a Lexicon; 19. The Role of Cued Speech in Language Development of Deaf Children; 20. Formal and Informal Approaches to the Language Assessment of Deaf Children; 21. Assessing Children's Proficiency in Natural Signed Languages; PART 5: SIGNED LANGUAGES; 22. Origins of Sign Languages; 23. Sign Language Structures; 24. Modality and The Structure of Language: Sign Languages versus Signed Systems; 25. Interpreters and Interpreter Education; 26. The Neural Systems Underlying Sign Language; PART 6: HEARING AND SPEECH PERCEPTION; 27. Speech Perception and Spoken Word Recognition; 28. Advances in the Genetics of Deafness; 29. Technologies for Communication: Status and Trends; 30. Screening and Assessment of Hearing Loss In Infants; 31. Cochlear Implants: Issues and Implications; PART 7: COGNITIVE CORRELATES AND CONSEQUENCES OF DEAFNESS; 32. Intellectual Assessment of Deaf People: A Critical Review of Core Concepts and Issues; 33. Cognitive Functioning In Deaf Adults and Children; 34. Working Memory, Neuroscience, and Language: Evidence from Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals; Epilogue--What We Know, What We Don't Know, and What We Should Know; Author Index; Subject Index

Review :
"This handbook is a 'must have' resource for researchers, educators, linguists, clinicians--indeed, for anyone involved in studying or affecting the lives of deaf children and adults. The range of topics is outstanding, the chapters cover both historical and contemporary work, and the writing is lucid. It will soon be difficult to imagine how the field ever managed without it!" --Lynn S. Liben, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University "A visit to bookshelves in search of material relating to deaf studies can often be disappointingMarschark and Spencer have now delivered a long overdue and much-needed comprehensive review of the current state of deaf studiesThis work may well stand for years as essential reading in the study of deaf education."--CHOICE, J.A. LeClair "The Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language and Education is a resource that recognizes the physical condition of deafness and the social, cultural and linguistic reality of Deaf life. The diverse group of contributors represents the cross-discipline perspectives and interconnected issues that inform and shape deaf studies today. This handbook will serve as a source of information for those in the field, students and families. I applaud the editors for compiling such a comprehensive and timely tool."--I. King Jordan, President, Gallaudet University