| Deaf Students and the Qualitative Similarity Hypothesis Subjects: SOCIAL SCIENCE / General.; EDUCATION / Teaching Methods & Materials / General.; EDUCATION / Educational Policy & Reform / General.; English language; Hearing impaired; Deaf children; Deaf children; The difficulty that deaf and hard of hearing students have in attaining language and literacy skills has led to postulations that attribute their struggle to a developmental deficit. Recent research reveals, however, that deaf students acquire language structures, produce errors, and employ strategies in the same fashion as younger hearing students, though at later ages. The ability of all students to learn language and literacy skills in a similar manner at different stages forms the foundation of the Qualitative Similarity Hypothesis (QSH). Peter V. Paul is Professor, school of Teaching and Learning, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH. |