In a presentation on solution focused counseling for school aged children, I came across something that struck me as being applicable to deaf education. The central philosophy of solution focused counseling relies on 3 simple principles:
1) If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
2) If it works, do more of it.
3) If it doesn't work, don't do it again. Do something different.
Deaf education as a bi-bi philosophy in the 1800's was effective. Students were being educated on par with hearing students, and literacy rates reflected that. It wasn't broken, but the Milan Congress and the move toward oralism attempted to fix it anyway.
Total communication was an attempt to concede the need for visual input for the deaf student but from an oral perspective with the use of MCE's, CS, etc. Instead of doing more of what works, they attempted to revise what works to fit the oralists' needs and philosophies.
If it doesn't work, don't do it again. Education from an oral perspective for deaf children has resulted in less than adequately educated deaf students. Literacy rates have plummeted, and employment rates of young graduates are disproportionately low. In effect, oralism doesn't work. Don't do it again.
It would appear that deaf education is not solution focused, but politically and socially motivated. They have violated these very simple principles for creating an atmosphere that fosters success in deaf students.
What works? Bi-Bi. Do more of it.
What doesn't work? Oral philosophies and mainstreaming. Don't do it again.
What wasn't broken? Deaf education in a bi-bi environment. Stop trying to fix it, and simply do more of it.
What do you think?
