Sign Language and the Severely Handicapped

Abstract

The use of sign language with severely handicapped students is analyzed in light of commonly held rationales. Such rationales are that sign language is less cognitively demanding and thus easier to learn than spoken language, and that sign language can bypass the oral-motor demands of speech. Cognitive, motor, and socio-communicative factors affecting the learning of sign language are discussed, and clinical implications are raised. Finally, environmental considerations that affect the likely success of sign language intervention with this population are addressed.