Individual Integration of Deaf Children in England and Taiwan Author: Teh-Yeh Hwang

Abstract：

England was chosen to investigate the individual integration programme for deaf children to be compared with Taiwan's situation.
Since 1760s, oral method has been employed in teaching deaf children in Scotland and England. The Education Act of 1976 proposed that children with special needs should be educated in ordinary schools. The trend towards integra-tion of deaf children has been more conspicuous than other areas of special educa-tion. Integration is educationally and socially essential. For deaf children, a con-stant normal speaking environment offers excellent opportunity of developing good speech. From the interviews with many deaf and partially hearing children in England, it was appreciated that even deaf children could speak intelligibly. The successful individual integration of deaf children resulted from early education services rendered free of charge by the government to all children with impaired hearing.
Education for the deaf in Taiwan was started much later than that in England. In less than 70 years, it has been developed from manual to combined method, from special school system to self-contained classes in ordinary schools. Special classes attached to ordinary schools are convenient for deaf children to attend. However, without careful planning for each individual's needs, integration can not be expected to produce good results.
For the successful individual integration of deaf children in Taiwan, early education services should be available to all children with impaired hearing.

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