Manualism Vs.

Oralism
By: Kiara Walker
Definition
Manualism Oralism

The practice of The theory, practice, or

education for the advocacy of education for
Deaf employing the Deaf chiefly or
and promoting exclusively through
the use of sign lipreading, training in
language as the speech production, and
primary means of training of residual
communication. hearing
Positive impacts Manualism
has on Deaf Children:
• Improve speech and language
development
• Enhance cognitive development
• Foster social-emotional development
• Improve social and communication
skills
• Boost self-confidence and self-esteem
• Promote bonding and attachment
• Increase understanding of spoken
language
Negative impacts Manualism
has on Deaf Children:
1. Sign language has no written
component. Deaf people can only use
sign language to communicate face to
face.
2. If a child is not brought up in a deaf
home or around many other deaf
people, sign language tends to be used
only when speaking with the non-
hearing person. Manualism will only
work if the parents are involved.
Impacts oralism has on
Deaf Children:
• Many deaf individuals educated through oralism
reported feelings of isolation and frustration. The
emphasis on oral skills often came at the expense of
developing a strong deaf identity and a sense of
belonging within the deaf community. There was also a
reported higher incidence of mental health issues among
individuals who experienced strict oralist education.
• The rise of oralism led to a decline in the use of sign
language in educational settings. This had a profound
impact on deaf culture, as sign language is a critical
component of its identity.
• While oralism still exists today, it is generally one of
several options available for deaf education, rather than
the dominant approach. There is greater recognition of
the value of sign language and deaf culture, and the
focus has shifted towards providing deaf individuals with
a range of communication tools.
 Citation
• Larrazabal, Mikee. “Benefits of Sign Language in Children.” Better Speech, Better
Speech, 11 Aug. 2023, www.betterspeech.com/post/7-benefits-of-teaching-your-child-
sign-language.
• “Oralism in Deaf Education: History and Impact.” Deafwebsites, 26 Jan. 2024,
deafwebsites.com/oralism/#:~:text=Psychological%20and%20Social%20Effects&text=
The%20emphasis%20on%20oral%20skills,who%20experienced%20strict%20oralist%2
0education
• Witt, Pharaba. “The Disadvantages of American Sign Language.” eHow UK, 14 July
2020, www.ehow.co.uk/info_8588512_disadvantages-american-sign-language.html.