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- Disability Categories
- Autism
- Deaf-Blindness
- Deafness
- Emotional Behavioral Disorder
- Hearing Impairment or Deafness
- Cognitively Disabled
- Multiple Disabilities
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech and Language Disability or Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment and Blindness
Characteristics
While every person is different these are some common characteristics:
- Can be skilled lipreaders, but many are not; only 30 to 40 percent of spoken English is distinguishable on the mouth and lips under the best of conditions.
- Also have difficulties with speech, reading and writing skills, given the close relationship between language development and hearing.
- Use speech, lipreading, hearing aids and/or amplification systems to enhance oral communication.
- Be members of a distinct linguistic and cultural group; as a cultural group, they may have their own values, social norms and traditions.
- Use American Sign Language as their first language, with English as their second language.