The Effect of Three Communication Modes on Reading Scores of Deaf Subjects

Forty-five prelingually deafened subjects between the ages of 18 and 24 were divided into three matched sample groups. A short story and accompanying multiple-choice comprehension questions were selected from Level 5 of the Stanford Achievement Test and administered under three different conditions. Group I received the standard written form, Group II a Manually Coded English videotaped form, and Group III an American Sign Language version. Data were analyzed using two t -tests for independent means. Results indicated no significant difference between scores of Group I and Group II. However, significant differences were found when scores of Groups I and III were compared.