Technology at school

When oralism became the primary method of instruction in schools for the deaf in the late 19th century, speech instruction tools such as mirrors and spatels were also needed in schools. Hearing research and hearing aids developed rapidly in the 1950s, which also had an effect on schools for the deaf. In general, the utilisation of developments in technology and speech therapy brought new technical devices to speech therapy in schools and for improving hearing.

Schools used for example frequency-modulated (FM) systems, which aimed to facilitate hearing. The teacher had a transmitter into which she or he spoke, and around each pupil’s neck hung a receiver, to which they listened. Many kinds of devices also controlled sound production. These included various indicators, which showed the pupil how well she or he was able to produce speech sounds. Teachers also had at their disposal a range of instruments which they used to guide the mouth and tongue into the correct position. There was also plenty of image material, such as pictures of lips in different positions making different sounds.