THE plaque on the door of the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City reads, "Outside this door he is a deaf child. Inside this door he is a child." This is the underlying philosophy of the school-to understand the needs of the "whole" child and then provide a program which will meet all these needs. This program must include everything that would be provided for normally hearing children and, in addition, it must provide the special assistance which a child with impaired hearing needs to help him overcome his initial inability to communicate with the hearing world. Because he cannot hear, the deaf child will not learn to speak until a special program of instruction is provided for him(1). Until he is able to share his feelings and experiences with others, he is deprived of the interpersonal give and take of normal relationships; he feels isolated and thwarted. It is hard for him to develop his personality and adjust well to his enviroment until he learns to communicate with others and share their experiences. We know that the patterns of growth and development, and the basic needs of deaf children are the same as those of hearing children. They need security, love, understanding, the feeling of belonging, and a place as an accepted member of their families and their communities. Deaf children have no less intellectual endowment than hearing children; they have the same desire to communicate, to understand, to be liked by others, and to be accepted.