Speech in people with disabilities: speech of the deaf based on the oral method and people with aphasia

The phenomenon of hearing impairment has, throughout history, been an object of interest for linguists, altruists, philosophers, physicians, as well as priests, teachers, and educators. Unlike the present time, when this phenomenon is approached from a multidisciplinary perspective, medical, special education, sociological, pedagogical, psychological, linguistic, cultural, and technological—all of which share a common focus on the communication of deaf individuals and people with hearing difficulties. With regard to communication with the deaf, three basic groups of methods were developed: non-verbal, oral, and combined. This paper presents an analysis of the development and application of the oral method, which at a certain historical moment played a significant role in the education and rehabilitation of deaf persons and individuals with speech disorders, with special emphasis on demutization methods, i.e., speech and language among deaf persons and individuals with aphasia at the British School in Pristina during 2015–2017, as well as in several speech-therapy centers in Kosovo.