BENEFITS OF LIP READING AND ORALIZATION IN THE READING PERFORMANCE OF PROFOUND DEAF USERS OF BRAZILIAN SIGN LANGUAGE

ABSTRACT The learning of reading in Portuguese language by deaf has attracted researchers due to the poor performance in this skill displayed by the vast majority of these individuals. This article aims to investigate whether the use of lip reading and/or oralization, as a complement to the Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), can help literacy in Portuguese. Thirty-seven profoundly deaf students, from the Brazilian deaf community, enrolled from the 7th year of elementary school to the 1st year of high school, aged from 12 to 18 years old, were assessed by Raven Progressive Matrices, a semi-structured interview and two reading tests. All participants are Libras users and 57% complement it with alternative communication techniques. Our data suggest that the development of lip reading and oralization skills facilitate the reading process.