In order for him to bridge the social and cultural gap it is important that his parents, as well as his teacher, consider his personal needs and preferences. One of the major controversies today concerns which language should be the first language for a deaf child: English or ASL. Michael's parents should consider allowing him to experience both English and ASL, which would then allow him to determine his first language. Michael's kindergarten teacher must make every effort to provide him with the most appropriate teaching with a meaningful curriculum to best meet his needs (Heward,