Profession: Priest and Educator
Biography: Juan Pablo Bonet was a Spanish priest and educator, known for his pioneering work in the education of the deaf. He is most recognized for his efforts in developing one of the earliest forms of sign language and for writing the first known book dedicated to the education of the deaf.
In the 17th century, Bonet served as a secretary to the constable of Castile, who had a deaf son. This prompted Bonet to develop a method to educate him, which eventually extended to a broader interest in deaf education. Bonet developed a manual alphabet system, a predecessor to modern sign language, which he used as a means of communication and instruction.
His 1620 work, "Reducción de las letras y arte para enseñar a hablar a los mudos" ("Reduction of letters and art for teaching speech to the mute"), was a significant milestone in special education. It outlined his teaching methods, including the manual alphabet system and techniques to articulate sounds and teach speech to the deaf.
Birthplace: Torres de Berrellén, Aragon, Spain
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