Hey Heavy, reading your story very similar to the research I did online & with a few deaf friends into the 60's to the 80's, whereby deaf & hoh children were sent to specials school, some called them either, schools for slow learners or backward schools, some kind of reference that these children were dumb of course that was complete untrue.
These schools were good, but they were more defined for children who actually did have learning difficulties, so deaf children were sent there automatically, whether these schools actually helped these kids I couldn't find out any good feedback from those day, my guess is that they were just taught the most basic education & very little about their hearing loss issues.
I'm thinking back in them days disabilities were kind of swept under the carpet as it were, pretty much ignored, through teachers not having the right training to help these children, it's really sad to think how hard it must have been for these children, just not getting the right help & support.
It's upsets me to see so many children when I go to my regular audiologist clinic for the checkups & hearing services, my last visit which was some time ago due to the Covid-19. I counted 5 children from about 6 yo upwards although they were happy & jumping about happily, you got to admire these young ones how they cope with such an issue, it does upset me when I see young children having to wear hearing aids, sorry going off topic slightly here.
Glad to say we've com along way from the dark days of the 60's to 80's, where us deaf & hoh are finally recognized to being able to do anything hearing people can do, thanks for the story Heavy, interesting & a nice insight to how it was.