The original name was "The New England Industrial School for the Education and Instruction of Deaf Mutes", usually referred to as the New England Industrial School for Deaf Mutes. Students were taught to talk and taught lip reading, the recommended method of teaching deaf children at the time.
Initially known as "The New England Industrial School for the Education and Instruction of Deaf Mutes", this institution was often called the New England Industrial School for Deaf Mutes. Students learned to communicate verbally and were taught lip-reading, a widely accepted method for teaching deaf children at the time.