Teaching children with hearing impairment for a long time, mainly a verbal form of education is used in Kazakhstan, based on the development of auditory perception. Subsequently, along with a relatively small number of positive cases, we have a number of generations of deaf citizens who are not able to read and write correctly, express their thoughts, etc. Grown - up children with hearing impairment, despite the efforts of sign language teachers and teachers, still communicate with each other in sign language and use written speech when communicating with hearing people. At the same time, the role of sign language in teaching the deaf cannot be overestimated, since it meets the special educational needs of children with hearing impairment. This article discusses traditional and alternative approaches to teaching the deaf; provides a brief overview of the existing normative legal acts regulating the status of sign language; presents the results of a survey of teachers on the use of sign language in teaching deaf children; identifies strategic aspects and conditions for using of sign language in educational organizations.