From the age of two, he was coached in speech and lip reading by two specialised teachers: Dr Henriette Hoffer (from the Centre Médico-Pédagogique in Paris) and Doreen Hugo (of the Victorian Deaf and Dumb Institution), with whom he learnt to lip-read and speak in both English and French.

[2] He then spent a year in Paris, where he studied the problems of children with disabilities, at Dr Hoffer's clinic.

When Gorman returned to Australia, he took up a post at Monash University as a research fellow and lecturer in special education.

Gorman commissioned an Ogilvie bronze of Paul which today is displayed in the Education Faculty at Monash University.

In the 1983 New Year's Honours, Gorman was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the civil division, in recognition of service to disabled people.