Educating Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (page 3)

What are the Limitations of Cued Speech?

While sounds that look alike are distinguishable because of the hand cues, lip movements still are an integral part of the system. Cuers must make lip movement and be within 20 feet of the cue-reader. The upper body and face should have adequate light. Cued Speech is not an ideal platform medium.

The Cued Speech system is more than 30 years old. The numbers of cuers and support groups vary throughout the United States, but Cued Speech is not available everywhere. Parents of children who are deaf sometimes meet with resistance from their local school administration when they choose to use a system not usually offered in that district.

The number of available Cued Speech transliterators (proficient cuers who cue what instructors say), while growing, is insufficient for the demand, primarily because Cued Speech students are usually not placed in programs where one transliterator can serve several students, but are mainstreamed in their neighborhood schools.

Unless they learn American Sign Language (ASL) as a second language, students who grow up using Cued Speech are not able to communicate with the larger community of Deaf adults who use sign language.

What are Some Questions to Ask in Choosing This Option?

The questions below should be asked when deciding any communication option.

1. Is this the most appropriate communication tool for our familyto use?
2. How long will it take us to learn and where can we learn it?
3. Will we be committed to using it as much as possible as we interact?
4. Is support available and, if not, are we determined enough to do it on our own?
5. What results can we expect from using this communicationtool? (If those expectations are not met within an appropriate time frame, another option should be explored.)

References

Beck, P.H. (1985). What can Cued Speech do for you. Cued Speech Annual, 1, 9-18.

Clark, R. (1984). The eyes have it! Nu-Vue-Cue, A veritable breakthrough. The Post-Tribune Sunday Magazine, May 19, Section H, p.1.

Cornett, R.O. (1967). Cued Speech. American Annals of the Deaf, 112, 3-13.

Cornett, R.O. (1985). Update on Cued Speech. Cued Speech Annual, 1, 3-8.

Cornett, R.O., & Daisey, M. (1992). The Cued Speech resource book for parents of deaf children. National Cued Speech Association.

Wandel, J. (1989). Use of internal speech in reading by hearing and hearing impaired students in oral, total communication, and Cued Speech programs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Teacher's College, Columbia University, New York.

Resources

National Cued Speech Association: NCSA@naz.edu

Alternatives in Education for the Hearing Impaired, 2020 E. Camp McDonald Rd., Mt. Prospect, IL 60056, (708) 297-3206

Cued Speech Discovery Bookstore, 23970 Hermitage Rd., Cleveland, OH 44122-4008, 800-459-3529/(V/TTY), e-mail: CuedSpDisc@aol.com

Cued Speech Center, Inc., 304 E. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27601, (919) 828-1218 (V/TTY)

New York Cued Speech Center, 825 East 18th St., Brooklyn, NY 11230, (718) 434-7406

Sunshine States Cued Speech Services, 4442 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, FL 34234, (941) 355-4194 (V/TTY/FAX), e-mail: CUEFLORIDA@aol.com

West Coast Cued Speech Program, 348 Cernon St., Suite D, Vacaville, CA 95688, (707) 448-4060 V/TDD, e-mail :LRupert601@aol.com