Argentine Journal — The Constant Educator
Written by Duke Osborne on November 30th, 2008 | 2 CommentsHave you ever been disappointed that no one knows about cueing, about Cued Speech’s design as an ideal tool in overcoming deaf illiteracy?
I was at a friend’s son’s Bar Mitzvah last weekend (I have just loved saying that phrase; such joy to use a double possessive). In a quieter moment, it was revealed through our conversation about Ben being deaf, and my friend’s relatives proceeded to ask questions. Can he hear? Is he mainstreamed? Does he sign? Wears what aids?
The Cued Speech conversation: “System designed to help deaf children learn to read and write, by conveying the spoken language in a visual form, and that visual form providing the ‘phonics’ of the spoken language, called ‘phonemes’ … The hybrid, using a manual system (like signing) but conveying the oral language (so really an oral approach). The genius of Dr. Cornet’s system — whatever looks alike on the mouth is cued differently; whatever is cued the same looks different. No ambiguity.” The Constant Educator.
And we haven’t even talked about the implant!
I truly welcome the questions, and love to talk about Ben; cueing; cochlear implants; the differences between oral, sign, and cueing; social adjustments; reactions of Maddie as a hearing sibling.
I have no expectations that people would know of cueing. What people know of deafness is usually mixed up with signing. So something other than signing, especially a system that uses the hands, is pure puzzlement to most people.
So while I sometimes have a tinge of disappointment that cueing is so under the radar, it provides a great opportunity for awareness and teaching.
Deafness is Ben’s story, his identity. The story of his parents and sister, his extended family. Cueing is part of Ben’s deafness. The cochlear implant is part of his deafness. Because cueing is our history, the now and future is literacy, Ben’s ability to read and write, to learn independently.
– Never heard of Cued Speech?
– Well, do a have a few minutes?
– Excellent, because I have a great story to tell.
– It is about a young boy — a human story full of drama and inspiration.
– My connection to the story?
– The Constant Educator, of course.
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More from Duke Osborne
- Dream Girl
- Under Exam — Failure or Needs Improvement?
- November Dates
- To cue or not to cue. There is no question!
- Happy Independence Day!
More from Education
- About Duke Osborne
- Duke is the cueing father of a deaf son, Ben, and hearing daughter, Maddie. He learned to cue not long after Ben lost his hearing in October 1995 (when Ben was 3 ½ years old), and is a past President of the Maryland Cued Speech Association. Along with Ben and Maddie’s mother, he was strongly attracted to cueing because it provides access to literacy by conveying the phonemes of the spoken language (American English in this case). Ben is fully mainstreamed in school, relying on a CST and his cochlear implant. Both Ben and Maddie attend school in Montgomery County, Maryland. Duke lives in Silver Spring, plays in a weekly pickup basketball game, and is trying to learn Spanish.
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December 1st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
“The Constant Educator”, I’ll have to remember that label. It’s the perfect fit to describe many of us, especially those of us who are the parents of “Cue Kids”. It does seem that we are the ones who are often sharing the information on Cued Speech with the community-at-large. I think may just have to borrow that label from you.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Barb,
Thanks for the kind words.
You are welcome to the label anytime. As you note, sharing information on Cued Speech is often our role. The more of us gently educating, the better understood cueing will be, and with understanding a better appreciation of Cued Speech as an option.