Educating Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Cued Speech. ERIC Digest #E555.

This digest uses a question-and-answer format to summarize basic information about the use of Cued Speech (a sound-based hand supplement to speechreading) with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Cued speech is briefly explained, noting its primary use with hearing families of young children who are deaf and in regular education classrooms when those children enter school. A listing of other groups who may use Cued Speech includes families and professionals working with children with autism, Down Syndrome, deaf-blindness, cerebral palsy, auditory processing deficits, and severe physical disabilities. Benefits and limitations of Cued Speech are briefly addressed. Benefits include ease of learning, reinforcement of speech therapy, and improved speechreading. Among limitations of Cued Speech mentioned are reliance on speechreading, the insufficient number of Cued Speech transliterators, and the individual's need to also learn American Sign Language to communicate with the Deaf community. A list of questions is provided for parents considering Cued Speech as a communication option. (Contains 13 references or resources.) (DB)