Five Major Universities

[loml]

Sinead Clements wrote the following letter to persons quoted in a CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News article entitled

“Deaf students struggle with English to get diplomas.”

Some of Sinead’s Irish diction shows in her writing! My name is Sinead Clements and I am a profoundly deaf senior at Boston University and I wanted to email you and let you know there is a wonderful method called Cued Speech that has shown to help with the English proficiency of a deaf
child.

Take my case for example, I was born deaf, the doctors told my parents I would never read, write, or talk. With the help of Cued Speech, I went to mainstream school. In third grade, I tested at the eleventh grade reading
My favorite books at the time were Swiss Family Robinson, Treasure Island, and Carl Sandburg’s series on Abraham Lincoln. With Cued Speech, I was able to enjoy reading and read I do.

I love history books and political tomes, I love adventure and imagination, all thanks to Cued Speech.

In eighth grade, I took my state examinations with no problem since Cued Speech already gave me the knowledge of the English language. I passed them, I took them with my hearing peers, I did not have anyone help me bridge the meanings in the exam….

In high school, I stayed in mainstream, I got a 3.65 GPA. I was accepted into 5 major universities, all mainstream. I now attend Boston University and am almost finished with my degree, of which is my first love, History. Thanks to Cued Speech.

I wanted to tell you that Cued Speech is a wonderful method to help the deaf learn how to read and write. I even learned how to talk with Cued Speech. I believe that Cued Speech should be required in every deaf
school. I can testify to the fact that it works with helping a deaf child learn how to read.


www.cuedspeech.org/PDF/_OnQ2005-1.pdf

 

[FunkyLeprechaun]

Hi,

I just wanted to update on this.

I wrote that letter to the people mentioned in that article. Here are their replies:

"The article, unfortunately, did not present an opportunity to talk about all the different methods used at Alabama School for the Deaf to help deaf students overcome the language barrier. We do, of course, go far beyond American Sign Language including speech therapy and other methods." - Lynne Hanner

"The response to the article has been very positive and I have heard from others that testify to the benefits of Cued Speech. Your success is certainly a wonderful example to everyone of what Cued Speech can do for deaf people!" - Kris Kaase

"Additionally, I have to note that, as a statistician and research scientist, your personal case history is compelling but insufficient evidence to make the claim that cued speech will resolve the issues surrounding literacy instruction for deaf children. I have no doubt of the power of cued speech, and there are researchers here at Gallaudet University who have found evidence that cued speech is an effective means for promoting access to English. What I am trying to say is that the nature of my work requires me to reject personal testimonial as sufficient evidence for general effectiveness. Policy recommendations require evidence that particular methods show positive results across a range of settings and for a wide range of students. There just has not been enough research to date to make such a recommendation." - Ross Mitchell

I finished my degree at Boston University (BA- History) last year and now living in the UK. I wonder if there were any changes at the Alabama School for the Deaf as a result of this article. I also attended a community college and Oxford University while a student at BU.

The other four universities I was accepted into: University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (my last choice, a fall back), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Rhode Island, and Roger Williams University (I turned down a $1,000 a year scholarship there to attend BU).

Thank you for quoting my letter. I really do think deaf children should be able to have access to the English language, even at Deaf Schools. I spoke at some deaf schools and they are starting to put more emphasis on learning English (it was a bit of a taboo because of the association of the English language with Hearing people).

Sinead

 

[jillio]

I'm very glad that this was a successful approach for you, but I will agree that one case study does not generalize to an entire population.

 

[shel90]

I'm very glad that this was a successful approach for you, but I will agree that one case study does not generalize to an entire population.

I agree too. Like me, for example..I was taught with the oral approach and I tested a little above average for reading and writing growing up but what worked for me my not work for other deaf children. My brother is a perfect example...they used the same approach on him as they did on me..didnt work for him. My mom had to send him to the deaf school in which his language just blossomed using ASL. Mind u, we both have the same degree of hearing loss.

Jillo..I wonder if there has ever been a case study in which the ASL only approach wasnt successful for deaf children? We know about CIs, the oral-only , cued-speech , TC, and SEE approaches not working for every deaf child. Now, what about the ASL only approach? I mean..of course with reading and writing in the native language in their hometown.

 

[jillio]

I agree too. Like me, for example..I was taught with the oral approach and I tested a little above average for reading and writing growing up but what worked for me my not work for other deaf children. My brother is a perfect example...they used the same approach on him as they did on me..didnt work for him. My mom had to send him to the deaf school in which his language just blossomed using ASL. Mind u, we both have the same degree of hearing loss.

Jillo..I wonder if there has ever been a case study in which the ASL only approach wasnt successful for deaf children? We know about CIs, the oral-only , cued-speech , TC, and SEE approaches not working for every deaf child. Now, what about the ASL only approach? I mean..of course with reading and writing in the native language in their hometown.

I'll check on that, shel. To my knowledge, all the research points towards the successes in using ASL to teach English reading and writing skills.

 

[FunkyLeprechaun]

I'm very glad that this was a successful approach for you, but I will agree that one case study does not generalize to an entire population.

I agree too. I would think learning the English language alongside any method (sign, oral, cued speech) is important for any deaf child.

Maybe it's time for a study to be done? Find a cuer at 10 years old, a signer at 10 years old, an oralist at 10 years old (dependent on a CI or digital hearing aids) and a cue/signer, cue/oral (learned cue early in life, now oral), or sign/oral (signs and reads lips). I do know there are these kinds of children at AG Bell conferences.

To make the study a bit more valid, find 10 of each child (or do a age group study, which might make it better). Study what education each child has so far (it may influence the study a bit if a mainstream deaf child is going to a private school versus a mainstream deaf child going to public school). Then give them a standardised reading test.

To further that response by Ross Mitchell: "I apologize that I am unable to lead an investigation that would help to resolve the issue you have raised, but I will be sure to encourage those who are able to pursue studies large enough and designed carefully enough to better inform how and why cued speech has been successful for you and other students who have shared similar experiences."

I know several deaf Cuers who went on to prestigious universities: Brown University (cue/sign), MIT (cue/sign), University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (2 cue/signers), Columbia University (cuer), and also one who attended a French-language school in Geneva, Switzerland (an American cuer who learnt 4 languages). There are many more cuers who have gone onto higher mainstream education. I do not know any Oral method users in university but I'm pretty sure I will find out soon (I do know some oral users who are attending high school and not using assistance in the classroom due to their listening profiency (CI since 5 years old) and lipread very well!).

Not every deaf cuer has gone into one of the big universities, due to the cost of education. That may or may not influence the study (I know one, who earned a 4.0 GPA in High School, that went to a small state university).

What I would do... and this might not be a popular position among some Deaf people... is introduce Cued Speech in a Deaf school (that mainly uses Sign Language) in the kindergarten/first grade and then at the end of their education (if there are any children from the first grade that stayed there long enough), compare their reading levels (via various tests given throughout the years) to past students' levels. This might not be feasible (protests from ASL-only people), but it would be a good measure of Cued Speech versus ASL in learning the English language.

It's either that or handpick some children at various deaf education conferences. AG Bell isn't one of those conferences teeming with Deaf people so it may not make the study valid. I think introducing Cued Speech at a deaf school might be a much better study. In fact, why not start with the Alabama School for the Deaf? (start at the younger grade due to the fact that they are more inclined to recieve language faster than the older grades)

Just saying.

 

[jillio]

There are many other variables that would have to be considered. Is the child Deaf of Deaf or Deaf of hearing. If Deaf of Deaf, were child's parents raised oral and are late signers, or are they native signers. Were Deaf of Deaf parents educated in residential/day program deaf school, or were they mainstreamed.

Not only does the child use an assistive listening devise, and actual levelas of sound perception achieved with the devise, but discrimination ability with ot without visual cues must be considered. Also, discrimination baseline scores, baseline residual hearing scores, etc.

In addition, type of hearing loss and etiology are important considerations becuase someone say, deafened from CMV shows a different pattern that someone with genetic deafness. Even though baseline scores may be similar, the child deafened from CMV usually has a pattern of residual hearing that responds well to amplification.

Whether the child entered an early intervention program, at what age, age of diagnosis, whether language input at home is consistent in whatever mode is used, and other factors regarding home environment also come into play. A study on educational methods is not as simple as choosing a few children and take case histories. In addition, for the results of the study to be generalizable, the sampling has to be done under random circumstances.

You are talking about funding int he range of $100,000.00 at the very minimum. If it is turned into a longitudinal study, which would be morst appropriate, the funding would need to be in excess of that.

 

[shel90]

There are many other variables that would have to be considered. Is the child Deaf of Deaf or Deaf of hearing. If Deaf of Deaf, were child's parents raised oral and are late signers, or are they native signers. Were Deaf of Deaf parents educated in residential/day program deaf school, or were they mainstreamed.

Not only does the child use an assistive listening devise, and actual levelas of sound perception achieved with the devise, but discrimination ability with ot without visual cues must be considered. Also, discrimination baseline scores, baseline residual hearing scores, etc.

In addition, type of hearing loss and etiology are important considerations becuase someone say, deafened from CMV shows a different pattern that someone with genetic deafness. Even though baseline scores may be similar, the child deafened from CMV usually has a pattern of residual hearing that responds well to amplification.

Whether the child entered an early intervention program, at what age, age of diagnosis, whether language input at home is consistent in whatever mode is used, and other factors regarding home environment also come into play. A study on educational methods is not as simple as choosing a few children and take case histories. In addition, for the results of the study to be generalizable, the sampling has to be done under random circumstances.

You are talking about funding int he range of $100,000.00 at the very minimum. If it is turned into a longitudinal study, which would be morst appropriate, the funding would need to be in excess of that.

Gosh, all those things were discussed in my research and methology classes ..a valid study on deaf education takes careful planning, time and a lot of money!

 

[VamPyroX]

Cued speech could help... but so does SEE.

I didn't start signing until I was 5 years old. The first sign language was MMS. It's a more strict version of SEE. I didn't use ASL until I graduated high school and went to college.

 

[FunkyLeprechaun]

Cued speech could help... but so does SEE.

I didn't start signing until I was 5 years old. The first sign language was MMS. It's a more strict version of SEE. I didn't use ASL until I graduated high school and went to college.

I've experienced SEE when I was in hs. Two students used SEE in class and I think they used ASL outside of class(I had one in my physics class). Very interesting to see Cued Speech and SEE in class in stereo. I did learn sign as a result of that but that's flagged off since then, as I graduated 7 years ago.