™ OnOn CueCue Volume 32 Issue 1 Spring 2020 A Cue Kid With A Lucky Fin By Kellie Hetler almost five years ago now, Joe and I quickly learned more about At our 20-week Gabriella Hope arrived. She cochlear implants and decided they were ultrasound, my was absolutely perfect. Her the best option for us and our Gabby. husband, Joe, and I sweet cry made my heart sing Her surgery was delayed a little because found out that our knowing that my girl was here, she was scheduled three different times. daughter would be and I could finally care for her. The first two surgeons had little to no born missing both Shortly after her birth, Joe experience operating on someone with radius bones and and I were told that she was abnormal cochleas, which we certainly several fingers. As profoundly deaf in both ears, were not comfortable with. we processed this which we would later find out Our first reaction, which nobody contested news, we realized was due to the shape of her at the time, was that due to her limb how grateful we cochleas. So many things raced differences, visual communication with her were to have found through our minds. How would hands would be a challenge. We are from this out in advance we communicate? How would West Michigan and needed someone with so that we could we teach her that God loves experience. We ended up at the University Gabby Hetler at the H&V Conference prepare for our her? How will we tell her that of Michigan with a surgeon that we had full beautiful girl. As so many parents can we love her? We had HUGE questions with confidence in. relate to, we had no clue what was to come. no ideas how to answer them for this tiny A Cue Kid with A Lucky Fin continued on p. 13 When the highly anticipated day came, new baby. The Story of Us What’s Inside President’s Message 2 by Anna Stopher for additional testing. Now, keep in mind Renewed Vigor in the Cuemmunity 3 newborn hearing screenings were not done Blessed. That’s the short and sweet answer Ascension Parish to when people ask me to describe my life. in 1994. I believe for the state of Maine it Now, please don’t misunderstand me and was not required until the year 2000. I was Program Reunion 4 interpret the last statement as things came officially diagnosed as deaf at 15 months International Committee on the old and was fitted with my first hearing aids, easy-peasy. They didn’t. There was an Adaptations of Cued Speech 5 which we quickly found were not effective. immeasurable amount of sweat, endurance, TECUnit Board of Directors 6 pain, grace, hurt, joy, frustration, triumph, My family started using American Sign obstacles, accomplishments, and a whole lot Language (ASL) as my first mode of NCSA Sponsors Cue Camps 8 of tears, both sad and happy. Blessed God communication and continued researching Join the NCSA Board - Nominations how they wanted to prepare me for the rest placed SO many powerful, encouraging, Open 10 of my life. challenging, and inspirational contributors Thank You to Our Volunteers 10 pouring into my life to help me become My mom was in the hospital with me after a the woman I am today. My 25, almost hearing appointment and just so happened Scholarship Applications Open 11 26, years of life have been amazing, wild, to run into Pat Slater, Teacher of Deaf/Hard New NCSA Affiliate 11 hectic, thrilling, terrifying, challenging, of Hearing and our family’s angel. If you In Memoriam 11 and rewarding and I quite frankly cannot don’t know Pat, you are missing out on one Easy Ways to Support the NCSA 14 see what the next challenge is. of the most INCREDIBLE people. Pat and Thanks to Our Donors 15 Just before my first birthday, my parents The Story of Us continued on p. 12 were concerned that I had not yet started developing speech and brought me back to the doctor National Cued Speech Association 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 190-713, Washington, DC 20004 [email protected] • www.cuedspeech.org 800-459-3529 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 President’s Message At the time of this writing, our nation is with the data I am hopeful that by the time this newsletter locked down in the midst of a massive needed to fund is released, we will be moving on from this global pandemic. The NCSA had to cancel remote CLT pandemic. In the meantime, we are living its March board meeting and classes in services in the through a time that will challenge life as New Orleans, now a hotspot. But like future. we knew it but will force us to find new many of you, we stay connected and had Much has and better ways to support each other, our first ever Zoom board meeting which happened in communicate our message, teach our gave us a chance to see each other’s faces, the past year children and learn from each other. both cue for ourselves while making use and we have Wishing you and your families good health, of CLT services, and accomplish much many projects Anne Huffman of the business we would have in our site underway. The NCSA is working to develop meeting. We will hope to reschedule the a new website and a strategic plan to guide local events and look forward to hosting in our organization for years into the future. New Orleans in the fall. Our presence at national conferences has NCSA Affiliates Spring Camp Cheerio has unfortunately increased an understanding and awareness also been canceled for this year and the of Cued Speech. A dozen presentations at AG Bell Montessori School other cue camps are not sure at this time the recent EHDI Conference in Kansas City if they will be able to meet. It seems the were well attended. The CLTs requested (847) 850-5490 world has undergone massive changes were present throughout the conference www.agbms.org and we are more and more making use of and in turn, spurred people to ask for [email protected] on-line opportunities to offer classes and information about cueing. services. In this issue, you will read an inspiring Cued Speech Association of Minnesota In response to the coronavirus and people parent story, as well as one from a native [email protected] working remotely, the NCSA mobilized cuer. There is a summary of the reunion www.cuedspeechminnesota.org under the guidance of Vice President from Ascension Parish, Louisiana, the Benjamin Lachman. Working with local formation of an International Committee partners in the cueing community, we of Adaptations of Cued Speech and the Cued Speech Association of New England provided CLT services remotely to those announcement of the TECUnit’s new [email protected] who needed it. We are hopeful that the data Board of Directors, and much more. from this initiative will provide the FCC New York Cued Speech Center NCSA Board of Directors (800) 459-3529 Officers Directors [email protected] President: Anne Huffman Camps/Affiliates: Nicole Dugan 1st Vice President: Ben Academic Advisory Committee: North Carolina Cued Speech Lachman Dr. Polly Earl Association 2nd Vice President: Penny Government Liaison: Jill Hakim Keblawi (336) 408-2434 [email protected] Treasurer: Suhad Keblawi Organizations Liaison: Vacant Secretary: Claire Klossner Marketing: Charlie Musser Public Relations: Rob McIntosh Representatives: Angela Northern Virginia Cued Speech Community Engagement: Laptewicz Association Amy Crumrine [email protected] Regional Representatives www.nvcsa.org Capital: Rachel McAnallen Northeast: Vacant and Maureen Bellamy South: Lisa Gavin Rocky Mountain Cued Speech Great Lakes: Nicole Frye Southwest: Hannah Mann Association Gulf Coast: John Veazey Rocky Mountains: Holly Steinke [email protected] Mid-Atlantic: Andy Payonk & West: Vance Deatherage and www.rockymountaincuedspeech.org Courtney Poole Sarah Sizemore MidWest: Taylor Ozee Upper Plains: Kitri Kyllo New England: Vacant

2 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Renewed Vigor in the Cuemmunity: A Critical Time for Support by Rachel McAnallen (EHDI) systems, and the National Center focuses on identifying and supporting I would like to share with you some of the for Hearing Assessment and Management newly identified families from the EHDI exciting changes happening at the National (NCHAM). We look forward to system and getting them started on their Cued Speech Association! Over this last collaborating with our friends as evidence Cued Speech journey. CLEAR helps these term, our board has worked to ensure continues to mount that Cued Speech is families and their cuers become future that the NCSA remains a sustainable a preferred mode of communication for leaders, resource providers, and advocates. organization that will use your donation to a significant and growing portion of the The takeaway is this: we’re becoming support measured, strategic initiatives. population. In fact, a 2018 independent more active, effective, and represent a survey conducted by NCHAM indicated I am an NCSA Regional Representative. larger demographic. This means our that 12 percent of all families with children partners and cueing consumers expect Along with my colleague, Maureen under the age of 7 in 2016-2017 surveyed Bellamy, I co-represent the Capital Region, more from us. Without a steady stream of use Cued Speech as the primary mode of donations and grant money, we won’t be which consists of the District of Columbia, communication in their home, with another Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and West able to accomplish the next steps vital to significant segment using cueing as part of our long-term sustainability as a nonprofit Virginia. I’m a deaf adult and have been a multi-modal strategy. cueing since my parents attended a organization. We need an employee workshop taught by Dr. Cornett in 1991. In addition to these newest partnerships, dedicated to fundraising and grants. We I’m currently a licensed Professional we are seeing a renewed vigor within the need an employee to conduct outreach and Engineer living in Alexandria, Virginia “Cuemmunity” as more and more nonprofit work on collaborative projects with NCSA with my husband and two sons. groups supporting Cued Speech efforts state affiliates and Cued Speech advocacy are being launched around the country. In organizations, to collaborate with state I joined the NCSA Board in 2016, and since Illinois and other states, we’ve seen the EHDI systems, and to expand DCLP and then we’ve launched an ambitious website rise of on-line Cued Speech instruction and CLEAR nationally. We also need YOUR overhaul project, forayed into the world of tutoring through Cue College. Cue College ideas on how we can fundraise. digital fundraising, and adopted our newest is an affiliate of the NCSA via Alternatives long-term objective: develop more cuers. Additionally we need funds to continue in Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing providing the services and advocacy at the We are a small organization and we’ve Individuals (AEHI). Cue College will chosen to distill our limited resources into heart of our organization: Cued Speech enable us to reach communities where workshops and instruction, Individual two highly focused programs, the Deaf limited services exist for Cued Speech Children’s Literacy Project (DCLP) and Education Plan advocacy, and funding for instruction and support. A new generation Cued Speech camps and scholarships. Cuers for Leadership, Education, Advocacy of leaders are founding organizations to and Resources (CLEAR). DCLP and provide more Cued Speech advocacy We’re looking for supporters like you CLEAR will enable the NCSA to ‘develop across the country such as CueSign, to donate to help us get to the next level more cuers’ while focusing on getting work CueOn, Visual Language Associates, and given the resourcing needs identified done via partnerships. ValiDeaf. We’ve been impressed by the here. If you’re looking for an opportunity And what an exciting time this is! A spirit flurry of activity and leadership we’ve seen to be part of a pivotal moment in our of collaboration has energized us and from regional affiliates such as the Rocky organization’s history, please contact us we’ve established new relationships as Mountain Cued Speech Association. immediately at [email protected]. In well as rekindled old ones. For example, addition to donations and pledges, we also As mentioned earlier, NCSA is focusing need referrals to individuals who would be we’ve strengthened our relationships with its resources on DCLP and CLEAR. This the parent-driven support system, Hands best suited for the two roles described to is a two-pronged approach to ensure the lead fundraising/grant writing and outreach and Voices, the resource center for states’ sustainability of the Cuemmunity. DCLP Early Hearing Detection and Intervention efforts and initiatives.

On Cue Staff On Cue, the newsletter of the National Cued Speech Association™, is published twice a year. We always welcome Cued Speech news, calendar items, stories, and photos! Want to contribute your voice to On Cue? Send your materials to [email protected]. Electronic photos must be high-resolution at 300 dpi. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite190-173 Washington DC, 20004 Sarina Roffé: Editor Aaron Rose: Layout Editor

Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 3 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Ascension Parish Deaf Education Program Reunion The home of Pat Fletcher in St. continued to be an integral Francisville, Louisiana, was the site part of the program that of the third reunion held September served approximately 50 2019 for parents and professionals students from identification who were part of the deaf education through high school program in Ascension Parish, which graduation. had a large number of students who During the years of building used Cued Speech as part of their and maintaining this intervention program. The program program, a strong bond was initiated in 1979 when Barbara was formed between the Lee, the first deaf education teacher parents and the professionals in the parish, was hired to start a deaf who were both equally education program. Because Ms. Lee committed to providing a was familiar with Cued Speech, she quality education focused on quickly incorporated it when teaching the students being able to, deaf children into what would have Rear: Wendy Sheets, Tonya Veazey, Pat Fletcher, Wendy “understand, speak, read, and Wideman, Eloise Reynard, Karen Olivier, Priscilla been considered at that time an oral write the English language Lynch, Jan Nelson; Seated Middle: Lucendia Mulberry, program. at age-appropriate levels.” Barbara LeBlanc, Barbara Lee, Pam Gautreau, Mary The program flourished under Ms. The reunion provided a time Talbot; Front on floor: Iva Tullier, Kathy Denson, Kathi Foust; Not pictured, Gail White Lee’s supervision from 1979 – 1994, for laughter and thoughtful reflection as poignant memories were parents.” Gail White recalled by all those who were “There’s nothing better than hanging able to attend. out with good friends who understand Thanks to Barbara Lee what you’re talking about.” Iva Tullier “Last September, several of our Ascension Deaf Ed family “While spending time together that enjoyed food, fellowship and weekend, Barbara Lee shared with us fun with our former coordinator, that she thought of the 15 years she Barbara Lee. Telling stories spent in Ascension Parish creating and about our children flourishing leading the Cued Speech program as under her leadership brought the “Camelot” of her life. I agree that home to all of us what a it was an idyllic time. What she did wonderful language foundation in her role as the Deaf Ed coordinator Barbara laid for her deaf was to help create opportunities for students. Her “never give up” our children to live their own Camelot. attitude with the parents and There is nothing I can say that will staff pushed us to levels we impart the love and gratitude I feel didn’t even know we could towards her and the other pioneers in reach! Our takeaway from our Cued Speech; I only pray that she and Gail White and Barbara Lee weekend visit with Barbara was they can feel it.” Tonya Veazey a sincere gratitude towards an educator “If I had to describe our get-together, when she moved to North Carolina. and friend who had a vision for our I would have to say that our gathering Barbara LeBlanc, who had been part deaf children like none other and who is like the best family reunion. A fun of the program from the beginning, energetically motivated the parents time, sharing old memories, and a then became the supervisor from 1994 and staff to take the journey with her! blast making new ones!” Mary Talbot – 2006, when she retired. Under Ms. I am beyond thankful for the role she LeBlanc’s leadership, Cued Speech played in educating our son and his

4 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 International Committee on the Adaptations of Cued Speech by Tom Shull Together, they devised a Cueing proposal to address the problem organizations from and submitted it to the ALPC four countries have – the national Cued Speech come together to association of France. form a committee Last November, Tom Shull to oversee the presented the plan to the adaptations of National Cued Speech Cued Speech to Association at their board the world’s spoken meeting in Washington, languages. The DC with Fages and International ALPC President, Pierre- Committee on the Kids from Ethiopia cueing Christophe Merlin joining via Adaptations of Cued teleconference. The concept Speech is a group with representatives calls for a committee assembling two from England, France, Switzerland, representatives from every country and the United States and will serve with a national cueing organization Pierre Christophe, French ALPC President as the central source for the more – each member a skilled and language. Access to language at home than sixty versions of Cued Speech. experienced cuer with formal training is the greatest barrier to intervention. These representatives will collaborate in and . The group The parents don’t speak English and on adaptions to new languages and aims to update and publish charts, the deaf child has no visual access to dialects. standardize phonemic representation language. CSUK provides specialist The initiative was the brainchild using the International Phonetic Family Support Practitioners to help of Marjolaine Fages while she was Alphabet, track cueing use worldwide, families of deaf babies and children to teaching at the 2019 annual Cue and resolve cases where multiple learn to cue.” versions exist for the same language Camp in France. Fages, a cued The benefits of the International language transliterator and instructor, and dialect. Shull, a cued language transliterator and speech-language Committee could be far reaching. had planned a special workshop to Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals introduce participants to cued Spanish. pathologist, will represent the United States and is joined by Dr. Tony will have greater access to the world’s While preparing, she grew frustrated languages, cueing use could increase by a lack of access to materials and Wright, a interpreter and cuer with his PhD in linguistics. worldwide, and the application of by inconsistencies she discovered Cued Speech to additional languages among several charts. Fages reached The Cued Speech Association UK around the world highlights its out to fellow cue camp instructors, (CSUK) will also lend support. Emma general efficacy, all of which would Michel François and Tom Shull. Sadeghi and Kirsti Moore, who are be advantageous for cuers here in the working on the existing United States. Increased collaboration adaptation for Welsh, will between countries will also be represent England. Besides beneficial through encouraging shared English, cued and materials and resources. are in high demand in England. Executive Director, The International Committee is Henrietta Ireland, points building an independent website to out the importance of this make charts available. Other priorities committee, “Our need in include reconciling the multiple the UK is quite urgent as versions of Korean and Mandarin children from our minority and working with the Cued Speech ethnic populations are more Association South Africa to develop Marjolaine Fages, French Cued Language likely to have additional cued Zulu. Transliterator and Cued Speech Instructor teaching difficulties in hearing and at the 2019 annual cue camp in France

Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 5 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 TECUnit - New Board of Directors By Tom Shull The Testing, Evaluation, and Certification Unit (TECUnit), the national certifying body for cued language transliterators (CLTs), is pleased to announce the installation of a new Board of Directors. The new Board will continue to oversee testing and credentialing of cued language transliterators in keeping with the CLT Code of Conduct. A central focus of the TECUnit has always been the promotion of standards in our community. Toward that end, the Board will be working to upgrade and update the organization’s infrastructure, outreach, testing, and credentialing materials and processes. The TECUnit was founded in 1988 by Earl Fleetwood and Melanie Metzger. Its Cued Language Transliterator Anne Huffman, NCSA President, Tom Shull, TECUnit President, and Lauren Tribby-Pruett, National Certification Examination Director, Language Matters Inc. (CLTNCE) was first administered in and integrity of TECUnit testing and language transliterators, consumers, 1989 in response to Virginia’s then credentialing. new licensure law. and other stakeholders to join us for While continuing their work, the our first ever Digital Town Hall on That mandate also drove development new Board will increase engagement March 5, 2020 via Zoom. of the Cued Language Transliterator within the cueing community and State Level Assessment (CLTSLA), We look forward to hosting additional beyond. We look forward to gathering which is administered by that state DTHs in the future. Meetings like feedback from transliterators by as the Virginia Quality Assurance implementing additional platforms these will offer opportunities for the Screening (VQAS). The CLTSLA has for communication, including online new Board to hear community views since been adopted by other states to meetings, which we are calling Digital and share TECUnit news. We look credential transliterators. Town Halls (DTHs). Through ongoing forward to supporting an expanding Since 2002, TECUnit operations collaboration with the NCSA and community with enhanced services, have been led by Shellie and Mike others, the Board hopes to increase communication, and outreach. Burrow. Under their leadership, the awareness and implementation of CLT Certification Maintenance Program standards of practice. TECUnit Board of Directors (CMP) was created and implemented. Like their predecessors, the new Board Tom Shull, President The CMP provides a framework for (listed below) is dedicated to the transliterators to continue professional Earl Fleetwood, Vice President mission on which the TECUnit was development, maintain and further founded: Improve opportunities for Emilie Mulholland, Secretary develop their skills, and acquire deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers to relevant knowledge to support service Jane Dolan, Treasurer secure professional CLT services. provision. Suhad Keblawi, Executive Director The new Board of Directors would The TECUnit invited certified cued like to extend its deep appreciation to both Shellie and Mike for their tireless, uncompensated efforts in supporting the cueing community. On behalf of the profession, its practitioners, and deaf and hard-of-hearing cuers and their parents, we thank them for 18 years of ensuring the availability

6 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020

BOOKBOOK A CUEINGA CUEING SESSION SESSION WITH WITH CUEON CUEON AND AND GAINGAIN CUEING CUEING PROFICIENCY! PROFICIENCY! GO GO TO TO OUR OUR BOOK A CUEING SESSION WITH CUEON WEBSITEANDWEBSITE AT AT WWW.CUE WWW.CUE-ON.COM-ON.COM TO TO START START BOOKINGBOOKING YOUR YOUR SESSIONS! SESSIONS! GAIN CUEING PROFICIENCY! GO TO OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CUE-ON.COM TO STARTDODO YOU YOU WANT WANT TO TO BOOKING YOUR SESSIONS! PRACTICEPRACTICE RECEPTIVE/EXPRESSIVERECEPTIVE/EXPRESSIVE DO YOU WANT TO CUEINGCUEING WITH WITH A A DEAF DEAF PRACTICE CUER?CUER?

RECEPTIVE/EXPRESSIVEOurOur Deaf Deaf Cueducators Cueducators will will help help you you build build BOOK A CUEING SESSION WITH CUEON AND youryour cueing cueing skills skills through through one-on-one one-on-one video video GAIN CUEING PROFICIENCY!CUEING GOWITH TO OUR A DEAF conferences.conferences. WEBSITE AT WWW.CUE-ON.COMCUER? TO START BOOKBOOKING A CUEINGYOUR SESSIONS! SESSION WITH CUEONEmailEmail Daniel Daniel AND Koo Koo and and Amy Amy Crumrine Crumrine GAIN CUEING PROFICIENCY! at [email protected] [email protected] TO OUR for for any any inquiries. inquiries. Our Deaf Cueducators will help GoyouGo to to www.cue-on.combuild www.cue-on.com to to book book sessions sessions with with us! us! DOWEBSITE YOU WANTAT WWW.CUE TO -ON.COM TO START your cueing skills through one-on-one video BOOKING YOUR SESSIONS! PRACTICEconferences. RECEPTIVE/EXPRESSIVE CUEINGDO EmailWITH DanielYOU A DEAFKoo WANT and Amy Crumrine TO at [email protected]?PRACTICE for any inquiries. Go to www.cue-on.com to book sessions with us! Our RECEPTIVE/EXPRESSIVEDeaf Cueducators will help you build your cueing skills through one-on-one video Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 7 CUEINGconferences. WITH A DEAF Book a cueing CUER? Email Daniel Koo and Amy Crumrine at [email protected] for any inquiries. Go to www.cue-on.comOur Deaf toCueducators book sessions withwill helpus! you build your cueing skills through one-on-one video conferences.

Email Daniel Koo and Amy Crumrine at [email protected] for any inquiries. Go to www.cue-on.com to book sessions with us! National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 NCSA Sponsors Cue Camps In 2019, the NCSA sponsored four Spring Camp Cheerio cue camps - Cue Camp Mechuwana in Maine, ChiCueSignGo in Illinois, Spring Camp Cheerio in North Carolina and Cue Camp Virginia in Virginia. Cue camps are two-, three- or four-day learning vacations where participants come together in a retreat-like setting. Participants attend classes where they learn to cue, attend presentations, and socialize with experienced cuers, Jill Burress of Rochester, NY teaches the Lara Pike is co-chair of the Spring Camp both hearing and deaf, during meal Intermediate Class. Cheerio committee and uses Cued Speech and break times. Some camps offer with her daughter, Hollis. a CLT mentor program, cuereading classes and other presentations. Many of the camps offer activities such as tug of war, boating, Debby Peckham cues to the swimming, and other physical volunteers during orientation before camp begins. activities after classes are over. Cue camp is meant to be fun while simultaneously being a time to learn, grow and connect. The NCSA also held two-day workshops for both beginners and Camp Chi-Cue-Sign-Go advanced beginners in Washington, DC and Denver, CO, as well as a CLEAR workshop in Denver. The workshops and cue camps resulted in hundreds of new parents and professionals learning to cue. Funds were often used to provide scholarships or discounts to families in need so they could attend and learn to cue, practice their cueing and improve their skills. Over 35 participants attended ChiCueSignGo at Illinois School for the Deaf The NCSA depends on your donations to support cue camps and workshops each year. Donate today at

www.cuedspeech.org Dr. Donna Morere cues during a group Vance Deatherage signs while Amy Fowler practice session. cues during a class.

8 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Cue Camp Mechuwana

Native cuers return to their roots with their families. Elena Fernsler cues to a young camper. Cue Camp Virginia

Over 150 people attended CCVA in Jamestown in 2019. Rosemary Bocuzzi cues to a group of new cuers.

Earl Fleetwood, M.A., and Melanie Metzger, Ph.D., give the keynote address “Language Acquisition and Cultural Competency: Bringing Literacy into Vision.”

Cue Camp 2020 Schedule

NOTE: Due to the Spring Camp Cheerio CANCELLED ChiCueSignGo, July 17-18, 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, the Cue Camp Mechuwana, Winthrop, Maine Aug 9-13, 2020 Cue Camp 2020 schedule Cue Camp Virginia, Jamestown, VA October 9-12, 2020 may be subject to change. For more information go to www.cuedspeech.org/cue-camps.

Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 9 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Join the NCSA Board - Nominations Open The NCSA is now accepting Representatives are elected every three • Mid-Atlantic: Kentucky, North nominations for all positions on its years and serve a term of three years, Carolina, Tennessee 2020 – 2023 Board of Directors. Board commencing on September 1 after the • Midwest: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, positions will begin on September 1, election and ending on August 31 of Missouri 2020 and last for three years. the term’s third year. Board members • New England: Connecticut, Rhode Being on the NCSA board is an are limited to two consecutive terms in the same position. Board members Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New exciting and meaningful experience Hampshire, Vermont as board members are at the pulse of are expected to attend on-site meetings all things related to cueing, not just twice a year at their own expense, and • Northeast: New Jersey, New York, in the United States, but around the participate in two online meetings a Pennsylvania, Ohio year. world. Board members do purposeful • Rocky Mountains: Colorado, Idaho, work, spread ideas and information. Board positions include: President, Vice Nevada, Utah, Wyoming They are at centerstage for the exciting President, Vice President of Fundraising, • South: Florida, Georgia, South developments occurring in the Secretary, Treasurer, , Public Relations, Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands expanding national and international Academic Advisory Chair, Camp/ ‘cuemmunity.’ They have a national Affiliates Liaison, Government • Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, voice and are a part of the overall Liaison, Marketing, and Regional Oklahoma, Texas conversation related to language access, Representatives Director. Regional • Upper Plains: Minnesota, Montana, and communication for and by people Representative positions are available North Dakota, South Dakota who are deaf or hard of hearing. for each of the 12 national regions. • West: California, Hawaii, Oregon, Members of the NCSA may nominate Regions are: Washington qualified individuals to any position on • Capital: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, A description of each position may be the Board of Directors by emailing the West Virginia, Washington DC found at: http://www.cuedspeech.org/ person’s name and contact information. pdfs/NCSA-By-Laws-01-31-2017.pdf Potential candidates must provide • Gulf Coast: Alabama, Arkansas, a curriculum vitae, biography, and Louisiana, Mississippi Nominations and materials should be personal statement. • Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, emailed to [email protected] as soon as possible for consideration. Officers, Directors and Regional Michigan, Wisconsin Thanks to Our NCSA Volunteers The NCSA owes a special debt of Beyond the board, our volunteers gratitude to its volunteers. NCSA include instructors during NCSA board members devote countless weekends as well as all the people hours to working with the NCSA at who manage and help out at NCSA significant expense. exhibit booths at state and national conferences including ASHA, Hands and Voices and AG Bell. A special thanks to: Aaron Rose and Jane Smart at the 2019 Ashley Elder American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) Conference in Orlando, Florida Hilary Franklin Betsy Kipila Sandy Mosetick Aaron Rose Amy Ruberl L-R: Daniel Koo, Amy Crumrine, Angela Jane Smart Laptewicz, Suhad Keblawi, Rachel McAnallen, Hilary Franklin, Lisa Weiss, and Maureen Iva Tullier Bellamy at the September 2019 Hands and Katie Turner Lisa Gavin and Maureen Bellamy at the ASHA Voices Leadership Conference Conference in Orlando, Florida 10 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Applications Open for 2020 Cued Speech College Scholarships Association of New Each year the NCSA is able to provide The R. Orin Cornett Scholarship is a England Approved as two college scholarships. Established in $1,000 award given in memory of Dr. 1997, the R. Orin Cornett Scholarship R. Orin Cornett, the inventor of Cued Fund was created to aid qualified deaf Speech. NCSA Affiliate or hard of hearing students to continue The Carol Shuler Scholarship is a By Polly Earl, CSANE President their education past high school. $500 award to a deserving student Recipients of both scholarships must: from the western states. Carol Shuler The Cued Speech Association of New 1. Have used Cued Speech as their was a staunch advocate of Cued England (CSANE) is excited to be the primary mode of communication Speech. Recipients of the Carol Shuler newest affiliate to join the NCSA. Its during their language-learning years Scholarship must reside in Arizona, goal is to provide learning opportunities OR for five or more years during their Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, for parents and professionals, education, and Nevada, Oregon, Utah or Washington. networking for individuals of all ages 2. Be entering or attending vocational Scholarship Applications for 2020 are who are deaf, hard of hearing, and school, undergraduate school or available on www.cuedspeech.org. hearing, and increased awareness about Cued Speech in the northeastern United graduate school as a full-time student. States. CSANE serves Maine, New In Memoriam Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. By Carol Mauro Cue Camp Mechuwana is sponsored Susan, aka ‘Dean,’ Gillespie, annually by CSANE in August. who was a Cued Speech pioneer The affiliate has a diverse Board of in Fredericksburg, VA, passed Directors, half of whom are deaf, away on January 20, 2020. which includes parents, teachers of Dean was a young teacher working deaf/hard of hearing, cued language at Spotswood Elementary School transliterators, and a paralegal. as a teacher of deaf/hard of CSANE looks forward to spreading hearing in the late ‘70s and early the word about Cued Speech to the ‘80s. She taught students who many corners of New England! For were deaf and hard of hearing for more information contact us at: three decades in Spotsylvania, [email protected]. County. Parents in this area were educated in Cued Speech and Dean supported their choice Federal or State and goals. She was dedicated to Cued Speech and her students’ Employee? future. She taught Cued Speech Susan Dean Gillespie at the local community center and Give to the Deaf Children’s continued to teach privately to working for the students’ success, even Literacy Project with the bring cued language transliterators into during her battle with cancer. COMBINED FEDERAL the classroom. I was one of those transliterators. Dean CAMPAIGN Dean was loved by her students and was a teacher, a mentor and a friend. I their parents. She was diligent in will miss her. CFC CODE 12036

Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 11 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 The Story of Us (continued from p. 1) my mom started talking about me This was largely possibly due to and when the topic of additional NTID, the National Technical modes of communication came Institute for the Deaf, a college up, Pat introduced my mom to within RIT with approximately Cued Speech. 2,000 students. I began my studies By the time I was a year and a as a biology major but switched half old, I was participating in six into packaging science halfway hours of therapy a week with Pat through my second year as I did not where she used a combination want to leave the school and fell in of Cued Speech and ASL. A love with packaging. I continued year into the therapy, it was my academics and went on to decided that we would focus complete three different six-month more on Cued Speech in order co-ops with Corning Life Sciences, to provide me with access to PepsiCo, and ACCO brands before spoken English. At this time, my graduating in the spring of 2017. parents had heard about cochlear Prior to graduation, I had a job offer implants and flew to New York Anna, and her mother, Laura Lorette, at Cue Camp Mechuwana 1998 from Brown-Forman Corporation City to meet with the NY League in Louisville, KY and accepted. Off became one of the first Cue-Kids to be I went to Kentucky, the home of for the Hard of Hearing (now known as the implanted at Boston Children’s Hospital! Center for Hearing and Communication) Kentucky Fried Chicken, bourbon, and the to discuss candidacy for the surgery. Following my implantation, I continued Kentucky Derby! Ultimately, we were turned down due to the my work with Pat and Barbara and made I could not have asked for a better company remoteness of Maine. We added a speech multiple trips to Boston to ensure the to start off my young professional career. and language pathologist, Barbara Gillis, to implant was performing properly and that I Brown-Forman was diligent, proactive, our team when I turned three years old and was progressing. From ages three to seven and accommodated any request without continued working with Pat. years old, I attended the Cued Speech camp hesitation and I am incredibly thankful. in Winthrop, Maine, where I met Polly Earl, The summer after turning three, my mom I quickly settled in, made new friends, one of the early and continued pioneers of found a new church, and met the man who and I went to the Minutemen Cochlear Cued Speech, and also met other young Convention hosted in Sturbridge, MA. would become my husband. We connected children who communicated the same way and related on various levels, I with my She attended one of the first discussions I did. and promptly went to the registration desk deafness and he with his autism. He is and wanted to talk (probably more like Moving forward to grade school, I began extremely high functioning and he, too, has demanded) to someone about getting me utilizing a Cued Language Transliterator quite a team backing him! Caleb and I were a cochlear implant. It was there that we (CLT) and a desktop FM system. This married in Maine on October 6, 2018 and met Dr. Marilyn Neault, another powerful continued until about fourth grade when soon after, an opportunity was presented for and key player. She sat and talked to my we decided to stop using a CLT and simply us to move back to my home state (Maine). mom about cochlear implants for about two use the FM system. I say ‘we,’ but it was We accepted the opportunity and now hours and when my mother walked away, more of a situation where I refused to look live in southern Maine with our two dogs, I was moving forward with the cochlear at my CLT. I’ll admit, I was a stubborn kid Elsa and Luna, as I happily settle into implant candidacy process. and I’m still a stubborn woman today! I my new role at IDEXX Laboratories and continued using the FM system in various One key aspect of the qualification process Caleb pursues his dream of becoming an formats throughout middle school and high electrician. I am fortunate to be working was that all doctors on the board needed school. Most notably, using my FM system to approve. However, one doctor did not for yet another company who places when I was playing softball was a HUGE utmost responsibility and genuine focus on approve, citing I did not have a language. game changer. I could now hear my coach By the grace of God and some strong- diversity and inclusion. In our free time, we when he was yelling plays onto the field enjoy spending time with family, traveling minded individuals, the doctors ultimately or when he was calling us to shift due to proceeded with the surgery without the in and out of the state, being outdoors, and the type of batter who was up. High school enjoying life day by day. one dissenting doctor’s approval. I was went quickly and before I knew it, I was off implanted February 2, 1998 and my implant to college. I would not be here if it was not for all the processor was activated on March 7, 1998. twists and turns I/we experienced along the I ended up deciding to attend Rochester way. For those, I am thankful. Thank you Fun fact! In 1998, the cochlear implant was Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, FDA approved for adults, but it was not to all of you who have touched my life and NY as they had access services already in helped it take the shape it has. This is not approved for children. However, I became place for deaf and hard of hearing students. a part of the clinical trial and as a result just the story of me; it’s the story of us. 12 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 A Cue Kid with a Lucky Fin (continued from p. 1) On the day of the surgery, we were at has differently peace but also a ball of nerves. If you are functioning hands. reading this, then it’s quite likely that you After speaking with completely understand these feelings. In a few professionals, the end, Gabby only received the implant Joe and I were told in her right ear because the left was not that most native implantable. cuers would be able From the time Gabs was an infant, we to understand her if were touring schools, paying out of she would be able pocket for audio-verbal therapy and to at least use the trying to find our way. The listening placements – which and spoken language route was the plan she can totally do! because, again, at the time we were We also realized under the impression that hand-based that language communications modalities would not be acquisition, accessible. particularly through We eventually put our home up for sale a modality based on the same phonemic and moved one county over in order to The Hetler Family have access to the oral deaf program there. structure as spoken After two years of no progress in this language, was a promising idea partially have helped us greatly along the way. We program, we were just beside ourselves. because we had already been going in that went to Cue Camp Virginia, which was We would basically measure how bad direction. AMAZING, and we made a huge switch things were by how much I would cry A few months after the workshop we at Gabby’s school. She now has a full-time during conferences. I always felt so toured the Alexander Graham Bell cued language transliterator that we adore. bad for those teachers. They loved our Montessori School near Chicago. There I won’t go into this too much because I daughter so much. Seeing her make no we saw teachers and children, some could write a novel, but advocacy is key! progress then watching me sit there and hearing, some deaf or hard of hearing, Mediation helps and just don’t give up! cry through our conference must have some with hearing aids and some with Your child has rights – know them! been so hard. cochlear implants. They were all cueing! Gabby had a vocabulary of zero words this Looking back, I wish they would have There we fell in love. We fell in love with time last year. Now at age 4, she has over helped us find a solution for Gabs, but as the ease of the system, the access that 100 words receptively and her expressive many parents have said, YOU have to be it gives people to the world, the access language skills are now starting to emerge. the advocate for your child. to high levels of literacy, and we loved Gabby is building on that each day in her that you can even cue other languages mainstream class. She is even starting to Our speech pathologist at the University including accents or dialects. read and write. Yes, it is hard work. Yes, of Michigan is simply our hero. We love it is something new. No, not everyone is her. One day she told us about a Cued It seemed like we could cue anything and doing it. But the rewards are far sweeter Speech workshop they were hosting so that is what we wanted for our daughter. than anything you can imagine, and we we jumped on it! At this point, we were Most importantly, we learned that if we are just starting. Gabby’s future now has basically willing to try anything even if it can get all that language in, then more a known trajectory and that is because of went against our initial assumptions. than likely, she would be able to get the language out. While her language journey Cued Speech. Gabby was three years old with no may be different than what we were Editors note: Children with upper limb language and we needed something fast. expecting, it didn’t have to be as daunting differences often call their limbs “lucky Everyone talks about language deprivation as we feared it might be. fins” like Disney’s Nemo because of the and Gabby was very much on that path, Michigan-based Lucky Fin Project. which was unacceptable to us. Since then, we have hosted a cueing workshop locally with the help of the Kellie Hetler lives in West Michigan with We went to the workshop in 2018 and National Cued Speech Association that her husband Joe and their two beautiful learned the system, which we thought was helped a large portion of our family daughters, Addison and Gabriella, where interesting and something that could really receive training. We host practice dinners, she practices photography by profession, be beneficial. We kept trying to use it at have quarterly cue games at our home, faith in her heart and advocates for home and kept trying to give her whatever and we speak to college classes about beautiful but different children everywhere input we could, but we still weren’t sure our love for this form of communication. in between! because it was a form of communication We have met many adult mentors who that used your hands…..and Gabby

Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 13 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 Easy Ways to Support the NCSA The NCSA is always in need of funds Set Up a Facebook Fundraiser you want to give monthly, and choose to support its programs, free classes, Create a Facebook Fundraiser to monthly under the donation amount. family support weekends, scholarship benefit the NCSA on Facebook for Maintain Your Membership program, outreach and advocacy a birthday or other special event. For just $40 you can be a one-year efforts. We depend on loyal cuers, Facebook fundraisers are frequently their families and friends, and other member of the NCSA. The NCSA will matched on Giving Tuesday (the send you an email reminder to keep generous donors to plan our budget Tuesday after Thanksgiving). and meet expenses. Here are some your membership up to date. To renew great ways you can help the NCSA: Make a unique donation or set up a your membership or join the NCSA, monthly (fee-free) recurring donation simply go to https://www.givedirect. Use Amazon Smile. via Facebook at https://www.facebook. org/donate/?cid=566, enter $40 and When you shop on Amazon, use com/cuedspeech/. Select the DONATE choose membership from the Program Amazon Smile – it’s easy and costs button and follow the instructions. Menu. nothing. When making purchases on Forego Holiday or Birthday Gifts Become a Life Member Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com and log in with the same Amazon Ask relatives and friends to give to the You can be a Life Member of the account. Choose the National Cued NCSA the amount they would spend NCSA for just $500. To be a Life Speech Association as your charity on a gift to you for your birthday or on member, simply go to https://www. (DC Location, EIN: 52-1263121). a holiday. givedirect.org/donate/?cid=566, enter Simply by making purchases on smile. Make a Bequest to the NCSA $500 and choose Life Membership amazon.com, Amazon will donate a from the Program Menu. We will send Designate all or part of Your IRA or you a certificate as a thank you! percentage of every purchase to the 401K to the NCSA. This will save NCSA. your heirs estate taxes. Like to Write Checks? Buying a Vehicle? Federal or State Employee? You can mail a check with your Donate your used vehicle to the generous gift to the NCSA Business Donate to the NCSA Deaf Children’s Office at 3603 Quentin Road, NCSA. It’s easy! Just go to https:// Literacy Project through your www.v-dac.com/org/?id=521263121 Brooklyn, NY 11234. We will save on workplace giving campaign. Our credit card fees! and follow the directions to donate Federal Combined Federal Campaign your vehicle. Your vehicle will be Code is: 12036. Your donation to the NCSA is picked up from your location. The fully tax-deductible and the NCSA NCSA will receive the funds from the Become a Monthly Donor appreciates your support. sale and you get a tax deduction! Give a small amount each month as Matching Gifts a monthly donor. It’s easy and helps the NCSA pay for our programs. Ask your employer if they will match Go to https://www.givedirect.org/ your gift to the NCSA. donate/?cid=566, enter the amount

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14 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 DONORS LIST We thank the following donors for their generosity. Major Donors In Memory of Alisa Weidenheimer Welcome to Our New Life Members! Kami Barker Maria Prokop Kami Barker Donald Bear Linda and Martin Brattner Maureen Bellamy NCSA Website Project Jennifer Cranston Sarah Druley Linda and Marty Brattner Charles Musser Charles Musser Ralph and Synnove Engelman Mark Fasold General Fund (over $50) Thanks to Our Facebook* Fundraisers! Penny and Eddie Hakim Amazon Smile* Latoisha Toi Bates Shannon Howell Facebook Debi Giles Bayless Irene and Edward Kaplan Paypal Giving Fund Maureen Bellamy Suhad Kelawi Lesa Coleman Martha Bonneau Jill Keblawi Mary Elsie Daisey Angela Bodway Brownrigg Charles Musser Marshall Dietz Lisa Marie Gavin Clifford Nemeth Helene and David Emsellem Penny Weaver Hakim Sylvia and Jack Falack Judi Hays Martin Osborne Felicia Fife Jalen June Safety National Matthew Goodall Jill Keblawi Al-Aghbar Jane Smith Edward Guster April Kilpatrick David Swinehart Danielle Harris Claire Klossner Perry Thompson Aimee & David J. Hidary Charitable Fund Kitri Kyllo Deanna Jordan Benjamin Lachman In honor of Gabbie Hetler Harry Kamdar Tamika Marie Liebhart Shon Halacka Jeanne Kennedy Hannah Mann In honor of Makaila Howell Claire Klossner Riley Mathers Austin Thompson Joyce and Howard Lieb Rachel McAnallen In honor of Suhad Keblawi Sylvia Martinez Charlie Mariee McCoy Jennifer Cranston Robert McIntosh Juno Jaxon McGlew Susanna McKendree Bryan Mulholland Maureen Bellamy John Mutschler Courtney Poole In honor of Riley Mathers Shelley Powsner Sarina Roffe Lillian Dolloff Cathy Rasmussen Maajidah Shambe In honor of John David Nemeth Abraham Roffé Thomas Shull Clifford Nemeth Harriet Roffé Oliver Sieben Jamaree Smith In honor of Aaron and Mary-Beth Rose Susan Russell Douglas Schuler Holly Ruwet Steinke Jeanne Kennedy Jonathan Shu Brook Stevenson Ronald Tawil Liana Tsvetova In Memory of Ann Bleur Christy Tedeschi Connie Tolleson John G. Veazey Nancy Burke Randy and Iva Tullier Emily Vosloo In Memory of Ralph and Connie Boccuzi Jerald Zarret Janie Weiss Rosemary Boccuzi Amazon Smile donations are the result of our * Over $12,000 was raised through FB In Memory of Feisal Keblawi donors choosing the NCSA as its preferred charity when they make purchases on smile. campaigns, including Giving Tuesday Suhad Keblawi amazon.com. Includes donations from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019

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Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech 15 National Cued Speech Association Volume 32 • Issue 1 • Spring 2020 ™

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16 Championing effective communication, language acquisition, and literacy through the use of Cued Speech