™ 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 Deaf Education 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.