 The earlier you use Cued Speech the better. A baby or young deaf child will learn by imitation as hearing babies do – they are not specifically taught. Early and consistent use of Cued Speech should enable a deaf child to develop an understanding of the English language which mirrors that of hearing children.

 On the other hand, it is never too late to start to cue with a deaf child and older children benefit from being directly taught.

 Hearing children always have to understand language before they start to speak. Quite often there is a considerable gap between their internal language and their expressive language (speech).

 Cued Speech children are the same. Almost all Cued Speech children with some residual hearing and good use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, express themselves through speech (although their diction may be poor, particularly in the early stages) and do not cue themselves.

 Some children, usually those with no useful hearing, will use Cued Speech as a method of communication. Children who use Cued Speech as a method of communication in the early years may move to spoken communication later.

 This varies but most families find that their child needs Cued Speech continually in the early years to acquire a thorough knowledge of spoken language. Later, most children understand some spoken language without the support of Cued Speech and families often use it less at this point.

 Many cochlear implanted children need Cued Speech less after they have learnt to listen with their implant. However, if a child cannot hear all the sounds of speech, families must continue to cue sufficiently to allow the child to see the full pattern of the English language.

 Regular cueing is sometimes dropped once full language has been established but Cued Speech continues to be useful for new vocabulary, to correct mispronunciation and when lipreading is insufficient.

 No, Cued Speech is designed to help deaf children to learn and understand English. Its use will help the child lipread and communicate with those who do not cue.

 As a clear and reliable support for spoken language Cued Speech removes confusion and misunderstandings and promotes equal, stress-free communication in the family.

 This lipshape could be either f or v Look in the mirror and say: “It’s hidden in the tin, isn’t it?” Or try to tell the difference between: mat, pat, bat, or: shoe, school, chew.

 Lipreading involves a great deal of guesswork. Deaf people with a good understanding of spoken language can call on this inner knowledge to make educated guesses. However, a young deaf child is unlikely to learn complete language in this way.

 There are simply too many ‘gaps’ in the information to understand the whole of the vocabulary and structure of the language.

 Lipreading is also very tiring. If the word ‘met’ is spoken without cues there are 71 other words (or word-like combinations of sounds) that look the same on the mouth.

 The lipreader must guess which is right - and then do the same for the next word, and the next. This is exhausting and stressful!

 On the other hand a child who sees spoken language with the accompaniment of Cued Speech can understand the whole of spoken language without guesswork. As their understanding of language grows they become more easily able to make the educated guesses on which lipreading relies.

 They can thus lipread with greater ease and accuracy those who do not cue. They can also use their understanding of spoken language to help with their own speech and with literacy.

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