What is Cueing?
Cueing is an alternative communication method intended for deaf people. Its techniques uses hand shapes to give emphasis on certain language or speech sounds for better understanding by the message receiver. While basic sign language only involves hand gestures and signals to convey a message, cueing involves hand signals to correspond to various speech sounds which may be hard to identify using sign language alone.

Speech sounds are called phonemes, but since deaf people cannot hear the sound accompanying the speech, many words may not be understood clearly. Words such as “bomb” or “pop” may be easy to distinguish between normal people. But if these words are spoken to a deaf person, it may register as the same word “visually”. With cueing, hand shapes are done to correspond to specific sounds or phonemes for better understandability.

This method of communication for deaf persons was developed in 1966 by Dr. R. Orin Cornett who wanted to help deaf children gain more literacy. For him basic sign language was not enough, and so he created the techniques of doing hand shapes to serve as visual cues for specific phonemes or speech sounds.

There are various rules that need to be followed when using cueing techniques. The most basic of these rule is when one is cueing, he/she must say exactly the words intended for the particular conversation. One must have proper diction and the discipline to “mouth” the words with particular actions successfully. Various guidelines are set for proper hand placement, proper mouth placement, hand shape execution, appropriate timing for touch, and use of the other hand among others.

The method of cueing or “cued speech” is fast becoming an option for communication with deaf persons. If one decides to learn the techniques, the National Cued Speech Association provides learning guides through online catalogs and video demonstrations. The association also organizes various conferences to promote this type of technique for communication.