Book Review 1: Brad Buran, PhD, Oregon Health and Science University
"One of the greatest testaments to pioneers are the stories of the lives they have touched. Our Chosen Path: The Transformative Impact of Cued Language tells, in their own words, the stories of native d/Deaf cuers, their parents, their siblings, and the professionals that supported them on their journey. These stories are a testament to Dr. R. Orin Cornett's legacy as the inventor of Cued Speech, the pioneers who supported his work, and the bravery of the first families and professionals who adopted a system that was unproven at the time. Each personal story highlights the unique way in which cued language impacted the narrator's life. "In this book, the recurring theme is the role of cued language in supporting deaf literacy. The anecdotes shared in this book strongly reinforce what we already knew from decades of research-deaf cuers meet language development milestones at a rate equivalent to that of their hearing counterparts. By making spoken language visible and unambiguous, cued language enables deaf children to internalize the phonology necessary for decoding the written word. These stories also make it clear that the choice of cueing does not necessarily limit other choices. Some deaf cuers become bilingual, using both Cued American English and American Sign Language. Many cuers go on to receive cochlear implants. "When parents first learn their child is deaf or hard of hearing, they face many difficult decisions. Perhaps the most consequential decision they must make is how they will support their child's language development. Written in simple, clear language, the stories in this book will help parents understand the benefits that cued language offer and the variety of paths that their family may follow. Our Chosen Path: the Transformative Impact of Cued Language clearly illustrates that cued language can build a strong foundation in language that every child-regardless of hearing ability-needs to succeed."
Book Review 2: Carol LaSasso, PhD, retired Professor, Department of Speech and Language Sciences, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC
"This book makes a significant contribution to the professional literature related to Cued Speech and Cued American English for developing literacy and academic achievement of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children and youth. As a long-standing advocate for cued language, my first impression of this book was the proof is in the pudding. This collection of first-hand, personal essays by native cuers, parents, other family members, and professionals will be of interest to parents of DHH children, especially those who are new-to-deafness who have questions about how to be the most effective model of their home language for their DHH child during the critical language learning years (1-3 years). This book will also be of interest to those professionals who are in a position of informing and/or influencing parents of DHH children, including: teachers, school administrators, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, school social workers or psychologists, and pediatricians."
Book Review 3: Jacqueline Leybaert, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Laboratoire Cognition, Langage, et D©veloppement (LCLC) Universit© Libre De Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
"A new book related to the Cued Speech system and Cued American English is always welcome. Learning a cued language is easy and brings about wonderful results for developing speech perception, reading, spelling, and academic achievement. At this time, cued languages are not very widespread around the world. Nonetheless, cued language users (including very motivated parents, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) individuals, speech therapists, and transliterators) and those new to cueing are eager to learn more about the reasons why cued language works and how to implement it in their home and school.
