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From: dmimi@uncecs.edu (Mimi Clifford)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Waardenburg's Syndrome
Message-ID: <13118@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jul 90 15:26:47 GMT
Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: dmimi@uncecs.edu (Mimi Clifford)
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Index Number: 9487

Hearing problems can be diagnosed in new-borns using conditioning
techniques.  If your local testing person (MD or otherwise) doesn't
know about this, FIND SOMEONE WHO DOES.  Try for a University
speech and hearing center.  That will at least get you as good an
audiometric test as possible at this point.

Now, more importantly.  Start to 'talk' to your baby, using cued
speech--yes, you'll have to learn the system--or, if you must, ASL
JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.  Meanwhile, talk to the baby orally, as
if he/she can hear you.  If it were my child, I'd go to all lengths
to learn cued speech pronto--it combines oral speech (to be lip
read by the child) and hand signals near the mouth that clarify the
sounds that don't appear visually on the lips.

I don't have an address for a National Cued Speech organization,
but I do have the phone number and address for a Cued Speech Center
in Raleigh, North Carolina.  You could certainly write to them for
more info:

Mrs Mary Elsie Daisey
Cued Speech Center
POBox  31345
Raleigh, NC  27622

[Note from Bill McGarry: This Raleigh address is the National
Cued Speech Association.  The phone number is (919) 828-1218]

I wish you well--please feel free to ask me questions if you wish.