Cued speech is primarily aimed at helping which group of people?

Cued speech is a visual communication system designed specifically to aid individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in improving their understanding of spoken language. It combines hand shapes and movements with the natural mouth movements of speech to provide a visual representation of phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in a language.

This method is particularly beneficial for those who may not have access to conventional auditory signals, as it allows them to grasp phonetics visually, thus enhancing their ability to read lips and develop speech skills. By associating hand cues with sounds, deaf and hard of hearing individuals can better differentiate between similar sounds that may appear the same visually, aiding in language acquisition and literacy development.

While other groups, such as individuals with speech disorders or older adults with hearing loss, may experience communication challenges, cued speech is specifically designed to address the unique needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community.