Julie Reese was diagnosed with a sensorineural profound hearing loss at the age of 18 months. In the late 1970s, her parents searched for the best method to teach their deaf child how to read and discovered what a fascinating tool Cued Speech was in aiding a deaf child’s ability to learn to read. With no hesitation, they quickly pursued Cued Speech for Julie’s maximum benefit. Julie learned Cued Speech around the age of five from Susan Cofer at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Julie used Cued Speech transliterators from preschool until college, although this was a challenge for her to secure a transliterator every school year in Texas, where Cued Speech was not widely used in school systems.

As a young child, Julie’s reading levels soared quickly and she eventually excelled in Honors English class one year ahead of her hearing peers by the time she entered high school. She was already taking College Freshman English by her senior year in high school and graduated one semester early. Julie attended college at Rochester Institute of Technology, Louisiana State University, and University of Texas at Dallas where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2000. Choosing not to go to graduate school immediately after college, Julie accepted a fun opportunity to teach a family and their 2 year old child Cued Speech in Florida. This inspired her to teach Cued Speech to other families.

Julie eventually returned to her home state to receive a cochlear implant in 2000 which enhanced her ability to communicate with hearing people. After receiving the cochlear implant, she decided to go straight to the work force, beginning her long, challenging journey through the working world. She worked different jobs, from A to Z (such as a data entry clerk, filing clerk for a law firm, proof reader for a mortgage banking firm, imaging clerk, and a post closing specialist for a mortgage finance company). After several years of patience, she finally landed a job utilizing her degree in psychology as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Texas. She had always wanted to work with deaf individuals in a psychology related field and this was a personal milestone for her to reach. All the job experiences she had up to this point was exactly what she needed in order to become an effective VR counselor helping people with disabilities obtain employment and to provide services removing barriers to employment. She understands how difficult it is for people with disabilities to obtain employment because she has been in their shoes from the bottom to the top.

Julie has been with Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services (DARS) in Texas since February 2007. In her tenure as a VR counselor in Houston, she eventually obtained a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling while working full time and is now a member of the Chi Iota Sigma Counseling Academic & Honor Society. Julie’s next goal is to continue her career as a Counselor and to obtain certification as a Licensed Practicing Counselor (LPC) so that she can open her own private practice, providing counseling & therapy to deaf and hard of hearing individuals of all ages. She also has a passion for helping others learn to cue and is currently advocating for Cued Speech to be recognized as a communication option in the State of Texas.