Introduction to Communication Disorders: A Lifespan Evidence-Based Perspective, 7th edition

Published by Pearson (May 1, 2023) © 2024
  • Robert E. Owens
  • Kimberly A. Farinella

Title overview

For introductory courses in communication disorders.

An evidence-based lifespan perspective

Introduction to Communication Disorders explores the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology in a highly readable way. Students will gain a foundation in the anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing, as well as the disorders that affect voice, fluency, articulation, language, cognition, swallowing and hearing across the lifespan. Each chapter is concise yet comprehensive, striking a just-right balance of information without overwhelming students.

The 7th Edition features a new case-based approach; hundreds of new sources; first-hand perspectives from SLPs and audiologists; and more.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Provides a foundation in the areas of anatomy and physiology of speech and hearing mechanisms.
  • Comprehensive coverage includes various disorders that affect voice, fluency, articulation, language, cognition, swallowing, and hearing, along with detailed descriptions of varying etiologies.
  • Specific evaluation procedures and tools are described for each disorder, as well as efficacious management approaches for both child and adult populations.
  • Evidence-based practice summary boxes present current information in concise, easy-to-read boxes.
  • Technical and photographic illustrations help readers easily conceptualize the information presented.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: Case study approach helps students apply the chapter content to real clinical cases. Cases are introduced at the start of each chapter, referenced throughout, and revisited at the end of the chapter.
  • NEW: Notes from Professionals offer a first-hand practitioner's view from speech-language pathologists and audiologists working in the area described.
  • NEW: Hundreds of new sources throughout the text cite recent journal articles and research, with reviews and explanations that keep students up to date on the latest information available.
  • NEW: Focus in Chapter 1 on professional opportunities and perspectives features a sampling of all the professional areas addressed in this field and the opinions and feelings of those working with communication disorders.
  • NEW: Topics are explored, such as the expanding use of telepractice in Chapter 1, and developmental language disorders in Chapter 4.

The LMS-Compatible Assessment Bank streamlines assignments and grading

  • Quizzes, application exercises, and chapter tests are included in an LMS-compatible packaged file. Questions give students feedback and model responses based on their answers.

Key features

Features of Pearson+ eTextbook for the 7th Edition

  • Video Examples, including authentic client/practitioner interactions and interviews with experts in the field, expand on principles or concepts in each chapter, helping put the reading into context.
  • The Interactive Glossary lets students quickly build their professional vocabulary as they read.

Table of contents

  1. The Field, The Professionals, and the Clients
  2. Typical and Disordered Communication
  3. Overview of the Anatomy and Physiology of Swallowing and Speech Production
  4. Childhood Language Disorders
  5. Speech Sound Disorders
  6. Developmental Literacy Disorders
  7. Acquired Adult Language Disorders
  8. Fluency Disorders
  9. Voice and Resonance Disorders
  10. Motor Speech Disorders
  11. Disorders of Swallowing
  12. Audiology and Hearing Loss (David A. DeBonis, PhD)
  13. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (Kelly Fagan, MS, CCC-SLP)
Appendix: Professional Organizations

Author bios

About our authors

Robert E. Owens, Jr., Ph.D. (“Dr. Bob”) is a Retired Professor at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, and a New York State Distinguished Teaching Professor. He holds Honors from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the New York Speech-Language-Hearing Association. He is the author of Language Development, An Introduction (10 editions); Language Disorders, A Functional Approach (7 editions); Early Communication Intervention; Program for the Acquisition of Language with the Severely Impaired (PALS); Help Your Baby Talk, Introducing the New Shared Communication Method; and Queer Kids, The Challenge & Promise for Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Youth. His Language Development text is the most widely used in the world and has been translated into Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, and Arabic. His latest project is SUGAR (Sampling Utterance and Grammatical Analysis Revised), a free, valid, easy, quick language sample analysis method that he has coauthored with Stacey Pavelko, Ph.D. Dr. Bob has presented over 230 professional papers and workshops around the globe. His professional interests are language disorders in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers who are also some of his best friends. And he's a gran'pa!

Kimberly A. Farinella, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northern Arizona University, where she teaches Motor Speech Disorders at the graduate level and Speech Science at the undergraduate level. She also serves as Clinic Director of the Northern Arizona University Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and supervises graduate student clinicians with pediatric and adult clients with various speech sound disorders of neurological origin. She has presented nationally on the differential diagnosis and treatment of children with severe speech sound disorders. Dr. Farinella completed her doctoral training at the University of Arizona and her post-doctoral fellowship in the Division of Speech Pathology, Department of Neurology, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her research interests include treatment efficacy for childhood apraxia of speech, interprofessional practice, and the systematic study of the principles of motor learning.

Loading...Loading...Loading...