Introduction to Communication Disorders: A Life Span Perspective (3rd Edition)

I took a class at college about communication disorders and the professor used this book. I didn't pick up on any bias or negativity like the previous raters stated. I haven't read the whole book but it's basically an introductory book about communication disorders and the book helps you to understand why different disorders are classified and diagnosed the way they are. I probably would not buy this book for reading on vacation but the class I took was interesting and this booked helped me to clarify some of the concepts that we were learning. A good introductory book about the subject, I think.

This really is an intro book. It throws a lot of terminology at you, barely scratches the surface on topics and doesn't get into much detail. It's pretty average.

The cd-rom with the book is about worthless, ironically the sound quality of the clips is poor, leaving you to wonder if you have a hearing problem of your own!

"Introduction to Communication Disorders" is a feeble book rife with inaccuracies. It attempts to take a relateable and emotional approach to sensitive subject matter and comes off as a biased and unacademic mess.

The information contained in the book often appears as if its the author's own interpretation off the top of their head. For example, in the chapter on augmentative communication, the author attempts to discern the origin of the sign for the concept "America" or the "United States". The author's hypothesis (and they make no attempt to disguise that it is purely their hypothesis) is that the derivation of the sign deals with fence-building and the European explorers' response to the vast lumber in the United States upon arrival in the Americas. Had the author bothered to consult a Deaf linguist, or any member of the Deaf community for that matter, they would have found that the sign represents the union of the states. Had they bothered to consult a history textbook for that matter, the author's would have found that European explorers arriving in North America were not particularly active in the lumber trade or fence-building at the outset of settlement. Their justification for the origin of this sign is a misinformed and unnecessary speculation on the part of the authors.

Instances such as the ones listed above are not uncommon. The book presumes things about the affected individuals that it discusses, often coming off as insensitive, belittling, and lacking in appreciation and understanding for individuals with Communication Disorders. It also presents biases on the author's opinions as to the best approaches for treatments and tends to generalize the needs of the client. When used to teach a university course, it makes for an ineffective tool, both because of the information it contains and the approach it takes to presenting it. The "thought-provoking" boxes every few pages or so that have the student ponder the material they have just learned are reminiscent of something found on "Bill Nye the Science Guy". They seem better suited for young children incapable of understanding the material on any other level.

All in all I found this book very ineffective, insulting, somewhat discriminatory and downright discombobulated. I don't know where the author's got their information, but it certainly wasn't of any use to me as a student.