Communication-Disorders Books

There was a fascinating little section of this book that was an eye opener for me. Take a phrase with a gender ambiguous word like "The clerk opened his book". Clerk is singular and could be male or female. Textbooks on English grammar say that you should choose the male singular word "his", as done above, when the gender of the noun is unclear (since English has no explicit genders for most nouns). A bit sexist, surely. So some people might say instead "The clerk opened her book".

In either case, it makes sense to use a singular word, to match the singular noun. So "The clerk opened their book" is wrong, even if people would often speak that. But this text says that the rule only came to being in the last 2 hundred years. Prior, "The clerk opened their book" was the accepted and correct usage. The text quotes Shakespeare twice, which is pretty definitive.

Crikey! So common vernacular is correct by some measure. Alas the book doesn't suggest why the current rule arose. But probably because with the advent of universal education, some attempt was made to impose more logic into English grammar, and the Shakespearean usage is logically inconsistent.

I learn something every day. There's a lot in the book, but that was the highlight for me.

This book is fairly easy to read, using data from many languages to illustrate key concepts relating to language and culture. Most linguistics books are full of technical language, and this one is no exception...people new to the study of language may find it helpful to have a textbook (or Wikipedia) on hand for reference. But it isn't as dense as some books I've read for undergrad courses, so I thought it was a nice break from the heavier stuff while still providing a good overview of the field

I'm trying to wade through this book for a class. It's like trying to run in shoulder-deep mud. I cannot make out what the author is trying to say. I'm considering dropping the class.

Nancy Bonvillain is one of the top anthropological linguists in America. This is one of the best text books on the subject that's ever been written. It includes clear explanations and excellent cross-cultural examples. It follows the major traditions set by American linguists and anthropologists in the study of language description, language structure, language acquisition, language change, and the ways in which language reflects differences in cultural values, beliefs, and practices cross-culturally. It's a handy book to use in the undergraduate linguistic anthropology course and students enjoy it.

This is the worst example I've ever come across! What a genuine waist of money and time.

When a friend recommended "Socially ADDept," Dr. Janet Z. Giler's manual of social skills for children with ADHD, I accepted the suggestion with some reluctance. Like every other parent with an ADHD kid, I'm already drowning in pedagogical advice. If raising one of these children were as simple as "love and logic" or "parenting without punishment" these kids wouldn't be any harder to raise than all the others. Pedagogical slogans sell books, but they don't work with bundles of hyperactivity like my Alexander, who's incorrigible social skills have made it difficult to find a baby-sitter willing to spend an evening with him, let alone a teacher willing to address his academics.

While many schools have programs to improve reading, writing, and arithmetic, they lack any formal curriculum for the fourth "R"- arguably the most important one- social refinement. Enter Giler, who's manual for parents of children with ADHD and/or learning disabilities brings a refreshingly clear, simple, step-by-step, common sense approach to teaching social skills. Those basic, self-evident skills that most of us learn by osmosis, but completely elude ADHD kids like my Alexander.

Giler develops eight, concise lesson plans that guide parents in teaching kids how to develop congenial relations with peers, teachers and siblings. From proper greetings to managing anger, "Socially ADDept" deciphers the complex rules of none-verbal language into friendly, bite-sized morsels that kids can understand. Somewhat like a "How Things Work" of behavior, untangling tricky situations like joining an ongoing game, in simple step-by-step fashion. Step 1) "Say `hi.' 2) Pay attention to see if you get a friendly response. 3) Make a comment about the game. Then wait until you get a friendly response before asking, 4) `Can I play?'"

I read through Giler's chapter on "active" listening with the doubting bias of a parent who's been-there, done that. Just come to our house for a visit, and you'll hear the mantra "Listen to me!" repeated with prickly frustration. Our son, Alexander, "hears" what we're saying, but doesn't give a slightest hint of interest. We reprimand him, and he replies with exasperation, "I am listening!" His ears work and his mind process all the input. But he ignores the body language that closes the "feedback loop," as Giler describes it, letting us know we're being heard.

With "Socially ADDept" in hand I walked into Alexander's room. He sat on the floor with an origami book, folding a sheet of blue paper into a peacock. As usual, he didn't even look up at me when I told him about the "friendship" lessons I wanted us try. Following Giler's suggestion, I asked him to list his best qualities; I knew this question would get him talking. While Alexander described himself with great earnestness, I mirrored his inattentive stile of listing. Alexander's voice grew louder and his tone more anxious. I just kept looking through my book, as if in another world. Then when I could hear his frustration peaking I turned toward him and asked, "Do you think I am listening?" Of course, the answer was "no." But now I had his attention. So I told him I had a book that, given a chance, could help him become more popular. He liked this idea. We worked through the seven page chapter on "Conversational Skills," learning how to keep eye contact, lean forward slightly, nod, make guttural sounds indicating agreement, and ask appropriate questions. To my surprise, Alexander enjoyed the lesson and asked me to leave the book in his room. For him, the simple facts of none verbal behavior were a mystery revealed.

The most common social errors made by ADHD children are, misreading body language, using "tone" inappropriately, violating other's physical boundaries, perseverating on topics, and failing to show interest in others. Giler helps parents and kids come to terms these social errors by teaching ten basic social skills: 1) listening and responding, 2) smiling and asking questions, 3) greeting others, 4) giving complements, 5) understanding body language and vocal tones, 6) understanding personal space and appropriate touching, 7) joining an ongoing group, 8) sharing and cooperating, 9) ignoring teasing, and 10) managing anger. My son particularly liked the section on the "Social Behaviors of Popular Children."

People can compensate for lacking performance skills, like poor spelling, but "there is no way to compensate for poor social skills," Giler explains. Without basic social graces kids fail. In "Socially ADDept," the elementary rules of interaction, like turn-taking and understanding personal space, are introduced and explored in simple, kid-friendly manner. While not a children's book, this will be an addition to your library your kids will appreciate. You'll appreciate Giler's straightforward, practical style, providing clear examples, new skills, and no guilt trips.

Excellent resource. I've been working with my 10 year old son who has A.D.D. and I am seeing results in the first week.

Where do you turn when you find out your child has special learning requirements? It can be confusing, overwhelming and frustrating. Socially ADDept is the best learning tool a parent can use to help their child. It is clear, practical, easy to read and fun for kids and parents to use together. Dr. Giler has created the next best tool to having her in your home as a guide and expert. -Cherie Carter-Scott, Ph.D., author of "If Life is a Game, These are the Rules"

This is a very informative book on the Deaf Culture from a Deaf person's point of view. It is required for my American Sign Language classes, but it is very useful.

This book is very informative; however it is filled with gross generalizations, biases, prejudices, insults and misconceptions.

It's a case whereas the product would sell better if they changed the packaging.

Very informative book about deafness and Deaf Culture. Contains everything you ever wanted to know about deafness and much, much more. I purchased this book for a Deaf Culture class and will never part with it. I am studying to be an Interpreter for the Deaf and refer to this book often in all my ASL and Interpreting classes. #1 Book on deafness and Deaf Culture.

This is probably the most important book on stuttering in print today. It is also one of the driest volumes in speech-language pathology I have ever read. Will tell you more about stuttering than you may want to know. Significantly, the material on treatment covers only 50 pages out of 600, so this is not the book you want to spend your money on if you are a speech therapist looking for treatment material. This is more of an overview of every scrap of research done on the subject since day one. Touches on every study ever done on the subject. Difficult reading because of its very dry, academic nature. Reads like one long journal article. ZZzzzzzz

This book will make you an expert on stuttering research from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Some later research is covered, but much is missed. This might sound like a problem, but there was much fascinating, now ignored research done in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Digging through this book you'll find some real surprises, e.g., two studies that unsuccessfully attempted to "distract" stutterers into fluency, or a study finding that stutterers are fluent when crawling. Reading this book makes you realize how the Ph.D.s ignored the research when touting their theories of stuttering (and that hasn't changed). But no one can accuse Bloodstein of ignoring research, at least before 1960.

Dr. Bloodstein's work will endure long after the current "how to make stuttering disappear" books via sleight of hand or "secret techniques" have been "swept away by the reality of their utter failure". Not an easy read, but an essential one for any clinician, scientist, or person who stutters. A complete reading will make one well-informed as to the nature of stuttering and decades of research findings- plus Bloodstein's cogent synthesis and interpretations. The critique on therapy in the back of the book is compelling, but all too often ignored.

This is an incredibly interesting book with a profound amount of information on Communication Disorders. Each chapter is written by authors that are specialized in all the different areas of this vast topic.
All in all a good read, an essential necessity, especially if studying towards a Speech and Language Pathology degree.

The only negative aspect is the shipping(to New Zealand) which took two and a half weeks longer than promised.

This is a well written text that is easy to take notes from. It is very thorough, but it is definitely written with the professional in mind, with many sitings and technical terms.

This text book is very comprehensive and updated (particularly regarding the chapters on genetics and multiculturalism). However, as an introductory text, it contains too much information in too many chapters, often on an intermediate level.

I am very pleased with this text, and it was received in a timely manner.

This book is poorly organized and not inherently clear I would not advise that anyone purchase it unless they have to for a class...

Drs. Love and Webb have taken an incredibly complex topic and defuzzified it. Their neurological insights are clear, concise, and accurate. Moreover, they have an very "user-friendly" means of disseminating their knowledge to the reader. As a consequence, the reader is armed with useful, practical clinical information rather than overwhelmed with bits of theoretical jibberish. Each edition of this book represents a systematic continuation of their scholarly pursuits. Clearly, these authors have set the gold standard of neurological information in speech-language pathology.

A well written and unique approach to a serious problem. This book will be of interest to parents and their adolescent children. I found it insightful and easy to understand and apply. Bravo to the authors.

As a mother, grandmother and foster mother, I think that this book belongs on every parent's book shelf next to all the important child rearing texts we turn to. In reader-friendly style, it offers great insight into how to help the children in our lives develop healthful eating habits, feel great about their bodies and enjoy a happy relationship with food throughout their lives.

I think the information presented is helpful, for our field, and concise. However for the money I paid I would like nice quality photos. All the photos are pixelated and while it may not matter in terms of identifying a syndrome, I'm not sure why they felt the need to skimp on this part. Cell phone cameras take better pictures than those in this book.

I am an SLP at a special needs preschool. My colleagues and I (including OTs, PTs, psychologist, etc.) frequently refer to this book. It's easy to look up a syndrome by name or by characteristics. The entries are concise and easy to understand. The syndrome is described, and then characteristics such as speech/language disorders, physical features, differential diagnosis, history and prognosis are given. It's probably not the most comprehensive book out there, but we find it very handy for the population we serve.

This book is excellent source for resident's interested in brain injury and in particular those interested in rehabilitation of these patients. Some of the neuropharm used in the book may be a little out dated but for the most part it is a great source of information.

This book is excellent source for resident's interested in brain injury and in particular those interested in rehabilitation of these patients. Some of the neuropharm used in the book may be a little out dated but for the most part it is a great source of information.

As a busy nurse practitioner in family practice I have little time or patience for lengthy descriptions concerning the minutia of musculoskeletal care, especially when a quick refreshing of the memory is all that is required to make a plan of care. Dr. Blackburn is a superb technical writer who provides an 'insiders' perspective to his specialty and is at once concise and brief. And I must say that this little book is quite a voacabuary builder with $... words like: rubric, and palindromic.