“There are families that are dysfunctional with all small letters, others dysfunctional with a capital D, and then there are families that are dysfunctional with all capital letters, and this is your family.” Growing up, the author’s life was far from being perfect. With her parents’ constant fighting (never knowing when it would start, but sure in the knowledge that it would), her older brother’s indifference, her sister’s bipolar and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and her younger brothers’ grossly disrespectful manners toward her (including their tendencies to do the wrong things), it’s no wonder she has kept a lot of anger inside her. And this, she believes, was the cause of her stuttering. This condition has been a debilitating factor for her, robbing her of confidence during her formative years. Yet she persevered, despite all the familial baggage, and managed to finish college and become her own woman.

The revised edition of A Handbook on Stuttering continues its remarkable role as the authoritative, first-line resource for researchers and clinicians who work in the field of fluency and stuttering. Now in its seventh edition, this unique book goes beyond merely updating the text to include coverage of roughly 1,000 articles related to stuttering research and practice that have been published since 2008. This extended coverage integrates the more traditional body of research with evolving views of stuttering as a multi-factorial, dynamic disorder. Comprehensive, clear, and accurate, this text provides evidence-based, practical information critical to understanding stuttering. By thoroughly examining the intricacies of the disorder, A Handbook on Stuttering, Seventh Edition lays the foundation needed before considering assessment and treatment. New to the Seventh Edition: * A completely reorganized table of contents, including two new chapters. * The deletion of approximately 1,000 non-peer-reviewed references from the previous edition to assure discussion of the highest quality evidence on stuttering. * New content on the development of stuttering across the lifespan and assessment. * Given the Handbook’s historic role as a primary reference for allied professionals, a new chapter that addresses myths and misconceptions about stuttering * Expanded coverage on the role of temperament in childhood stuttering * Expanded coverage of brain-based research, genetics, and treatment findings. * A thoroughly updated chapter on conditions under which stuttering fluctuates * Brief tutorial overviews of critical concepts in genetics, neuroimaging, language analysis and other relevant constructs, to better enable reader appreciation of research findings. * A greater selection of conceptual illustrations of basic concepts and findings than in prior editions * Integrated cross-referencing to content across chapters

Many children and adults experience impairment of their communication skills. These communication disorders impact adversely on all aspects of these individuals' lives. In thirty dedicated chapters, The Cambridge Handbook of Communication Disorders examines the full range of developmental and acquired communication disorders and provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the epidemiology, aetiology and clinical features of these disorders. The volume also examines how these disorders are assessed and treated by speech and language therapists and addresses recent theoretical developments in the field. The handbook goes beyond well-known communication disorders to include populations such as children with emotional disturbance, adults with non-Alzheimer dementias and people with personality disorders. Each chapter describes in accessible terms the most recent thinking and research in communication disorders. The volume is an ideal guide for academic researchers, graduate students and professionals in speech and language therapy.

Malcolm Fraser knew from personal experience what the person who stutters is up against. His introduction to stuttering corrective procedures first came at the age of fifteen under the direction of Frederick Martin, M.D., who at that time was Superintendent of Speech Correction for the New York City schools. A few years later, he worked with J. Stanley Smith, L.L.D., a stutterer and philanthropist, who, for altruistic reasons, founded the Kingsley Clubs in Philadelphia and New York that were named after the English author, Charles Kingsley, who also stuttered. The Kingsley Clubs were small groups of adult stutterers who met one night a week to try out treatment ideas then in effect. In fact, they were actually practicing group therapy as they talked about their experiences and exchanged ideas. This exchange gave each of the members a better understanding of the problem. The founder often led the discussions at both clubs. In 1928 Malcolm Fraser joined his older brother Carlyle who founded the NAPA-Genuine Parts Company that year in Atlanta, Georgia. He became an important leader in the company and was particularly outstanding in training others for leadership roles. In 1947, with a successful career under way, he founded the Stuttering Foundation of America. In subsequent years, he added generously to the endowment so that at the present time, endowment income covers over fifty percent of the operating budget. In 1984, Malcolm Fraser received the fourth annual National Council on Communicative Disorders' Distinguished Service Award. The NCCD, a council of 32 national organizations, recognized the Foundation's efforts in "adding to stutterers', parents', clinicians', and the public's awareness and ability to deal constructively with stuttering." Book jacket.

Speech and language are central to the human experience; they are the vital means by which people convey and receive knowledge, thoughts, feelings, and other internal experiences. Acquisition of communication skills begins early in childhood and is foundational to the ability to gain access to culturally transmitted knowledge, organize and share thoughts and feelings, and participate in social interactions and relationships. Thus, speech disorders and language disorders-disruptions in communication development-can have wide-ranging and adverse impacts on the ability to communicate and also to acquire new knowledge and fully participate in society. Severe disruptions in speech or language acquisition have both direct and indirect consequences for child and adolescent development, not only in communication, but also in associated abilities such as reading and academic achievement that depend on speech and language skills. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for children provides financial assistance to children from low-income, resource-limited families who are determined to have conditions that meet the disability standard required under law. Between 2000 and 2010, there was an unprecedented rise in the number of applications and the number of children found to meet the disability criteria. The factors that contribute to these changes are a primary focus of this report. Speech and Language Disorders in Children provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders and levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. This study identifies past and current trends in the prevalence and persistence of speech disorders and language disorders for the general U.S. population under age 18 and compares those trends to trends in the SSI childhood disability population.