Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders: The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice is designed for undergraduate students who are taking a first course in the discipline of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). The textbook presents students with the range of communication impairments in society, the consequences of those impairments for the persons who have them as well as for their family members, and the treatments that are available to lessen or remediate the effects of the disorders. The text is organized into three sections on Language, Speech, and Hearing. Each chapter is concise and written to convey the core information for each topic. The material is presented in a way that maintains the interest of the student through expository clarity and brevity in a course that treats so many different facets of a complex discipline. The textbook also serves the needs of the instructor by organizing the material in a teachable way. Introduction to Communication Sciences and Disorders emphasizes the scientific basis of the field by presenting specific clinical examples to demonstrate the translation of laboratory science to clinical aspects of speech, language, and hearing disorders. Students will leave the course a good deal more knowledgeable and sensitive about what it means to be communicatively impaired in contemporary society. Key Features: * Consistency of presentation across chapters as well as clearly-stated relationships between information in different chapters * Features beautiful original, full-color illustrations designed to be instructive learning tools * Each chapter begins with an introduction and ends with a summary to present and review key concepts * Modern and up-to-date treatment options written for the needs of the field of communication sciences and disorders * Covers the core essentials of the subject concisely and to the point * Structured to aid the instructor with sections easily assimilated into extant lectures * A PluralPlus companion website with ancillary resources for instructors and students