For undergraduates taking introduction courses in communication sciences and disorders. This leading introductory book on communication disorders uses student-friendly content to explore current research, central theories, and the nuts and bolts of clinical therapy. Updated with the most current research and information, the newly revised eighth edition of Human Communication Disorders continues to cover a broad range of topics including speech and language development, genetics, the biology and physics of communication, and an overview of cultural and linguistic diversity. With an emphasis on evidence-based practice, experts in speech-language pathology and audiology place communication processes and communication disorders in perspective, define basic theories of causation, introduce identifying characteristics, and present an overview of procedures for evaluation and treatment - while at the same time focusing on the real people who both have communication disorders and the real people who study them. The new eighth edition has been rewritten with a more contemporary, student-friendly approach and style that makes the content more engaging and easier to process.