Parents Guide to Speech and Language Problems

This book is very well written. It gives tons of information about the process of being evaluated to different types of therapy to web sites with more information... The list goes on and on. It is written in a way that is easy to understand and not full of technical terms that make you fall asleep. I highly recommend this book to anyone whose child is about to enter the speech delayed evaluation process.

I have just begun my journey of educating myself more about my son's speech delay/developmental delay. This was the first book that I purchased and couldn't put it down. It is so easy to read and understand, not to mention interesting. Since finishing the book, I have moved on to other ones - they just don't hold my attention. I don't want a book that you need a degree to read! This book is very informative and gives you very important information. I will definitely use it as a guide/resource for a long time! The author herself has gone through the same issues with her two kids, so she has more perspective and emotion about the topic.

I went ahead and purchased this book even though some reviews panned it for concentrating too much on apraxia. I disagree; there was plenty of advice, straight from the parents interviewed, on many speech disorders. I liked this book because not only was it an easy read, but the author included invaluable information such as how to deal with insurance companies, how to find a lawyer, seeking financial aid for therapy and even provided information on finding speech disorder Web sites and how diagnosis codes affect insurance claims. The author really did her homework and it shows. This book has been my only written resource so far, and it has empowered me to have intelligent and productive conversations with the many speech therapists, occupational therapists, and developmental interventionists that I have dealt with thus far. Great resource.

I just finished reading Debbie's book and would love to recommend it to you. Because it's written from a parent's perspective, it "feels" friendly. But it's also chock-full of useful information and support--especially for parents just beginning the apraxia journey. Cara Galleher Co-Organizer, N. CA Apraxia Support Group

I wish this book was around five years ago when we started our journey into special needs! The author covers a lot of ground and does so in such a way that the reader is helped (a lot!) rather than overwhelmed. Ideas are presented concisely and with neutrality -- there is no hidden agenda. She covers everything from coping with the diagnosis, to how to evaluate the different types of therapies and interventions available, to dealing with insurance issues, to getting financial aid for therapy, and much more--all very practical and helpful. The information is presented in an easy-to-follow format, combined with humor and plenty of thoughts from real parents who have been there. Knowledge is power; consider this your power source. I have been on this road for a while now and still learned from this book. I cannot recommend it enough. It should be selling for twice the price (and I'd still buy it!).