Communication Disorders as a Public Health Issue: Prevention, Policy, and Population-Level Perspectives

First Edition

Deborah Swain, Akilah Heggs

Details: 208 pages, B&W, Softcover, 6" x 9"

ISBN13: 978-1-63550-870-3

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About

Communication Disorders as a Public Health Issue: Prevention, Policy, and Population-Level Perspectives reframes how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) understand, address, and advocate for communication health across the lifespan. Moving beyond an individual, clinic-centered model, this forward-thinking volume positions communication delays and disorders as a critical, and long-overlooked, public health priority.

Written by an interdisciplinary team of scholars and clinicians, the book examines how speech, language, hearing, and literacy challenges intersect with education, mental health, health literacy, social determinants of health, and economic outcomes. From early identification and prevention models to the long-term consequences of untreated communication disorders in children and adults, this book equips SLPs with the evidence and frameworks needed to think upstream, act systemically, and lead change beyond traditional service delivery settings.
Blending research, policy analysis, and real-world implications, this book empowers SLPs to expand their role as advocates, collaborators, and leaders in population health. It is an essential resource for clinicians, educators, administrators, and policymakers committed to improving communication access, equity, and outcomes at a community and societal level.

Key Features

Reframes communication disorders as a public health and health equity issue
Integrates prevention, early identification, and lifespan perspectives
Examines the social, emotional, educational, and economic impact of communication disorders
Highlights the role of communication in health literacy and healthcare access
Addresses disparities linked to social determinants of health
Provides advocacy strategies for influencing policy and systems-level change
Bridges clinical practice with public health, education, and policy frameworks

From the Foreword
“By reframing communication disorders as a public health issue rather than merely an individual clinical concern, the authors illuminate both the scope of the challenge and the pathways toward meaningful solutions. As a pediatrician with training in public health, I have long advocated for upstream interventions—addressing root causes before they manifest as crises. This book provides the intellectual framework and practical roadmap for doing precisely that with communication disorders. …What makes this work particularly valuable is its integration of multiple perspectives. The authors examine the neurobiological underpinnings of communication disorders while simultaneously exploring their social, emotional, educational, and economic consequences. …I commend the editors and contributors for their scholarly rigor and their commitment to elevating communication disorders to their rightful place in public health discourse. This volume will be invaluable for pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, public health professionals, educators, and anyone who shares the conviction that every child deserves the opportunity to be heard and understood. The children in our communities are counting on us to act. This book shows us how.”
—Pradeep Gidwani, MD, MPH, FAAP
Medical Director, American Academy of Pediatrics - California Chapter 3

Foreword by Pradeep Gidwani
Preface
Contributors

Chapter 1. Introduction: A Pending Public Health Crisis
Deborah Swain and Akilah Heggs

Chapter 2. Framing Communication Delays and Disorders as a Public Health Issue
Dawn M. Callahan Dennis

Chapter 3. Early Identification of Communication Disorders and Public Health: A Prevention Model
Daphne Terry Babrow

Chapter 4. The Neurodevelopmental Basis of Communication Delays and Disorders
Martha S. Burns

Chapter 5. Social and Emotional Consequences of Communication Delays and Disorders on Public Health
Travis T. Threats and Patricia Welch Saleeby

Chapter 6. Lost in Communication: The Educational Consequences of Hearing, Speech, and Language Difficulties
Cynthia M. Richburg, Tena L. McNamara, and Cedric V. Pritchett

Chapter 7. Health Literacy and Its Public Health Consequences
LaBrita Cash-Baskett

Chapter 8. The Public Health and Economic Burden of Untreated and Chronic Communication Delays and Disorders
Akilah Heggs

Chapter 9. Advocacy as a Core Public Health Function in Communication Disorders
Jeffrey P. Regan

Chapter 10. Public Health Approaches for Preventing Communication Disorders
Richard L. Neitzel, Lauren M. Smith, and Abas Shkembi

Chapter 11. Conclusion: A Vision for the Future
Deborah Swain and Akilah Heggs

Index

Authors

Deborah Swain

Deborah Swain, EdD, CCC-SLP, is the clinical director and CEO of The Swain Center for Listening, Communicating and Learning. She is Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and served as chair of the Government Affairs and Public Policy committee. She is past president of the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CSHA) and served on the CSHA Board of Directors for 10 years. Dr. Swain is a former Chief of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and held a clinical staff appointment to the School of Medicine. Dr. Swain has received numerous ASHA, CSHA, and university awards for leadership, advocacy, clinical service, and professional achievement. Dr. Swain is Fellow of ASHA and served as Editor of ASHA SIG 17 Perspectives Journal. She is a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Swain served as founder and chair for CSHA’s Early Intervention and International Committees. She chaired the committee in attaining policy change for the use of SLPAs in early intervention speech-language services in California. She has presented hundreds of papers at state, national, and international meetings and conferences. She has contributed chapters in various professional books and publications. Dr. Swain was the producer of 200 by 2, an information video for physicians on communication development in 2-year-olds. Dr. Swain has served on ASHA’s Legislative Council. Her most recent publication, Confidence and Joy: Success Strategies for Kids with Learning Differences is an Amazon best-selling book. She is the author of numerous books and standardized test batteries: Auditory Processing Disorders: Assessment, Management, and Treatment (four editions, co-edited with Donna Geffner); The Receptive-Expressive Social Communication Assessment-Elementary; The Auditory Phoneme Sequencing Test; The RIPA series of tests; The Listening Inventory; The Swallowing Ability and Function Test; Aphasia Rehabilitation: An Auditory and Verbal Treatment Hierarchy; and The Cognitive-Linguistic Improvement Program. Dr. Swain is an internationally and nationally recognized speaker and author. She was inducted into her high school’s Hall of Fame for her outstanding competitive swimming achievement. She continues to serve as CEO and clinical supervisor for her clinic in Santa Rosa, California, specializing in early Intervention, auditory and spoken-language disorders, learning differences, and cognitive neuroscience.

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Akilah Heggs

Michelle Boisvert, Nerissa Hall

Details: 368 pages, B&W, Softcover, 6" x 9"

ISBN13: 978-1-63550-770-6

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