Cluttering: A Handbook of Research, Intervention and Education

Very few people are aware of the significant negative impact that cluttering -- a communication disorder that affects a person's ability to speak in a clear, concise and fluent manner -- can have on one's life educationally, socially and vocationally. Although different from stuttering, it is often related to this more well-known disorder. This book treats cluttering as a serious communication disorder in its own right, providing an in-depth examination of the critical factors surrounding its assessment, treatment and research. Using evidence-based data as well as information regarding the assessment and treatment of cluttering within the field of speech-language pathology, the volume includes the latest research findings and work from leading cluttering experts, worldwide. Current viewpoints regarding cluttering, along with substantiated evidence are provided. Research findings are presented regarding the nature and neurology of cluttering. A range of assessment and treatment methodologies are described in the context of disorders that may co-occur with cluttering, such as autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, Down syndrome and stuttering. Future directions with regards to the definition, teaching and researching of cluttering are also addressed. Clinicians, faculty members, researchers, students in the field of speech pathology, and those who clutter, alike, will find this book an essential and unique source of information on cluttering.

Table of Contents:
Editor's Introduction. Part 1: The Nature and Neurology of Cluttering. Cluttering: A Neurological Perspective. Possible Genetic Factors in Cluttering Motor Speech Control and Cluttering.A Preliminary Comparison of Speech Rate, Self-Evaluation and Disfluency of People Who Speak Exceptionally Fast, Clutter or Speak Normally. Part 2: Cluttering and Co-occuring Disorders. The Epidemiology of Cluttering With Stuttering. Cluttering and Down Syndrome. Cluttering and Learning Disabilities. Cluttering and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Part 3: Assessment and Treatment of Cluttering. The Assessment of Cluttering: Rationale, Tasks and Interpretation. Treatment of Cluttering: A Cognitive-Behavioural Approach Centered on Rate Control. Intervention Strategies for Cluttering Disorders. Assessment and Intervention of Japanese Children Exhibiting Possible Cluttering. Self Help and Support Groups for People With Cluttering. Part 4: Current and Future Directions in Cluttering. Defining Cluttering: The Lowest Common Denominator. Scope and Constraint in the Diagnosis of Cluttering: Combining Two Perspectives. International Perspectives on Perceiving Identifying, and Managing Cluttering. Cluttering in the Academic Curriculum.

About the Author :
David Ward, Kathleen Scaler Scott

Review :
"Erudite, enlightened and enlightening: this handbook shows how cluttering - the 'adopted orphan'- is cherished by a passionate scientific global community, confidently asking appropriate questions, with the integrity to answer 'we don't know it all'. The complexity in cluttering is clear, with clarity presented about what we do know of its nature, its impact, and about meaningfulness and function in the management of cluttering." - Margaret Leahy, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Speech and Language Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland "The issues raised will contribute to greater understanding of the cluttering disorder. The text is strongly scientific and well researched but is accessible and engaging. This book is a successful attempt to integrate various observations and opinions on issues surrounding cluttering." - Dobrinka Koleva Georgieva, Director of the South West University Stuttering Research Centre, Bulgaria