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48 JCPSLP Volume 15, Number 1 2013 Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology
Resource reviews
Speech pathology resources
Gawned, S., & Lee, M. (2012). Booksharing: Successful
interaction with your child & books. Perth: Noah’s Ark
(WA) Inc.; book: ISBN 978 0 646 57359 5, 33 pages;
DVD. Available from for AU$24.95.
Elizabeth Lea
Booksharing: Successful
Interaction with Your Child &
Books is a resource book and
DVD created by speech
pathologists Sue Gawned and
Mary Lee from Child
Development Services at WA
Health. Gawned and Lee define
booksharing as “interacting with
your child when you read books
together” (p. 10) and aim to
provide parents with the
strategies to support their child “to develop a love of books
and language” (p. 6). After introducing the reader to
research related to booksharing, the authors identify a
number of ways that booksharing empowers parents to
support their child’s learning and development. Colour
photographs of parents and their children depict different
examples of booksharing and we revisit these families when
watching the DVD, which is useful for recalling key points
made in the book.
After highlighting the importance of booksharing,
Gawned and Lee introduce four strategies to assist parents
to engage in successful booksharing interactions with their
children. The first strategy is the “Booksharing triangle”,
which describes the optimal way for parents to sit with their
child so that both parties can interact with the story and see
each other’s faces. Strategy two outlines how parents can
use their face and voice to make the story come alive and
the book directs parents to the DVD for further examples
of how to implement this strategy. The third strategy
addresses the need for turn-taking during booksharing and
presents several examples of the ways parents and children
can take turns. Strategy four discusses the use of words
and text and provides a rationale for parents to use their
own words to talk about a story rather than reading every
word on a page. The authors also explain when parents
should adhere to the text in a story, for example, when
reading rhymes and singing songs.
Each of the four booksharing strategies is clearly
described but without the use of too much text and
the authors use dot points to provide examples for
further information. Photographs of parents and children
demonstrating each strategy and the DVD film clips provide
the parent with a clear understanding of how to implement
each strategy.
As both a speech pathologist and parent to a toddler,
I found that this resource reinforced the importance of
sharing books with children and will be useful for parents
looking for clear, practical strategies to further assist them
to instil a love of books in their children.
Hilari, K., & Botting, N. (Eds.) (2011). The impact
of communication disability across the lifespan.
London: J&R Press; ISBN 978 1 907826 03 0; pp. 298;
£24.99 (paperback) plus postage and packing;
Jane McCormack
While numerous books are available
that describe the prevalence and
characteristics of specific communi­
cation disorders (impairments), few
document the way in which such
communication disorders influence
and impact on the lives of those
who experience them. Knowledge
of the effects of communication
disorders is important to ensure
interventions aimed at alleviating
the effects are functional, relevant, and delivered in a timely
manner. This book aims to address the current gap in the
literature by presenting the impact of communication
disorders, rather than the nature of the disorders.
The book is divided into two sections: the first contains
chapters which describe the impact of developmental
(childhood) communication disorders (including autism,
developmental speech sound disorders/language
impairment, learning disabilities, stuttering, and deafness);
the second contains chapters which describe the impact of
communication disorders in adulthood (including aphasia,
dementia, acquired motor speech, TBI, voice, and head
and neck cancer).
Each chapter, written by an expert in the field, contains
a brief overview of a particular communication disorder;
the focus then shifts to a description of the areas of
impact most relevant to that communication disorder. For
instance, authors of the chapters relating to developmental
communication disorders describe a range of potential
and wide-reaching effects; however, common impacts are
educational and/or social difficulties. The authors often
discuss factors that may influence the extent of the impact,
including persistence/progression of the disorder, and
support networks available (including family context).
All chapters within the book include a section on
clinical implications, which provide evidence of the impact
of communication disorder and interventions available
to address the impact. Current gaps in knowledge are
identified and directions for future research are highlighted.
In addition, the final chapter in each section is co-written
by people with communication disabilities. These two
chapters provide individuals with communication disabilities
with a voice to describe their lived experiences, and provide
readers with an insight into communication disorders from
the perspective of those who live with them. The child/
youth chapter includes artwork completed by the co-
authors and is used to help illustrate their experiences.
This book provides a useful summary of research
investigating the impact of particular communication