JCPSLP Vol 18 No 3 2016

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Creating sustainable services: Minority world SLPs in majority world contexts
JCPSLP Volume 18, Number 3 2016 151
Resources reviews
Harrower, J. K., Denti, L. G., & Weber-Olsen, M. (2015).
Educating students with autism spectrum disorder: A
model for high-quality coaching. San Diego, CA: Plural
Publishing; ISBN 978 1 59756 786 2; pp 245; A$69.95.
Keely Harper-Hill
I was delighted to be asked to review this book because,
while speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have
collaborated with educators for many years, coaching as a
means of educator professional development is currently of
particular interest. The book is structured clearly and
consists of 13 chapters across three sections. The
objectives of each chapter are listed at the chapter beginning
and each chapter ends with an explicit summary and
end-of-chapter questions. The first section (chapters 1–5)
introduces educational coaching, briefly reviews and
felt that the authors’ effort to address these topics was
undermined because more attention to both topics would
be required to do them full justice. The authors’ statement
of purpose suggests a wide readership including coaches,
as well as educators who are being coached, so that they
can meet the needs of children on the spectrum. As I read
the book, the scope of the intended readership became
less clear. For example, the information on coaching
may be of initial interest to the SLP who has very limited
experience working collaboratively with educators. It may
not, however, be sufficient to assist SLPs to translate
specialist knowledge of autism to the classroom. Similarly,
the information on autism could be useful to experienced
education-based SLPs with limited experience with autism
but I’m not sure they exist!
In conclusion, the book covers a wide array of
issues relevant to coaching and could serve as a useful
introductory text for student or early career SLPs working in
education sectors. I suspect that any SLP with experience
working with teachers or with reasonable experience in
working with young people on the autism spectrum may
find the content less beneficial due to the restricted depth
of the content covered in this book.
Hallowell, B. (2016). Aphasia and other acquired
neurogenic language disorders: A guide for clinical
excellence . San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing; ISBN 978
1 59756 477 9; A$140
Dr Christopher Plant
There are many textbooks available to the speech-language
pathologist on the topic of aphasia and related neurogenic
language disorders. In Aphasia and other acquired
neurogenic language disorders: A guide for clinical
excellence, Brooke Hallowell aims to provide a unique
perspective which will be of interest to students and
practising clinicians alike. Throughout the text, Hallowell
draws attention to what it takes to be an exceptional,
person-centred clinician when working with such client
populations. In working towards this aim, Hallowell
succinctly sums up the text’s approach by describing it as
an evidence-based, how-to clinical guide.
This text contains eight sections and 33 clear,
informative, and insightful chapters. Most chapters are also
complemented by downloadable student and instructor
resources. Each chapter opens with clear learning
objectives and concludes with well-considered learning
and reflection activities. This text therefore offers significant
value for money.
The general structure of the text is fairly standard, moving
from foundations and the nature of aphasia and cognitive-
communication disorders in conditions such as traumatic
brain injury, right hemisphere disorder, and dementia,
through to assessment, and then general principles of
intervention, followed by specific intervention approaches.
describes coaching models, and places this information
within the context of supporting students on the autism
spectrum. The second section (chapters 6–8) considers the
use of high-quality coaching in planning instruction for
students on the autism spectrum. Delivering effective
programming for these students is covered in the final
section (chapters 9–13). Vignettes are woven throughout
the chapters. The book is easy to read and the structure
would enable the reader to “dip” into it rather than read it in
its entirety. The authors are based in the United States and,
as with many other disciplines, the reader needs to make
adjustments to the content.
I do have several reservations, which stem from the
ambitious scope of the 250-page book. The authors make
a valiant effort to address two weighty topics: (a) educator
coaching and (b) how to support students on the autism
spectrum in the classroom. Within the sections on planning
instructions and again in effective programming, these
topics are integrated and applied to the assessment and
intervention phases of supporting students in schools. I