Targeting Intelligible Speech: A Phonological Approach to Remediation

Barbara Hodson and Elaine Paden's Targeting Intelligible Speech is a major step in describing, explaining, and justifying the phonological approach. Most of the ideas in this new book were born in the clinical experiences of the authors. This invaluable clinical experience, combined with Hodson and Paden's awareness of a complex and rapidly growing literature on phonological analysis and phonological development, gives their book freshness, depth and relevance. As readers, we benefit not only from the authors' knowledge tested by experience in the clinical proving ground, but also from their sensitivity to the unanswered questions, to lacunai, and to controversy. There is much in this book that is practical; and there is also a cautious respect for what we do not yet know. To achieve this combination is a major challenge in education. On the one hand, we must give our students competence and confidence in what they can do with today's knowledge; on the other hand we must encourage them to think independently to hold fast that which meets the test of application, and to seek continually for a better way. Targeting Intelligible Speech is written in this vein.