Published on March 15, 2018 by Olivia Halverson  
carol koch

Carol Koch, a professor in Samford University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, recently published a comprehensive communication sciences and disorders textbook titled, Clinical Management of Speech Sound Disorders, A Case-Based Approach. 

During her first years of teaching, Koch consulted many communication sciences and disorders textbooks, but struggled to find a book that offered applicable learning resources that she could use in the classroom. “I can teach the content,” Koch said. “But unless my students understand how to apply that content in a clinical situation, then my teaching is not effective.” 

Over time, Koch developed her own activities and case studies based on clients she had worked with in the past. According to Koch, these resources helped her students bridge the gap between knowledge and clinical application. 

Initially, Koch planned to produce a workbook featuring the activities and case studies she had developed, but after sending her proposal to a publisher, its peer reviewers recommended she write a comprehensive textbook instead. 

At the time, Koch had not conceptualized a comprehensive textbook of her material; the scope of which seemed immensely greater. Nonetheless, Koch garnered publisher approval for a comprehensive textbook in 2011, and she began writing the textbook in 2012. 

“We are beyond proud of what Dr. Koch has accomplished through the publishing of this book,” said Margaret Johnson, professor and chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “It is a reflection of not only her dedication to the profession but also to our students as she works day-in and day-out to enrich their education through interactive, hands-on experiences.” 

The book is comprised of five sections and 18 chapters, each accompanied by a variety of case studies, instructor guides, PowerPoint presentations and complimentary videos that show the administration of diagnostic tools used to assess speech sound disorders and videos that show a wide range of intervention strategies used to treat speech sound disorders.

The book is distinctive among other communication sciences and disorders textbooks by its comprehensive nature. It is also the only textbook of its kind to use the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation-3, the most recent edition of a standardized test used to assess children with speech sound disorders. The videos and teaching resources make this a valuable text for instructors. 

Koch said, “I hope this book helps faculty deliver their courses so that students feel confident going into their clinicals and working with children who have speech sound disorders.” 

Through academic achievements like this, Koch contributes to Samford’s work to graduate students capable of addressing today’s profound challenges in health care. This textbook is not only an outstanding achievement for Koch, but it is also an exemplary advancement for the field of communication sciences and disorders. 

Olivia Halverson is a journalism and mass communication major and a news and feature writer for the College of Health Sciences.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.