Community-based rehabilitation is based on the belief that allied health and education workers in the field provide a vital support service to specialist agencies which are often centrally located and unable to meet the long-term needs of the wider community. Increasingly, specialist speech and language pathologists undertake a consultative role in order to meet community demands for services, particularly in rural settings. Initial identification and follow-up management of commonly occurring communication disorders may be the role of non-specialist rehabilitation workers.

This book developed out of the authors' involvement in teaching a course in communication disorders to physicians in China as part of a one-year programme in community-based rehabilitation. The purpose of the book is to introduce the principles of assessment, management and research to community-based rehabilitation workers.