"This is an excellent educational tool for parents looking for general information on hearing loss. Experts in the field present parents with all the communication options currently available for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The book presents this information in an organized fashion that allows for easy navigation. Readers can either sit down and read the book cover-to-cover or read chapters as needed. The third edition covers many new topics and areas of research that have been developed since the second edition was published."
-Doody Review Service

"Choices in Deafness: A Parents’ Guide to Communication Options, by Sue Schwartz, Ph.D., is a helpful tool that empowers parents by providing a comprehensive overview of the technologies and communication methods that are available to help children participate fully in today’s highly communicative society. The new edition has been extensively revised and expanded to provide the information needed by parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Topics range from assessment and diagnosis to medical and audiological treatments, the latest types of cochlear implants, education and technological devices. The book presents a balance of research, guidance and insight from experts and families. No single option is right for all children born with hearing loss, points out Dr. Schwartz, who stresses that it’s important to ask for guidance from trusted medical and health professionals.

This essential guide for parents, students and clinicians in the field of deaf education presents five approaches to communication: auditory-verbal, American Sign Language-English bilingual, cued speech, auditory-oral, and total communication. First-person accounts from parents supplement each section.

The new edition includes seven new chapters, covering topics such as universal newborn screening, genetic causes of deafness, and communication technology. A chapter titled The Transformation of Dreams explores the shift in the emotional outlook experienced by parents when they learn their child is deaf. Identifying a Program of Excellence offers advice on what to look for in an education program, and Making it in College features accounts by students on how they communicate at college.

New to this edition is a CD titled What Hearing Loss Sounds Like. The seven minute disc gives listeners an idea of what speech sounds like to children who have auditory neuropathy or hearing loss for specific frequencies. Because most children with hearing loss are impaired at more than one frequency, understanding what speech sounds like for any given child may require the reader to listen to several tracks on the CD. Parents might find the audio portion daunting due to its technical nature."
-ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists, October 13, 2008

"Dr. Susan Schwartz provides an excellent and comprehensive guide on 'choices in deafness' relative to the effective screening practices and technological advances of the 21st Century. This book provides an in-depth look into the world of deafness and the communicative choices confronting today's parents. This is a must-read for parents and teachers of the deaf."
-Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, Maryland State Department of Education