Description
What does it feel like to wake up one day speaking with a foreign accent from a country one has never visited?
Why does someone wake up doing this?
This book seeks to portray the broad and diverse experiences of individuals with a rare neurological speech disorder called Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). Through a combination of personal testimony and scientific commentary, the book aims to shed unprecedented light on the understanding of FAS by elucidating the complex links between how the brain produces speech, how listeners perceive speech and the role that accent plays in our perception of self and others.
The first part of the book provides a comprehensive introduction to FAS and covers a number of key subject areas, including:
* The definition and phenomenology of FAS
* A history of research on FAS
* The causes and psychosocial consequences of FAS
* A guide to further reading and a glossary of specialized terms.
The chapters in part two provide a unique insight into the condition through personal testimony and accounts from family members. This collection of 28 testimonies from across the world underlines the importance of listening carefully to patients explain their cases, and in their own words. The final section contains a questionnaire for use by clinicians to support case history taking.
The authors are two leading global experts on FAS, and this is the first volume of its kind to provide such a broad and comprehensive examination of this rare and poorly understood condition. It will be of great interest to practising clinicians in neurology, psychiatry, psychology and speech and language therapy/pathology, as well as students in health disciplines relevant to neurorehabilitation, linguists and also to families and caregivers.
About the Author
Jack Ryalls is Professor at the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Florida, USA. In addition to FAS, his research areas also include aphasia, normal aging, right hemisphere brain damage, Parkinsonism, Friedreich's ataxia, and Alzheimer's disease. Nick Miller is Professor of Motor Speech Disorders at the Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK. His teaching and clinical practice has covered all aspects of motor speech disorders as well as areas of neuropsychology, aphasia, and rehabilitation in neurological disorders. His main focus in research has been on speech, voice, and swallowing changes in Parkinson's and after stroke, with involvement with FAS arising out of the latter.
Reviews
'Accent is central to identity, so when accent is altered by brain damage or other causes, the effect on the individual is profound. Foreign Accent Syndromes offers a unique account of the human experience in such cases. Ryalls and Miller provide a thoughtful introduction and scientific overview of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), then step back to let people with FAS tell their stories. This is essential reading for people whose lives have been changed by FAS, for health professionals, researchers, and anyone who has ever been intrigued by this unusual disorder.' - Karen Croot, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia
'Foreign Accent Syndromes is written in an engaging, highly readable style and will be of interest not only to the scientist and the clinician but also to the non-scientist who wants to learn about this interesting and unique syndrome.' - Sheila E. Blumstein, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA
'From the perspective of a hospital based research cognitive neuropsychologist with over 20 years FAS experience, I find this little gem of a book to be stimulating, accurate and heart-rending. Interesting in its own unique right, it will also provide insights for people with FAS and their families, clinicians, and scientist-researchers. No audience is excluded. Students and the lay-reader will be amongst its fans. The professional accuracy of Ryalls and Miller combines effortlessly with the descriptive biographical accounts, all of which colour the unfolding natural history of foreign accent syndrome. This is a solid-gold contribution to the literature on FAS, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is hugely accessible to a lay readership and will stimulate and inform health professionals as well.' - Jennifer Gurd, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford
'Foreign Accent Syndromes is the first comprehensive and yet accessible guide to this intriguing phenomenon. With the unique addition of personal testimonies, which allows patients to speak in their own voices, this book is a must for all researchers and clinicians interested in this fascinating and confounding disorder.' - Yves Joanette, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada
'Between the covers of this book we find a spirited and knowledgeable professional account of FAS, and a sensitive portrayal of the inner perspectives of those who experience it.' - Wolfram Ziegler, Institute of Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
'Reading this as someone with an interest but little prior knowledge in the area, I found this a rounded introduction to research and experiences of FAS. Diagnosed individuals and affected families, as well as psychologists and speech and language workers will gain much from the tales and concise research described.' - Emma Norris, The Psychologist
'Accent is central to identity, so when accent is altered by brain damage or other causes, the effect on the individual is profound. Foreign Accent Syndromes offers a unique account of the human experience in such cases. Ryalls and Miller provide a thoughtful introduction and scientific overview of Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), then step back to let people with FAS tell their stories. This is essential reading for people whose lives have been changed by FAS, for health professionals, researchers, and anyone who has ever been intrigued by this unusual disorder.' - Karen Croot, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Australia
'Foreign Accent Syndromes is written in an engaging, highly readable style and will be of interest not only to the scientist and the clinician but also to the non-scientist who wants to learn about this interesting and unique syndrome.' - Sheila E. Blumstein, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, USA
'From the perspective of a hospital based research cognitive neuropsychologist with over 20 years FAS experience, I find this little gem of a book to be stimulating, accurate and heart-rending. Interesting in its own unique right, it will also provide insights for people with FAS and their families, clinicians, and scientist-researchers. No audience is excluded. Students and the lay-reader will be amongst its fans. The professional accuracy of Ryalls and Miller combines effortlessly with the descriptive biographical accounts, all of which colour the unfolding natural history of foreign accent syndrome. This is a solid-gold contribution to the literature on FAS, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. It is hugely accessible to a lay readership and will stimulate and inform health professionals as well.' - Jennifer Gurd, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford
'Foreign Accent Syndromes is the first comprehensive and yet accessible guide to this intriguing phenomenon. With the unique addition of personal testimonies, which allows patients to speak in their own voices, this book is a must for all researchers and clinicians interested in this fascinating and confounding disorder.' - Yves Joanette, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada
'Between the covers of this book we find a spirited and knowledgeable professional account of FAS, and a sensitive portrayal of the inner perspectives of those who experience it.' - Wolfram Ziegler, Institute of Phonetics and Speech Processing, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
'Reading this as someone with an interest but little prior knowledge in the area, I found this a rounded introduction to research and experiences of FAS. Diagnosed individuals and affected families, as well as psychologists and speech and language workers will gain much from the tales and concise research described.' - Emma Norris, The Psychologist
Book Information
ISBN 9781848721531
Author Jack Ryalls
Format Paperback
Page Count 244
Imprint Psychology Press Ltd
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 390g
