This textbook provides a comprehensive overview for speech and language practitioners working with people with a lifelong disability, guided by current evidence and a commitment to inclusive, rights-based care. It leads readers through the entire clinical process - from referral and assessment to goal setting and intervention - anchored in internationally recognised frameworks such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the Participation Model, and the Communication Capability Approach.

Written by leading academics and educators from six countries around the world, the text offers students and early-career professionals a holistic view of what it means to work as a speech and language practitioner in the disability sector. It addresses the complexity and richness of practice, including how intentionality shapes assessment and how intervention is planned across the communication continuum - from individuals who are non-symbolic communicators to those who use high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems.

An essential resource for students and new graduates alike, the book empowers any reader seeking to build confidence and competence in working with people with lifelong disability across the lifespan.

Andy Smidt is Discipline Lead for the Master of Speech Pathology course at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Andy has taught disability related subjects for over 2 decades, she created material for the first speech pathology course in Vietnam (as a volunteer) and has taught numerous guest lectures around Australia.