A. Genetic Disorders: Though genetic research in communication

disorders has lagged behind that of other health care areas, genetic links to hearing, language, and speech disorders are now being discovered. Identifying children with genetic, chromosomal, or teratogenic disorders is extremely important.

B. Preventive Approaches: A first step in prevention is the proper delivery of genetic counseling (e.g., informing individuals about recurrence risk associated with a history of anomalies within a family, such as mental retardation).