An epidemiological study of speech and hearing disorders.

The research described in this report began on January 1, 1976, and continued for three and a half years. The object was to examine the prevalence of communication disorders in southeastern Ontario in order to make recommendations for the planning of future facilities and services. The study is, to the best of the writers' knowledge, the largest of its kind ever undertaken; it involved more than 5,000 subjects over 18 months of age, each assessed in a one-to-one situation. The research consisted of the following stages, which often overlapped in order to achieve the goals of the study as rapidly and as effectively as possible: -- A review of literature. -- Data collection on known cases of communication disorders in 1975. -- Testing speech and hearing in almost 5,500 people. -- Making recommendations for the future provision of services.