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From the Guest Editor

I am so pleased to introduce this special issue of Perspectives. I believe that whether you are a researcher, teacher, and/or clinician, you will find that this issue addresses key concerns you have about cluttering. This communication disorder is misunderstood on many levels as a result of the lack of a clear definition of cluttering, a paucity of well-designed research, limited awareness of existing research and resources outside the United States (US), and limited opportunities for clinical training. Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to view this misunderstanding from many perspectives. As a researcher completing a survey regarding inclusion of cluttering in a Communication Disorders curriculum, I found that, aside from time issues (which were of concern), many faculty cited the limited amount of solid empirical data as a major roadblock to teaching students about cluttering. As a clinician, I found that training opportunities for treating cluttering were virtually nonexistent, from graduate school on into practice. As Coordinator of the International Cluttering Association (ICA), and therefore an advocate for spreading awareness of the disorder worldwide, I have heard countless stories of misdiagnosis and/or clinicians refusing to recognize cluttering as a disorder. These unfortunate circumstances have had significant negative impact upon those with cluttering and their families.

The articles in this special issue seek to address these areas of concern. Scaler Scott and St. Louis discuss the issue of definition and ways to work within this issue to develop sound research projects and clinical intervention programs. Tetnowski provides a model curriculum for training future clinicians about cluttering through critically examining existing empirical information. Adams describes the impact of cluttering issues (definition, diagnosis, and training) on families of children with cluttering.

Many countries outside the U.S. have demonstrated leadership in fostering awareness and education about cluttering. Reichel and Bakker discuss the data regarding how cluttering is addressed in various countries throughout the world. The authors also introduce the valuable resources available to academics, clinicians, students, and consumers through the ICA's Web site. Kvenseth and Sonsterud of Norway provide a model for increasing cluttering awareness through consumer-clinician partnership. The authors provide information from the consumer perspective that is highly relevant to the practicing clinician.

The state of evidence is rapidly changing. This issue of Perspectives provides a small snapshot of the new ways of thinking about cluttering and recent cluttering projects. We cannot use resources of which we are unaware. This issue provides direction toward the available cluttering resources. I encourage you to examine this issue with an open mind and a critical eye toward effectively researching, assessing, and treating cluttering. Enjoy!

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Scott, K. S.