Assessment of Aphasia

Question 1

assessment types

Answer 1

• standardized assessments
• caregiver/self-reporting measures
• ethnographic interviewing
• observation techniques
• language sample
• dynamic assessment

Question 2

considerations for standardized assessments

Answer 2

• coexisting diagnoses
• primary language/dialect
• level of education

Question 3

caregiver/self-reporting measures

Answer 3

• questionnaires
• checklists
• rating scales

Question 4

ethnographic interviewing

Answer 4

• open-ended questions
• restatement
• summarizing

Question 5

restatement

Answer 5

• “what I’m hearing you say is…”
• hear it back and clarify/deny
• not putting your thoughts into their mouth

Question 6

summarizing

Answer 6

• can validate your assessment findings
• can assist with POC and adjusting services if necessary

Question 7

observation techniques

Answer 7

• analog tasks
• naturalistic observation
• systematic observation

Question 8

analog tasks

Answer 8

• simulated or stated communication contexts
• observing, set up a situation and wait for their response

Question 9

naturalistic observation

Answer 9

• everyday social settings
• observing them and their interactions within a setting

Question 10

systematic observation

Answer 10

• variety of contexts, settings, and tasks
• how are they in speech therapy? OT? with family>

Question 11

language sampling

Answer 11

• goal is to elicit spontaneous language
• helps to support standardize assessment
• look for paraphasias, agrammatisms, utterance length, etc.

Question 12

dynamic assessment

Answer 12

methods involving initial testing, skills are addressed in treatment, individual is retested to determine treatment outcome

Question 13

general assessment considerations for aphasia

Answer 13

• concurrent motor speech impairment (dysarthria/apraxia)
• limb or oral apraxia
• hearing status and auditory agnosia
• concurrent cognitive impairment
• visual agnosia, deficits, visual neglect
• hemiparesis
• endurance

Question 14

comprehensive assessment outlined: World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework

Answer 14

• impairments in body structure and function
• comorbid deficits
• limitations in activity and participation
• environmental and personal factors
• quality of life

Question 15

comprehensive assessment WHO criteria

Answer 15

• impairments in body structure and function
• comorbid deficits
• limitations in activity and participation
• environmental and personal factors
• the impact of communication impairments on quality of life, functional limitations relative to the individual’s premorbid social roles, and the impact on their community

Question 16

comprehensive assessment WHO criteria: impairments in body structure and function

Answer 16

including underlying weaknesses in expressive and receptive language that affect communication performance

Question 17

comprehensive assessment WHO criteria: comorbid deficits

Answer 17

such as other health conditions and medications that can affect communication performance

Question 18

comprehensive assessment WHO criteria: limitations in activity and participation

Answer 18

including changes in, and impact on, functional status in communication and interpersonal interactions

Question 19

comprehensive assessment WHO criteria: environmental and personal factors

Answer 19

that serve as barriers to, or facilitation of, successful communication and life participation

Question 20

part of the assessment

Answer 20

• case history
• motor speech exam
• language skills
• environmental factors
• differential diagnosis
• assessment results
• recommendations
• goals (SMART)

Question 21

case history

Answer 21

• medical history and recent medical status, including vision and hearing
• mental health history
• educational and health literacy level
• work history
• hobbies and personal interests
• cultural and linguistic backgrounds
• typical communication environments (where, how, and why someone communicates)
• knowledge of aphasia
• current communication strategies
• perception of functional communication status
• desired outcome of engagement with varied communication partners and home, vocational, and community-based activities
• language used in various communication environments
• preferences and goals

Question 22

motor speech exam

Answer 22

assess articulatory processes including rate, amplitude, accuracy, and consistency of movement

Question 23

language skills

Answer 23

assess expressive and receptive skills in spoken/signed and written language

Question 24

language skills: consider these specifics

Answer 24

• word, sentence, and paragraph comprehension (spoken/signed and written)
• naming
• repetition
• spontaneous speech
• discourse
• word, sentence, and paragraph writing
• gestures

Question 25

environmental factors

Answer 25

• support from family, care partners, and the community
• feasibility and acceptance of compensatory strategies
• comorbidities

Question 26

differential diagnosis

Answer 26

list of possible diagnoses that could be causing the presenting symptoms

Question 27

differential diagnosis: considerations

Answer 27

• previous medical diagnoses
• aphasia type
• lesion location

Question 28

assessment results

Answer 28

• diagnosis of a language or other communication disorder (dysarthria, acquired apraxia of speech, cognitive-communication disorder)
• descriptor
• prognosis for change

Question 29

assessment results: descriptor

Answer 29

• characteristics
• severity
• functional impact of the language disorder

Question 30

recommendations for

Answer 30

• intervention
• support
• community resources
• referral for other assessments or services

Question 31

goals (SMART)

Answer 31

• specific
• measurable
• achievable
• relevant
• time-bound