Common Speech Therapy Assessment and Evaluation Tools
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Speech-language pathologist assessments provide important information about a client that can help determine the most effective and appropriate treatment plan. Outcomes of a client’s assessment can help SLPs determine what areas the client is having difficulty with and what needs to be done during speech-therapy sessions.
What are speech-language pathologist assessments used for?
SLPs use speech-language pathology assessments to determine a client’s communication status, as well as support feeding and swallowing. In addition, these assessments help assess and analyze articulation, phonology, receptive and expressive language, executive function, cognition, stuttering, impact of communication, social communication.
A speech-language pathology standardized assessment helps SLPs identify:
- Any specific communication area for which a client might benefit from intervention
- How the client’s communication may impact life participation
- How the client’s communication compares to same-age peers
- Ways to help the client improve and mitigate their challenges
What type of speech-language pathologist assessments should I use?
Speech-language pathology assessments can come in different formats. These can include questionnaires filled out by the clinician, client, and/or caregiver. Standardized tests might include picture booklets, digital versions, speech and language sampling, and criterion-referenced measures.
Historically, standardized SLP assessments have required manual administration with physical test booklets and score forms. This is due to the fact that the administration must be done in a specific way to ensure the data gathered can be compared to the participants used to create the norms for the test. Recently, digital options have become more available, allowing for standardized administration without physical materials. Digital assessments provide time-saving features that streamline administration, scoring, and reporting of results.
The type of speech-language pathology assessment you use depends on the age of your client, the suspected communication challenges, access to specific tests, and the appropriateness of a test for your individual client.
What’s the difference between formal and informal measures for assessment?
An SLP evaluation can include formal and informal measures for assessment. Formal measures are standardized assessment tools that have been norm-referenced on populations similar to your client. These assessments help determine how your client compares to same-age peers on communication tasks.
For informal measures, an SLP is gathering information about their client’s communication through observation and interaction. Informal methods of assessment can involve recording a speech and/or language sample, observing clients in their natural environment, and caregiver interviews. As speech-language pathologists, we are constantly assessing our clients’ needs and providing intervention addressing the areas that help our clients reach their highest communication potential. Informal assessments may also include using parts of standardized assessments, such as administering subtests rather than a complete test.
How to get familiar with speech-language pathologist assessments
Because SLPs can work with people across the lifespan and the breadth of the field is expansive, there are many different assessment tools available. These tools have been norm-referenced on particular populations, so each SLP needs to use their clinical judgment to design therapy that is culturally responsive and recognizes neurodiversity.
Speech-language pathology assessments
Below is a list of common speech-language pathology assessments used by SLPs that can be a good starting point. You’ll find assessments for:
- Articulation and phonology assessments
- Aphasia, cognitive communication and traumatic brain injury assessments
- Comprehensive Language Assessments
- Early intervention and preschool
- Literacy, dyslexia and narrative language
- Stuttering
Articulation and phonology assessments
Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale, Fourth Edition
The Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale, Fourth Edition, is a comprehensive articulation assessment of English language speech sounds that is norm-referenced for ages 18 months-21 years. It covers all major speech sounds in the English language, including initial and final consonants and blends, vowels, and diphthongs.
Clinical Assessment of Articulation and Phonology, Second Edition
The Clinical Assessment of Articulation and Phonology, Second Edition,
assesses articulation and phonology of preschool and school-age children and is norm-referenced for ages 2 ½-11 years.
Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, Third Edition
The Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, Third Edition, samples both spontaneous and imitative sounds for ages 2-22 years. It measures articulation of consonant sounds and determines types of misarticulation.
Aphasia, cognitive communication and traumatic brain injury assessments
Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test-Plus
The Cognitive Linguistic Quick Test-Plus is a quick criterion-referenced screening tool to determine neurological impairment as a result of stroke, traumatic brain injury, or dementia for people ages 18-90 years.
Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults
The Functional Assessment of Communication Skills for Adults is a comprehensive measurement of communication skills across the following:
- Social communication
- Communication of basic needs
- Rading
- Writing
- Number concepts
- Daily planning.
Western Aphasia Battery, Revised
The Western Aphasia Battery, Revised, assesses linguistic skills, nonlinguistic skills, and provides differential diagnosis information related to aphasia. It is norm-referenced for clients aged 18 to 89 years old.
Comprehensive Language Assessments
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fifth Edition
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fifth Edition, is a comprehensive language assessment for school-age children and adolescents (ages 5-21 years). This assessment provides:
- Receptive language and expressive language scores
- Additional composite scores-language structure
- Language content
- Language content and memory
- Working memory
Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition
Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition, is a comprehensive language assessment for measuring language processing skills for ages 3 to 21 years. Each subtest can be used on its own, or in conjunction to acquire one of the following indexes:
- General Language Ability Index (overall skill)
- Receptive Language Index
- Expressive Language Index
- Lexical/Semantic Index
- Syntactic Index
- Supralinguistic Index
Oral-Written Language Scale, Second Edition
The Oral-Written Language Scale, Second Edition is a comprehensive assessment of oral and written language skills. Subtests include:
- Listening comprehension
- Oral expression
- Reading comprehension
- Written expression
Early intervention and preschool
Preschool Language Scale, Fifth Edition
The Preschool Language Scale, Fifth Edition, is an interactive, play-based assessment addressing language skills for children from birth through age 7. *The Spanish edition was revised in 2012.
Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale
The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale, is a questionnaire based assessment for early intervention (birth-3 years), using observation, elicitation, and direct reports to determine if a communication behavior is mastered. Includes English and Spanish translations of the interview and report questions and the Parent Questionnaire.
Literacy, dyslexia and narrative language
Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills™
The Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills™ is a literacy-based assessment used to diagnose dyslexia and other reading challenges.
The Test of Narrative Language-2 is a narrative assessment that complements comprehensive language assessments to determine specific areas of focus for intervention related to narrative discourse.
Stuttering
Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering
The Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering is a unique assessment that measures the impact of stuttering on a person’s life—rather than on the frequency and type of stuttering events. This assessment supports effective intervention by focusing on the client’s own experience.
How to use speech-language pathology assessments on telehealth
There are a variety of ways to complete assessments using telehealth. However, whichever assessment you use, you’ll want to check with the publisher of each one to make sure you have permission to use them in the way that best fits your practice. One possible way to administer a standardized assessment in a telehealth session is to buy the digital versions of assessments when they are available and screen-share during sessions. Another way is to subscribe to Q-interactive—an iPad-based testing system that helps SLPs administer, score, and report results. Plus, when new editions of the assessments are published, assessments are automatically updated.
Additionally if you’d like to use hard copy assessments in telehealth sessions, you could utilize a document camera connected to your computer. A document camera allows you to show what is on your physical table top and then share your screen, so your client can see it as well.
How to comply with copyright and intellectual property
Most SLP assessments are copyrighted and protected by intellectual property laws. This means you have to purchase the assessment in order to use it. You also can’t copy it and use it anywhere else. However, it’s typically acceptable to make references to an individual assessment in your notes and documentation, as long as you’re not copying parts of the assessment.
Example: The Western Aphasia Battery, Revised was administered to client on 3/10/2022. Upon scoring of the WAB-R, client was noted to present with moderate global aphasia with challenges in both receptive and expressive language.
The example shows a reference to the WAB-RI, but doesn’t replicate any actual parts of the assessment. Remember, if you’re not sure what’s acceptable or have any outstanding questions, it’s best practice to check directly with the assessment publisher, or in some cases, a lawyer who specializes in copyright and IP law.
How to use an SLP assessment with your EHR
Whether you’re completing a comprehensive SLP evaluation or collecting information informally with subtests, standardized assessments are an important part of private practice. Investing in buying test kits can add up, so you may find it’s more cost effective to purchase an annual license for Q-interactive instead.
Once you’ve completed your SLP assessment, you can make references and record your findings in the documentation section of your EHR. Most top-rated EHRs have a fully integrated notes and documentation section, so it’s easy to keep track of client progress.
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