What is the goal of stuttering assessment?
articulate an understanding of the nature of a presenting disorder and associated
communication difficulties, so that appropriate treatment objectives and activities may
be pursued
Generally, the end result of assessment is _________.
diagnosis
What is the main task in stuttering assessment?
characterization and quantification of the stuttering, as well as related factors (not just
search for unconfirmed diagnosis)
What is psychogenic stuttering?
some type of psychological trauma occurred and then they started stuttering
What is neurogenic stuttering?
stuttering begins after some type of neurological event such as a TBI or stroke
What is developmental stuttering?
stuttering that begins during the preschool years during the time that language was
developing
What is acquired stuttering?
stuttering that begins after the preschool period; usually leads back to either
psychogenic or neurogenic cause
General components of assessment (not vastly different from assessment of
other communication disorders)
1. gather background and case history information
2. observe speech production in multiple, controlled speaking contexts
3. assess severity of the overt stuttered speech as well as the overall disorder (affective
component and cognitive component)
4. assess other communication problems (informal communication sample) as well as
motor and health issues
5. discern factors contributing to the communication difficulties
What are the ways that stuttering assessment differs from other types of
assesment?
1. relatively large variability in the disorder (varies in certain situations)
2. special concern given to evaluating emotional reactions associated with the speaking
difficulties
3. attitudes about speaking
Stuttering assessment is ________________ because clinicians must consider
etiologies, characteristics, anatomical/physiological, acoustic, psychological,
developmental, and linguistic and cultural correlates of fluency disorders.
multidimensional
Assessment of the correlates doesn't typically lead to identification of direct
etiology, but it reveals what?
how individual abilities and characteristics in these correlates contribute to the complex
picture of what triggers stuttering events and why the disorder persists.
What does OASES stand for?
Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering
, What are two standardized comprehensive fluency assessments discussed in
class?
1. Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES)
2. CALMS
With the OASES, the clinician analyzes information about the total stuttering
disorder, including the clients ________________, ______________,
______________, and ________________.
1. broad view of stuttering
2. affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to stuttering
3. functional communication difficulties
4. the impact of stuttering on the quality of life
The OASES is not quantifying the client's disfluencies, but instead assessing the
_________ ________ of stuttering.
emotional component (overall impact of the client's life)
The OASES can be given at the end of therapy to give information on what?
how much progress has been made (is stuttering "less impactful" on the client's life)
What is the hallmark of stuttering?
its variability
In what two ways does stuttering vary?
across and within individuals who stutter
1. varies from person to person
2. varies within a person from one situation to another
Why is it desirable to obtain speech samples in a variety of conditions?
the clinician can appreciate the range of variability and influence of different contexts
What are some different situations that you could get a sample from?
1. ask the parent to record an interaction with the child (stuttering with a more
comfortable communication partner)
2. clinician obtained speech sample (sample with an unfamiliar communication partner)
3. ask the teacher to record a conversation with the child
4. go observe the client giving a presentation to the class
5. observe a conversation between the client and their peers
6. record an adult client's conversation with their spouse
7. adult conversation with coworker or presentation at work
8. adult phone call (may need to brainstorm and plan out so that it isn't just a very short
sample)
9. client ordering at a restaurant
How many samples did Mrs. Elias say the clinician should get?
three in total
1. client and clinician communication sample
2. sample with a familiar partner
3. sample in a more pressured environment
Some information regarding evaluation can be applied to all groups with
modifications made for age differences. These include:
1. initial evaluation participants (client, parents, sig other)
2. history information