ACQ Vol 13 no 2 2011

Resource reviews

Speech pathology resources

environmental factors have relevance for speech pathology practice. Wherever possible, the questionnaires and tests reviewed have been reproduced within the text for clinical use, strengthening the practicality of the resource. The assessment measures presented also cover a wide range of populations, including progressive and non-progressive neurological conditions. While more scales and tools are reviewed for the adult population, 11 scales for use with youth and children are included. instruments across broad ranges of functioning” (Tate, 2010, p. 2). It provides clinicians with an overview of the level of evidence that underpins assessments currently in use in the ABI field and highlights new assessments that may be of benefit to a team or service. Hegde, M. N. & Pomaville, F. (2008). Assessment of communication disorders in children. Resources and protocols . San Diego, CA: Plural Publishing. ISBN: 978 1 59756 291 1; pp. 514; US$97.95; http:www. pluralpublishing.com Marleen Westerveld Tate has achieved her aim of ensuring that the compendium provides a “representative array of

Tate, R. L. (2010). A compendium of tests, scales and questionnaires: The practitioners guide to measuring outcomes after acquired brain impairment . East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. ISBN 978 1 84169 561 7 (hbk); pp. 768; GBP£125; available from http://www. psypress.com/ Jade Cartwright Dr Robyn Tate’s (2010) compendium of tests, scales, and questionnaires provides a comprehensive and practical review of over 150 specialist assessment tools for use with individuals with acquired brain impairment (ABI). It is an easy-to-read and accessible text. The introduction sets the scene extremely well, establishing the foundations for evidence based assessment. A clear, concise, and psychometrically driven report is provided for each assessment tool included within the compendium. This provides an overview of the purpose or aims of each assessment, a description of the test items, background to the scale’s development, and summary of administration procedures. The available psychometric properties are examined and clearly presented for each test, including validity and reliability values. The summary comments provided at the end of each report provide the reader with a sense of the clinical utility and worth of each scale. These reports can be used to aid the selection and review of assessment tools used in practice. They can be used in the planning stages of applied research in the ABI field. This biopsychosocial framework is used to structure and present each of the tests, scales, and questionnaires, with each tool carefully mapped on to the most applicable component, domain, or category of the ICF. The organisation of this compendium is novel in its approach and goes a long way in promoting holistic, integrated assessment, while supporting translation of the ICF framework to practice. The compendium is probably most useful for those working in a multidisciplinary team with this population, rather than a more general clinic. The compendium has a strong interprofessional focus, presenting a wide range of assessment instruments with relevance to the spectrum of practitioners working in the ABI field. As a result, the text may provide greatest value at a team, ward, or unit level to guide selection of outcome measures and implementation of clinical research. There are only a handful of tools within the text that specifically assess speech, language, communication, and swallowing functions, which may limit the direct value of the text for speech pathologists. That said, the questionnaires and scales measuring activities and participation, social roles and relationships, and

This 500-page book provides a wide range of resources (background information, normative data, lists of standardised tests, etc.) and protocols related to the assessment of communication disorders in children. Furthermore, all the protocols are included in Word format on a CD and can be adapted to suit individual clients. The book

is divided into seven parts. The first part (118 pp) deals with general principles of assessment, whereas the other six parts focus on four specific areas of clinical practice (speech, language, fluency, voice), the assessment of nonverbal and minimally verbal children (27 pp), and literacy related assessments (26 pp). The first chapter provides a brief description of different aspects of the assessment process including the case history, post assessment counselling, and the assessment report. Chapter 2 contains the most frequently used protocols as well as a developmental milestone chart (0–4 yrs) and a very detailed list of instructions on how to conduct an orofacial examination. The chapter on standardised assessment reiterates the purpose of administering standardised tests, clearly outlines the pros and cons, and explains how to interpret a child’s performance. Chapter 4 deals with ethnoculturally diverse children. Although the principles may be of interest to clinicians in Australia, the specific cultural groups

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ACQ Volume 13, Number 2 2011

www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au