ACQ Vol 13 no 2 2011

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ACQ Volume 13, Number 2 2011 101
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.
Tate has achieved her aim of ensuring that the
compendium provides a “representative array of
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.
Marleen Westerveld
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
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.
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
Speech pathology resources
Resource reviews