Aphasia Screening Test

Book excerpt: The Aphasia Screening Test (AST) is a standardised, comprehensive yet simple screening test battery designed specifically for use with older adults with acquired aphasia during the early stages of evaluation, to identify severe to moderate levels of language disturbance. The AST is a short, practical clinical tool, easy to use and administer. It provides an objective baseline of language impairment. It yields quantitative as well as qualitative information, providing a profile on which to base treatment. Re–testing produces objective outcome measures of changes in language function. There are 50 short subtests (each of 5 items) organised in levels of difficulty from simple to complex, 20 which asses the input modalities of auditory and reading comprehension and 28 which assess the output modalities of oral and written language production. There are 2 subtests of calculation. Factor analysis of the AST resulted in six clear and statistically significant factors providing evidence for the reliability and internal consistency of the AST. A discriminant analysis resulted in identifying the most discriminating sub tests and provided the basis of the 10 subtest(4 input and 6 output). "The Short Form" AST can be used as an initial screen for patients who can not respond to the full 50 subtests procedure. The second edition of the Aphasia Screening Test is box packed and contains: 1 AST Test Display Book(41 pages spiral bound) 1 AST Test Instruction Manual (including 14 case histories, 57 pages) 1 AST Test Statistics Manual (full standardisation data , 71 pages) 1 AST booklet of 45 Test Cards (spiral bound) 5 AST Test Objects ∗10 AST Test Composite Assessment Record Forms ∗10 AST Test Writing Booklets 1 AST Short Form AST 10 Subtest Display Booklet and Instruction Manual (spiral bound , 16 pages) 5 AST Short Form Test Cards ∗10 AST Short Form Assessment Record Forms ∗10 AST Short Form Writing Booklets ∗Further copies of these items may be downloaded at www.wiley.com/go/aphasiascreeningtest