NCT07518576

Development and Validation of Language and Communication Assessment Scales

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: IRCCS San Camillo, Venezia, Italy · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of speech therapy for people with aphasia is to improve their ability to communicate in daily life. Traditional evaluations focus on linguistic tasks, but they do not fully address everyday communication skills, which are crucial for creating personalized treatment goals. The study suggests a multimodal approach to language assessment, stressing the importance of gestures in communication. It calls for the development of tools that evaluate communication in a wider context, including factors like motivation, attention, awareness, and alternative communication strategies. Additionally, there is a need for tools specifically designed to assess communicative gestures.

Detailed description

The goal of speech therapy for individuals with aphasia is to improve their communication effectiveness, enabling them to communicate in daily life. Traditional aphasia assessments focus on linguistic processes (e.g., naming, comprehension, dictation), which are categorized under impairment in the ICF framework, while everyday communication skills fall under activity and participation. However, there is a lack of consensus and appropriate tools for assessing everyday communication in aphasic patients, which are crucial for setting personalized treatment goals. The study suggests an interactive, multimodal model of language assessment, emphasizing the role of gestures in communication. It calls for the development of scales and tests that assess communication in a broader context, including factors like motivation, attention, awareness, and alternative communication strategies, as well as questionnaires evaluating both the individual's and caregiver's perceptions of communicative effectiveness and daily life participation. Moreover, an assessment tool of communicative gestures is needed.

Conditions

• Language Disorders
• Aphasia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	conversational approach	The conversational approach in speech-language rehabilitation focuses on improving communication within real-life, functional contexts. It emphasizes natural, interactive communication, helping individuals engage in meaningful conversations and participate in daily activities. Therapy often involves practicing communication in real-life scenarios, incorporating verbal and non-verbal cues. The goal is to enhance confidence and effectiveness in communication, allowing individuals with speech or language difficulties to regain autonomy and engage more fully in social and professional settings. Additionally, the assessment process is based on these principles and should also take place in conversation, evaluating communication skills within realistic, everyday contexts to better guide treatment planning.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-05-09
• Primary completion: 2022-05-30
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2026-04-08
• Last updated: 2026-04-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy