Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R)

Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R)

Josephine Bartolome, Stephanie Obusan, Alice Wantana

Administration (set-up, materials, prompting):

What is the WAB-R?

In general:

Scoring:

Administration Time:

“Quickly screen or comprehensively assess adults with

acquired neurological disorders"

Administration Guidelines (Set-Up):

Materials Needed:

Bedside:

15 minutes

Oral/verbal section:

30-45 minutes

• Examiners Manual
• Stimulus Book
• Record Forms

Andrew Kertesz, M.D., F.R.C.P. (C)

Reading, writing, Apraxia constructional, visual spatial,

calculation, supplemental writing and reading sections:

Author:

45-6o minutes

• Schedule testing at a time when the client is well rested and prepared
• Test in a quiet, organized and well lit room
• Make sure all test materials needed for the WAB-R are present and away from the client until needed
• Establish rapport with the client
• Allow breaks for client to regain attention and energy, if needed.
• Be aware of time limits on particular tests.
• Watch use of prompts, probes and cues.
• Don’t converse with the client about how they are doing on the test.
• Make sure the patient is using any device he or she typically uses, such as eyeglasses, hearing aids, contact lens, dentures, etc.
• Supply a table or other flat surface that will enable the patient to see the Stimulus Book and to write on a steady surface.
• Remove all extraneous materials from the tabletop that may attract the patient’s attention during testing.
• Position the patient where he or she cannot see a clock or calendar.
• Sit across from the patient if possible.
• Keep the record form(s) away from the patient’s view
• It is preferable to audiotape or videotape the patient’s responses

2007

Additional Materials Needed:

Total: 2 to 6 hours

Publication Year:

• Bedside Record Form
• Test objects

• Score point for a correct response and points for an incorrect

response.

• Write NR if client does not respond and give a score of
• Maximum points in indicated in the lower, right-hand corner score box
• If the client’s response differs, write down what they say.
• Once each subtest section has been calculated, scores will then be put into

the summary worksheet at the end of form 1 and form 2.

18-89 years old

Ages:

Appropriate for English-speaking adults or teenagers with known or suspected acquired neurological disorders

Target Population:

What does it test?

Purpose:

Bedside Record Form

Record Form Part 1

1. Linguistic:

-speech content, fluency, auditory

comprehension, repetition naming and

reading, writing

2. Non-Linguistic skills:

-drawing, calculations, block design, and

apraxia

What is it and Why is it used?

Determine the presence, severity and type of Aphasia

To measure the patient’s level of performance to

provide a baseline for detecting any change overtime

To provide a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s language assets and deficits in order to guide treatment and management

To infer the location and etiology of the lesion causing aphasia

Prompting:

• Spontaneous Speech
• Auditory Verbal Comprehension
• Repetition
• Naming and Word Finding

The record form provides a WAB-R Aphasia Classification Criteria that gives information to establish the aphasia type

Repetition

Part 1: Spontaneous Speech (A),

Auditory Verbal Comprehension (A, B, C,), Repetition

Part 2: Reading (B), Supplemental Writing and Reading (A&B)

Record Form Part 2

Utilized for patients who are too ill or in the acute stage of their disease

• Includes half of the items contained in the

WAB-R Record Form Part 1

• Scoring and Interpretation are the same

• Test administration is less formal

• Substituting objects available in the patient’s room for Confrontation Naming

Tactile cue

Part 1: Naming and Word Finding (A)

Phonemic cue

Part 1: Naming and Word Finding (A)

• Reading
• Writing
• Apraxia
• Constructional, Visuospatial and Calculation
• Supplemental Writing and Reading

Semantic cue

Part 1: Naming and Word Finding (A)

Rephrasing

Aphasia Quotient, Language Quotient and Cortical Quotient

Spontaneous Speech (A)

Pros and Cons:

Validity:

Reliability:

PROS:

CONS:

• Concurrent Validity
• Content Validity

• Assess linguistic skills most affected

by Aphasia

• Evaluates some nonverbal abilities
• Relatively short
• Aphasia quotient
• Identifies and classifies which type

of Aphasia

• Provides differential diagnosis

information (ASHA)

 Not as comprehensive

•  No profile just classification
•  No computerized scoring (ASHA)
• Gender bias (Males > Females)
• Not appropriate for non-English speakers

 Labels

• Full version takes too long

to complete

• Expensive ($$$)

• Intrarater Reliability
• Interrater Reliability
• Internal Consistency
• Test Re-Test

Criterion validity:

• Cutoff score:

AQ of 93.8 or higher

Quick Tips:

• 60% sensitivity
• 100% specificity

1) Record form provides specific directions with necessary prompts

and cues included

2) Reliability-- p. 95-96

3) Specific task administration and scoring directions for record form

part 1-- p. 31-38

4) Specific task administration and scoring directions for record form

part 2-- p. 54-55