Western Aphasia Battery -Revised

WAB-R: Administration

Materials:cup, pencil, flower, comb, screwdriver, ball, knife, safety pin, hammer, toothbrush, eraser, padlock, key, paper clip, watch, rubber band, spoon, cellophane tape, fork, matches, writing paper, book, pen, watch, telephone

WAB-R: Scoring

Auditory comprehension + speech subtests = Aphasia quotient (measure of severity of language impairment)

Language +non-language subtest scores = Cortical Quotient (measure of cognitive function)

Language Subtest scores +Reading +Writing scores = Language Quotient (measure of language impairment)

Time:

- 15 minute bedside

- Full battery= 30-45 minutes & additional 45-60 minutes for nonverbal section

Guidelines:

-5-10 seconds for patient response

-Repeat instruction only once

WAB-R: Normative Data

Normative test data is provided in the manual and reader should consult Kertesz (1979) and Shewan and Kertesz (1980) for information regarding standardization. Additionally, subtests and mean scores are standard deviations are reported in Kertesz for two studies conducted in 1974 and 1979.

WAB-R: Skills Assessed

Speech, Language, and Cognition

Linguistic skills assessed: content, writing, reading, fluency, repetition and naming, auditory comprehension

Non-linguistic skills assessed: drawing & calculation

WAB-R: Adaptions

- Bedside assessment

-No adaptations included in manual

*Multicultural appropriateness: clinician is allowed to make adaptations to assessment to accommodate client cultural differences

Sections & Procedure:

1. Aphasia:

- spontaneous speech, auditory verbal comprehension, repetition, naming, and word finding

2. Language:

- aphasia quotient, reading, and writing

3. Cortical:

- Language quotient, apraxia, and contructional, visuospatial, and calculation

WAB-R Purpose:

Assessment for adults with acquired neurological disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury, stroke, or dementia by identifying and classifying the type of aphasia:

Bedside

Full Battery

WAB-R: Strengths

WAB-R Basics:

Types of Aphasias: Broca's, Wernicke's, Global, Transcortical Sensory, Transcortical Motor, Conduction, Anomic, and Isolation

Title: Western Aphasia Battery Revised (WAB-R)

Author: Andrew Kertesz, MD, F.R.C.P. ©

Publisher: PsychCorp

Date of Publication: 2006

Age Range: 18-89 years

-Shorter and more sophisticated than the BDAE-3 (Brookshire 2015)

Comprehensive exam (tests many areas)

- Can be administered by other professionals

- Two parts

- Flip book style

- Bedside version

- Helps create client-specific language goals (manual)

- Decides Y/N Aphasic with degree of severity

- Helps establish baseline to measure improvement & goals

- Helps in understanding the structure in physiological organization of the brain (or parts) that are associated with language functions.

-Used when memory or cognitive tests are no longer useful to measure language dissolution in alzheimer's’ patients

WAB-R: Weaknesses

References:

Brookshire, R.H., (2015) Neurogenic Communication Disorders. Elsevier. St. Louis, MI

Kertesz, An. (2007) Examiners Manual: Western Aphasia Battery. NCS Pearson. San Antonio, TX

Turkstra, L. S., Coelho, C., & Ylvisaker, M. (2005). The Use of Standardized Tests for Individuals with Cognitive-

Communication Disorders. Semin Speech Lang Seminars in Speech and Language, 26(04), 215-222. doi:10.1055/s-2005-922101

-Long assessment & Only English

-Directions unclear for patient & many administering directions

-Not intended for children

- “Aphasia does not directly reflect the normal, functional organization of language” (manual)

-Tests have limited accuracy

- NOT A COMPLETELY RELIABLE MEASURE: Accuracy and reliability for WAB procedures has been questioned. When comparing the reliability of the WAB to that of clinicians who had been trained to classify neurodiagnostic aphasia symptoms, the judgements matched the WAB classifications only 54% of the time (Brookshire 2015).

Western Aphasia Battery -Revised

(WAB-R)