Audiological Assessment of the Aphasic Patient

The speech and language rehabilitation for an aphasic patient, as well as the assessment of his communicative deficits, relies substantially on auditory input. Because a hearing loss can affect patient performance during both phases of his treatment program, an audiological evaluation is a logical first step in determining the rehabilitative needs of the aphasic patient. As with any patient, the audiological evaluation serves the following two main functions: (1) it determines whether or not a lesion within the auditory system distorts a signal reaching the cortex, and (2) it determines the degree of the auditory deficit that is amenable to medical or audiologic management. Such management might include medical attention to active otological disorders or audiological attention to amplification and hearing-aid orientation. Only after these deficits are treated will speech and language intervention be optimally effective.