Assessing the assessments: a comparison of two clinical pragmatic profiles

Recent years have seen a growth in interest in pragmatic aspects of communication, and the application of this area to language disorders. This has led to the development of a range of "pragmatic profiles" to assess the disordered language of children and adults. In this study we investigate two such profiles designed for use with aphasic patients. In particular we look at aspects of interscorer reliability (comparing scorers from different linguistic traditions), scoring sensitivity (two- versus five-point scales), and diagnostic accuracy (the ability to differentiate different aphasic syndromes). We conclude that training in scoring these profiles must be uniform, but also that greater sensitivity is needed in the categories available.