Classifying Interpreter Behaviors During Aphasia Assessments: Survey Results and Checklist Development

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Medical Interpreting
• Aphasia Assessment

Background:

• Interpreter-mediated aphasia assessments may lack crucial linguistic data for accurate diagnosis.
• Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and interpreters collaborate in medical settings, but face challenges.
• Interpreter training can inadvertently introduce errors affecting assessment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand SLP and interpreter perceptions of collaboration in aphasia assessments.
• To develop a checklist for categorizing and quantifying interpreter errors.
• To identify factors impacting the quality of interpreter-mediated aphasia evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Phase 1: Surveys with 38 SLPs and 26 interpreters on interdisciplinary experiences.
• Phase 2: Standardized aphasia assessment with 8 interpreters and 2 aphasia participants.
• Bilingual SLP and interpreter coded assessments for interpreter errors.

Main Results:

• Both SLPs and interpreters seek enhanced education on aphasia diagnosis and assessment goals.
• Lack of time is a major barrier to interpreter education during evaluations.
• Key interpreter errors include omission, meaning errors, and cueing; positive behaviors involve error identification.

Conclusions:

• Cross-disciplinary education is vital for improving interpreter-mediated aphasia assessments.
• A checklist tool can aid in educating interpreters, SLPs, and students on assessment errors.
• Enhanced training and tools can lead to more accurate diagnoses and effective treatment planning.