Aphasia Assessments Explained: From the Western Aphasia Battery to Quality of Life

Send us Fan Mail Language assessments after stroke are not all the same, and the type of test a clinician chooses directly affects what gets measured and what gets missed. This episode breaks down the difference between impairment-based assessments like the Western Aphasia Battery and participation-based assessments like the Communication Activities of Daily Living, and explains why that distinction matters for survivors. Dr. Seles walks through how aphasia intersects with cognition and why quality-of-life assessments belong in every evaluation. Angie shares the real benefits and challenges of completing language assessments from the survivor's side of the table. Dr. Seles closes with three concrete tips for speech-language pathologists supporting survivors with low social support and reduced quality of life. For SLPs, students, survivors, and care partners who want to understand what gets tested, what gets missed, and what good assessment actually looks like. In this episode of Brain Friends, we discuss language assessments used in individuals with aphasia and acquired communication disorders.  Angie shares the benefits and challenges in completing language assessments and which type of assessment is beneficial to recovery.  Dr. Seles discusses the difference between impairment-based tests like the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) and participation-based tests like the Communication Activities of Daily Living (CADL).  Together we discuss the importance of quality-of-life assessments and how aphasia impacts cognition. Finally, Dr. Seles shares 3 tips for Speech-Language Pathologists (SLP) to help survivors navigate low social support and quality of life.https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merchhttps://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seleshttps://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...