International journal of language & communication disorders
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Int J Lang Commun Disord · Sep 2009
Dysarthria impact profile: development of a scale to measure psychosocial effects.
The psychosocial impact of acquired dysarthria on the speaker is well recognized. To date, speech-and-language therapists have no instrument available to measure this construct. This has implications for outcome measurement and for planning intervention. This paper describes the Dysarthria Impact Profile (DIP), an instrument that has the potential to meet this need in clinical practice. ⋯ The scale is now ready for further refinement and development. Once validated, it should act as a robust outcome measure for clinicians.