Dysarthria assessment across Spain: a survey study of tools, practices, and needs

Abstract

Introduction: Dysarthria, a motor speech disorder that has a significant impact on communication, requires precise assessmentfor accurate diagnosis and intervention. Although internationally recognised assessment tools exist, many are not culturallyor linguistically adapted for Spanish-speaking populations. The objective of this study was to investigate how speech-languagepathologists (SLPs) in Spain navigate the lack of appropriate dysarthria assessment tools and identify the additional resources andtools required to enhance evaluation practices.Method: This cross-sectional study surveyed 73 licensed SLPs in Spain using a 36-question online questionnaire, collecting dataon a broad spectrum of topics, such as clinical experience, dysarthria assessment tools, tasks, and bilingual/multilingual practices.Descriptive statistical analysis was used to identify and highlight the key trends. [...]