DEMSS excerpt.pdf
Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill
DEMSS MANUAL
About the Authors
Edythe A. Strand, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Emeritus Professor, Mayo College of Medicine
Emeritus Consultant, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
Affiliate Professor, University of Washington
Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences
Seattle, Washington
Rebecca J. McCauley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Department of Speech and Hearing Science
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
Contents
- About the Online Materials
- About the Authors
- Acknowledgments
- Chapter 1 Overview of the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill (DEMSS)
- Introduction
- Intended Purpose of the DEMSS
- Rationale
Chapter 1: Overview of the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill (DEMSS)
INTRODUCTION
This chapter provides potential users of the Dynamic Evaluation of Motor Speech Skill (DEMSS) with the rationale for its development and information regarding its intended purpose. Descriptions of the target population, content, and administration times expected for its use are also provided.
The primary purpose of the DEMSS is to aid clinicians in differential diagnosis of speech sound disorders (SSDs) in children 3 years of age and older who may be quite impaired in their speech production.
INTENDED PURPOSE OF THE DEMSS
The DEMSS is not intended for children under 3 years of age because its reliability and validity were not examined for that age group. Our goal was to design a test that could be used for those children who have little or no functional verbal communication but who can at least attempt imitation.
RATIONALE
The DEMSS was motivated by the need for a dynamic assessment tool that would facilitate evaluation of children with severe motor speech problems. This tool aims to:
- Provide a criterion-referenced measure to identify difficulties in praxis.
- Facilitate judgments of severity and prognosis.
- Support treatment planning.
Benefits of Dynamic Assessment
Dynamic assessment allows the observation of behaviors that might not be seen in spontaneous speech, such as groping, segmentation, or timing errors. It offers particular advantages in the differentiation of motor speech impairment in children with severe SSDs.
Table 1.1: Typical Assessment Components for Speech Sound Disorders
| Task | Appropriate for |
|---|---|
| History | All children |
| Language sample | All children (include a description of nonverbal communication attempts) |
| Phonetic and phonemic inventories | All children |
| Receptive and expressive language testing | All children |
| Articulation tests or measures of phonologic performance | Children with a rudimentary speech sound inventory |
| Structural-functional examination | All children |
| Examine oral nonverbal praxis | Children who can attempt direct imitation |
| Motor speech examination | Children who can attempt direct imitation of simple consonant-vowel words or phrases |
Observations of Speech Characteristics
Dynamic assessment facilitates the identification of speech characteristics, enabling clinicians to differentiate between various types of speech sound disorders and establish appropriate treatment strategies.
Treatment Planning
The DEMSS informs treatment planning by identifying the types of cues that facilitate improvements in performance and enabling clinicians to devise tailored treatment strategies based on the individual child's needs.