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Type of Measure: The Viking Speech Scale is used to classify children’s speech production, specifically the ease at which children can make themselves understood using different methods of communication. The scale has four levels and is ordinal. The four levels include: (1) speech is not affected by motor disorder (2) speech is imprecise but usually understandable to unfamiliar listeners (3) speech is unclear and not usually understandable to unfamiliar listeners out of context (3) no understandable speech. This is useful because cerebral palsy can affect children’s speech and limit their intelligibility. quoted from article

Target Population: Children aged 4 and above

Measurement properties and previous use: This tool was developed to classify children’s speech performance for use in cerebral palsy surveillance registers. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to substantial (k > .58 for all comparisons). Test–retest reliability was substantial to almost perfect for all groups (k > .68). Additionally, over 74% of raters found the scale easy or very easy to use. Pennington et al. concluded that the Viking Speech Scale is a reliable tool that can be used to describe the speech performance of children with cerebral palsy. This can be applied through direct observation of children or through case note review.

Languages: English

Authors and Citation: Pennington, L., Virella, D., Mjøen, T., da Graça Andrada, M., Murray, J., Colver, A., … & Andersen, G. (2013). Development of The Viking Speech Scale to classify the speech of children with cerebral palsy. Research in developmental disabilities, 34(10), 3202-3210.

Licence: From the PDF of tool: Copyright © Newcastle University UK, Vestfold Hospital Trust Norway, Centro de Reabilitação de Paralisia Cerebral Calouste Gulbenkian- Lisbon and Manchester Metropolitan University UK , 2011, Lindsay Pennington, Tone Mjøen, Maria da Graça Andrada and Janice Murray assert their moral right to be identified as the authors of this work.

Link to measure: The Viking Speech Scale

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