title: Speech-language evaluation of closed head injured subjects in South Africa: cultural applicability and ecological validity of a test battery.
abstract: This paper addresses the communicative outcome of a group of closed head injured (CHI) subjects in South Africa. Communicative outcome is evaluated on one test battery currently used for medico-legal assessments in South Africa. It was found that a number of the tests were sensitive to breakdown in this sample, but that the demographic factors of first language and pre-injury education significantly affected performance on some tests. Many test performances were significantly related to return to work, thus confirming the importance of communicative skills in the workplace, and the speech-language pathologist's role in vocational assessment and rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Penn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000150:complications*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D013019:South Africa; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests